Comprehensive sexual education provided by universities can help students navigate their developing identities, relationships and choices

I know how to find the hypotenuse of a triangle. I can name each of the planets in our solar system. I can even list several literary devices. But if you ask me what I learned about sexual health over the span of the five years it’s taught in the public school curriculum, I could tell you nothing. Absolutely nothing. Unfortunately, the awkward giggles, bewildered expressions and uncomfortable atmosphere are all that’s cemented in my brain years later.  

As young adults transitioning from high school to university, life on campus introduces opportunities to explore new relationships, new experiences and new choices.  

However, as students begin to pursue sexual experiences, they’re forced to rely on sub-par sex-ed from high-school, conversations with friends or searches on the web – which aren’t always reliable. 

Given the diversity of students at university, it’s important to recognize the various experiences and levels of exposure individuals have received to sexual education.  

With the need for more comprehensive sex-ed, universities can help bridge the knowledge gap left by schools. They can create safe and accessible spaces that encourage learning about sexual health and well-being in unbiased and non-judgemental ways.  

Depending on where students come from, sex and sexual health may be severely stigmatized. As a result, the formal sexual education curriculum may be minimal to non-existent, leaving many international students with a poor understanding of sexuality, reproductive health and rights.   

Even for domestic students who receive curriculum-based sex-ed in Canada, the content is not culturally inclusive and fails to take a holistic approach.  

All students, and especially Black, Indigenous and People of Colour students, would benefit from an anti-racist approach to sexual education that decolonizes, Indigenizes and dismantles systems of oppression. Such an approach to sex-ed offered in post-secondary settings would open opportunities for important dialogues that include the Black, Indigenous and other racialized experiences. 

These communities have also been disproportionately affected by poor health outcomes, such as higher rates of sexual violence and sexually transmitted infections, due to various determinants including low socioeconomic status, inequitable access to healthcare and a lack of trust in the healthcare systems that have a history of racism, discrimination and structural violence. An anti-racist sex-ed framework could offer better support for these communities.

It is also critical to support the disconnect young adults with diverse identities experience when navigating their sexuality and health. For instance, the colonization and historical trauma experienced by the Indigenous community still deeply affect their ability to relate to the content taught in school curriculums. Likewise, 2SLGBTQ2IA+ students need access to better support and a sex-ed curriculum that remains inclusive of their experiences and provides evidence-based information to promote positive sexual health outcomes.  

It is also critical that students with disabilities receive proper access to comprehensive sex-ed. Too often, individuals with disabilities are stripped of their dignity and autonomy and that needs to change. Applying health equity and justice frameworks to centre the experiences and voices of oppressed groups is key to ensuring all individuals are able to express their sexuality on their own terms. 

Sex-ed matters. It gives students power over their identity, sexuality, health, relationships and more importantly, their future. 

Everyone has the right to comprehensive sexual education and I believe that a comprehensive sexual education curriculum is an intersectional and equitable one. Comprehensive sexual education incorporates the narratives of BIPOC communities, rather than outdated and oppressive frameworks from the past. It also provides students with the opportunity to learn about topics beyond reproductive health such as healthy relationships, sexual violence prevention, body image, gender identity and sexual orientation. 

With the need for more comprehensive sex-ed, universities can help bridge the knowledge gap left by schools. They can create safe and accessible spaces that encourage learning about sexual health and well-being in unbiased, nonjudgmental ways.  

Depending on where students come from, sex and sexual health may be severely stigmatized. As a result, the formal sexual education curriculum may be minimal to non-existent, leaving many international students with a poor understanding of sexuality, reproductive health and rights.   
 

And while the McMaster Students Union services like the Student Health Education Centre, Women & Gender Equity Network and the Pride Community Centre are already working towards disseminating this knowledge and providing resources for students, McMaster has a unique opportunity to do more.  

By implementing comprehensive sex-ed during Welcome Week and orientation for incoming students and offering regular support through the Student Wellness Centre, McMaster can promote positive sexual health outcomes and leave their students feeling sexually-empowered with a greater recognition for their dignity and bodily autonomy.  

Sex-ed is an ongoing process and shouldn’t stop in high school. As we continue to grow and discover ourselves, the relevancy of sex-ed increases and so does the need for universities to equip their students with accessible support and evidence-based resources. 

The MSU Pride Community Centre’s first Queer Prom promises music, donuts and a surprise celeb performance

This year, the McMaster Students Union Pride Community Centre is hosting their first Queer Prom at the Art Gallery of Hamilton on Mar. 3. The event is in collaboration with EngiQueers and Queer and Trans Colour Club.  

Although this is the PCC’s first time hosting this event, 2SLGBTQIA+ social advocacy group Fruit Salad: Hamilton Edition held Hamilton’s first Queer Prom in June 2022. The event was also held at the Art Gallery of Hamilton and brought in attendees from all over the province.  

The tradition of 2SLGBTQIA+ safe dances have been important in queer spaces all over the world for several years. In 1995, one of the very first recorded queer proms in America was organized in Hayward, California.  

In a 2014 documentary covering the Hayward Gay Prom, participants detail how this tradition allows 2SLGBTQIA+ youth to safely experience one of the most romanticized milestones of American youth.  

Avery Kemble, assistant director of the PCC, shared that these ideas rang true to McMaster’s 2023 Queer Prom. Kemble explained that this event aims to provide the queer community an opportunity to experience an inclusive, safe and fun prom. Kemble explained that some students may not have had this opportunity previously, due to pandemic restrictions or homophobic school requirements.  

“So many high school proms are so cis [normative and] heteronormative and it's so hard for queer people to be able to go and feel welcome at an event like that. There are stories of people not even being allowed to bring same-sex partners or having dress codes that say girls must wear dresses and guys must wear suits. It's all very limiting for queer people,” said Kemble. 

So many high school proms are so cis [normative and] heteronormative and it's so hard for queer people to be able to go and feel welcome at an event like that. There are stories of people not even being allowed to bring same-sex partners or having dress codes that say girls must wear dresses and guys must wear suits. It's all very limiting for queer people

Avery Kemble, Assistant Director, Pride Community Centre

PCC Training and Development Coordinator Ava Shah-Beigi discussed with the Silhouette that the PCC’s Queer Prom is a meaningful opportunity to celebrate queer culture in a unique and accessible way.  

“It's so nice that there is so many aspects of queer culture that are celebrated within the confines of nightlife, such as bars or drag shows. But we also think that it's important to have events that don't necessarily center around nightlife, but rather something more like a formal, which offers options for queer students.” said Shah-Beigi.  

Kemble shared that the PCC has been hard at work planning Queer Prom since September 2022.  

She explained that it was important to them to ensure that the event is as accessible as possible. This includes cheaper ticket options to reduce financial barriers for some students. Kemble shared that, because queer people are already more likely to be of lower income or require financial aid, it was important for the PCC to make tickets as affordable as possible, which they were able to achieve through external funding.  

Shah-Beigi shared with the Silhouette that in an effort to make Queer Prom as accessible as possible, the PCC has organized a raffle to provide free tickets and outfits for the event.  

We will be providing a free ticket to three to five students with financial needs and there's like a person we're collaborating with that will provide them a free outfit as well. We don't want people to face any barriers when it comes to finances. We want to be able to have everyone celebrated whether or not they come from a wealthy background,” said Shah-Beigi.  

We will be providing a free ticket to three to five students with financial needs and there's like a person we're collaborating with that will provide them a free outfit as well. We don't want people to face any barriers when it comes to finances. We want to be able to have everyone celebrated whether or not they come from a wealthy background.”

Ava Shah-Beigi, Training and Development Coordinator, Pride Community Centre

The Queer Prom will be chock-full of music, games and entertainment. There will be a professional DJ, a donut bar, a caricature artist, drag queen performances and a surprise celebrity performer.  

Shah-Beigi also shared that the event is Renaissance themed, and attendees are encouraged to come dressed in their most extravagant themed attire.  

Whether it be for the entertainment, the dessert bar or just to celebrate queerness in a safe and uplifting space, McMaster’s first Queer Prom is an event to not be missed.  

“Growing up, prom is such a milestone event that you look forward to and we want the queer community at McMaster to have that opportunity to be brought together and foster a sense of belonging and inclusion, to show queer people that they matter,” said Kemble. 

“Growing up, prom is such a milestone event that you look forward to and we want the queer community at McMaster to have that opportunity to be brought together and foster a sense of belonging and inclusion, to show queer people that they matter.”

Avery Kemble, Assistant Director, Pride Community Centre

 
For more information about Queer Prom, visit the McMaster PCC Instagram. 

C/O Daniel James, Unsplash

Pride Hamilton was back in person, though with mixed responses from the community

After two years of virtual Pride celebrations, Pride Hamilton is officially back in person. According to the Pride Hamilton website, Pride celebrations have been happening in the city since 1991. However, the Pride Hamilton organization was only officially formed in 2018, hosting their first official Pride in Gage Park in 2019.  

After this initial celebration in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic forced Hamilton Pride online for the next two years. The digital Pride events of 2020 and 2021, featured a variety of 2SLGBTQIA+ speakers, musical performers, dance performers and drag artists.  

In 2022, Pride Hamilton was in-person once again. The weekend featured numerous vendors, as well as performances by Nicky Doll, host of Drag Race France. 

However, Pride Hamilton 2022 also saw some changes from the 2019 experience. Traditionally held in June, Canada's pride month, Pride Hamilton was instead held indoors at the Hamilton Convention Centre on the second weekend of July.

These changes were announced in an Instagram post by Pride Hamilton on April 23, 2022.  

“Planning Pride is not easy. There are so many moving parts and so many groups within the community that have voices and ideas that need to be acknowledged. When the government announced the lifting of restrictions, it gave us the chance to go back to the drawing board and create something fresh that could finally reunite us,” said the letter, which was signed by Kiel Hughes, the chair of Pride Hamilton.  

"Planning Pride is not easy. There are so many moving parts and so many groups within the community that have voices and ideas that need to be acknowledged. When the government announced the lifting of restrictions, it gave us the chance to go back to the drawing board and create something fresh that could finally reunite us."

Kiel Hughes, the Chair of Pride Hamilton in a Letter on Instagram

Many community members have left comments expressing feelings of confusion or loss, regarding the changes of date and venue to Pride 2022. However, many others have expressed excitement about a return to in-person celebrations on Pride Hamilton’s social media pages.  

Norah Frye, director of the McMaster Student Union's Pride Community Centre, expressed excitement at being able to celebrate Pride in person once again.  

While virtual events were necessary for Pride 2020 and 2021, Frye noted Pride is particularly difficult to celebrate online because a large part of Pride is existing together as a community in a comfortable and welcoming space. 

“That's part of what makes Pride such a novel, exciting, exhilarating, love-filled experience. Because you can feel, in the most physical and literal way, love and acceptance around you. And that's something that's really hard to foster online,” said Frye.  

"That's part of what makes pride such a novel, exciting, exhilarating, love-filled experience. Because you can feel, in the in the most physical and literal way, love and acceptance around you. And that's something that's really hard to foster online."

Norah Frye, director of McMaster University’s Pride Community Centre

Frye also highlighted the uniquely intimate experience of Pride Hamilton, as compared to larger Pride celebrations such as Pride Toronto. 

“You have this level of intimacy that's just not always there when you do anything on a bigger scale; I think that's really exciting to be a part of,” said Frye.  

Though unable to attend Pride Hamilton this year, Frye looks forward to plenty of Pride-related events at McMaster throughout the upcoming school year. 

"Part of my goal for the PCC this academic year is to make up for all the time that we lost when we couldn't do pride in person,” said Frye.  

"Part of my goal for the PCC [in] this academic year is to make up for all the time that we lost when we couldn't do pride in person."  

Norah Frye, director of McMaster University’s Pride Community Centre

Though Pride 2022 did not take the form everyone in the Hamilton community hoped for, it was still exciting for many to not only be able to celebrate in person and as a community again but also to be able to look forward to future events. 

C/O Yoohyun Park

PCC’s book club provides opportunity for dialogue about 2SLGBTQIA+ literature

On Oct. 29, McMaster Student Union’s Pride Community Centre held their first Pride Book Club meeting of the year. The introductory meeting allowed members to meet each other and discuss possible queer and trans book options for the book club, as well as the importance of representation in media to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MSU Pride Community Centre (@msu_pride)

Although the first book club meeting was held on a Friday, the PCC will be announcing a different meeting date and time after determining what schedule works best for all book club members. 

According to club facilitators Shruthi Krishna and Matt Aksamit, the Pride Book Club is a space for students to access and discuss 2SLGBTQIA+ literature. Both Aksamit and Krishna noted the significance of having a space for 2SLGBTQIA+ literature available to students.

Aksamit highlighted the importance of having a safe space when discussing 2SLGBTQIA+ experiences and Krishna emphasized that shared experiences among 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals make the book club experience even more unique. 

“It's always really nice to have a space where everyone who is talking about the books relates on some level,” said Krishna. 

“It's always really nice to have a space where everyone who is talking about the books relates on some level.”

Shruthi Krishna, PCC Social and Political advocacy Coordinator

Outside of a sense of comfort and shared experiences, Krishna and Aksamit also highlighted the role of the Pride Book Club in 2SLGBTQIA+ education.

“It provides a sense of learning more about the community, which is something that we're always striving to do and it’s a continuous process. I think books always allow you to empathize deeply and to learn more about other people and other struggles, which I think is really interesting,” said Aksamit. 

“It provides a sense of learning more about the community, which is something that we're always striving to do and it’s a continuous process. I think books always allow you to empathize deeply and to learn more about other people and other struggles, which I think is really interesting.”

Matt Aksamit, PCC Assistant director

Aksamit noted that this can help members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to understand their common and differing experiences.

Krishna added that 2SLGBTQIA+ literature can also provide insight into how intersectional identities impact experiences within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. 

Aksamit also discussed the role of escapism in fiction, specifically noting that this sense of escapism is often especially important to members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. 

“I think that we live in a world that can be very exhausting to exist in just being queer and trans inherently. So I think that [the project] allows people to escape their reality for a second and just join in on a space where they can have fun engaging [in] discussion with other queer and trans folks,” said Aksamit. 

“I think that we live in a world that can be very exhausting to exist in just being queer and trans inherently. So I think that [the project] allows people to escape their reality for a second and just join in on a space where they can have fun engaging [in] discussion with other queer and trans folks.”

Matt Aksamit, PCC Assistant director

Krishna and Aksamit have many titles lined up for the coming weeks. Krishna specifically noted that they would likely read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Detransition, Baby. Aksamit also expressed excitement about another upcoming title, The House on the Cerulean Sea.

“[The House on the Cerulean Sea] really is escapism to the max. It's a queer story, but it's so heartwarming. And it's really nice to have a nice, warm and heartwarming story. It's really good,” said Aksamit. 

Students are not required to have their own copy of the books that they will be reading. The PCC will be providing students with digital copies of the chosen books. After compiling a list of possible books, books are chosen based on votes from members of the book club. 

Queer and trans representation is often lacking in media. The PCC is a service that provides McMaster University students with a safe space to engage in dialogue regarding 2SLGBTQIA+ issues. With the Pride Book Club, students have the opportunity to find representation in queer and trans books while sharing their thoughts with a supportive community.

By relying on students to work overtime in their MSU roles, low-income students are being barred from MSU jobs

The McMaster Students Union provides over 300 part-time job opportunities for full-time undergraduate students. For many students, MSU jobs can be incredibly convenient as you don’t need to travel far — either you can do your job from home or complete your shift on campus. 

Additionally, MSU jobs can also be up your alley if it relates to something you’re passionate about. Whether it’s running a first-year mentorship program, editing for the student newspaper or running a food bank — there is plenty of space for you to pursue your interests.

However, it’s important to note that many of these jobs are contract jobs. While you can get a part-time job at Union Market or TwelvEighty Bar & Grill where you work on an hourly basis, a lot of MSU jobs state a range of hours in its contract. For example, the Student Health Education Centre Coordinator’s job contract says that they will work 10-12 hours a week, whereas the Women and Gender Equity Network Coordinator works 14-16 hours a week. However, despite what the contract says, many student employees find themselves working overtime — for free.

Students overworking their contracted hours are especially noticeable within the peer support services. For example, the Student Health Education Centre coordinator wrote in their Oct. 8 Executive Board report that they work 25-40 hours a week instead of their contracted 10-12. They then explained in their Nov. 5 report that although they have been logging their hours, they will not gain approval for many of them because then they would be considered a full-time employee. 

The Pride Community Centre, Women and Gender Equity Network and Maccess coordinators also wrote similar concerns in their reports. All of the coordinators highlighted the issue of having to pre-approve overtime hours with the vice-president (administration) that may not even be approved. This is difficult to do, considering that many tasks and meetings pop up that are hard to anticipate in advance. 

Students overworking their contracted hours is especially noticeable within the peer support services. For example, the Student Health Education Centre coordinator wrote in their Oct. 8 Executive Board report that they work 25-40 hours a week instead of their contracted 10-12.

Many of these part-time managers are then left to decide whether to fulfill tasks of their role adequately and work overtime or work their hours but not complete the tasks they need to do in their role.

The Maccess, SHEC and PCC coordinators have also highlighted that they are the only paid staff members of their service, so when a volunteer executive cannot complete their work, they often have to take over the role. The reports highlight that volunteer executives often work well above their hours in addition to being unpaid, so it seems unfair to task them with even more work than they currently do. As a result, the extra hours of work fall onto the paid part-time manager.

This is a systemic issue within the MSU. By forcing undergraduate students to overwork their contracted hours, we are telling students that to do a good job at your role, you have to work over your expected hours. That you have to do unpaid work to be a good MSU employee. Because of this implied expectation, low-income students are often barred from MSU jobs. 

You can even take the Silhouette as an example. The Sil’s section editors, like myself, are paid for 10-12 hours per week. But oftentimes, we work a lot longer than that. Last year when I and a few other editors logged our hours, we worked upwards of 15-20 hours per week on average. This is because in a week, we have to attend three to four meetings, find contributors to write for our section, write our own articles, edit anywhere from three to six articles, correspond with contributors, provide our contributors feedback and layout two articles. Sometimes, issues or complaints can pop up as well that we have to deal with.

Our workload is often impossible to complete within 12 hours — 12 hours per week is less than two hours of work each day! If we don’t do extra hours, though, we simply wouldn’t be able to publish the amount of content we do currently. The same goes for many other roles in the MSU — if you don’t work extra, you likely won’t finish the tasks you need to do for that week. But because we do so much extra work, low-income students are less likely to hold these jobs because they can probably find a job that doesn’t overwork them. As a result, students who are okay with doing a little bit extra for their job are the ones who end up in these MSU roles.

Our workload is often impossible to complete within 12 hours — 12 hours per week is less than two hours of work each day! If we don’t do extra hours, though, we simply wouldn’t be able to publish the amount of content we do currently.

If only privileged students can afford to be part of the MSU, there is an inherent lack of representation in the MSU — the student union that is supposed to represent all undergraduate students. The MSU relies on our ability to “put in the extra work” and if you aren’t able to do that, they’ll find someone else to hire. 

What’s worse is to be a competitive applicant for an MSU job, you often have to volunteer and do a lot of unpaid labour to appear more qualified. For many paid positions in the MSU, it is an asset to have volunteered or contributed to that service in the past. With the Sil specifically, it is an asset to have written or volunteered with the Silhouette if you want to be considered for a paid role because it shows that you have an understanding and passion for the Silhouette.

However, because volunteering is looked highly upon when applying for a paid role, people who have the ability to spend time volunteering — instead of working — have an upper hand in the job application process.

It’s clear that this is a systemic problem within the MSU. The MSU is something that should serve all of us. I’m lucky enough to be able to hold a paid role in the MSU, but I still find that time after time, the MSU has harmed me and many others because the “higher-ups” tend to be upper-class, privileged, white and overall, out of tune with the rest of the student body.

By: Adrianna Michell and Hannah Walters-Vida

A month after far right demonstrators attacked Hamilton Pride, members of the queer community are working to come together, heal and fight to rid the city of hate groups.

PRIDE ATTACKS

Past Hamilton Pride events have been attended by conservative preachers and others who attempted to intimidate festival goers who annually come to Gage park to celebrate. Hamilton Pride has typically been a family and community-oriented arts event, despite Pride’s history as a protest event beginning with the violent activism at Stonewall 50 years ago.

In Hamilton on June 15, community members and allies gathered in Gage park. Leading up to the Pride events there had been tensions between the queer community and Hamilton Police Services over police presence at Pride. “No police at pride” campaigns have sparked discussion about police and state presence at Pride celebrations across Canada.

No uniformed officers were allowed at Victoria Pride this year and in 2016 Black Lives Matter shut down the Toronto parade for 30 minutes to protest police attendance. Hamilton Pride did not permit the police to have a recruitment booth at Pride this year.

Last month’s Hamilton Pride marked an escalation of violence. Anti-Pride demonstrators gathered during the event shouting religious, homophobic and white-nationalist rhetoric. The anti-Pride group is speculated to be in part members of the fascist Yellow Vests who moved from city hall to Gage Park on the day of Pride. According to witnesses, one person was punched in the face, while another was hit in the head with a motorcycle helmet, amongst other acts of violence.

Since January, hate groups associated with the yellow vests have been holding weekly demonstrations outside of Hamilton city hall. The groups hold signs displaying far right anti Muslim, anti immigrant messages, and known white supremacists have been present at rallies.

Witnesses accused HPS officers in attendance of not stepping in early enough to prevent the attacks, leaving people to defend themselves. Pride defenders countered the anti-Pride protestors with a “black hole” tactic, wherein a large black banner was used to visually block the fascist signs and protestors, while defenders donned pink masks and used physical presence, counter protest tactics and noise makers to block the hate speech.

When asked why officers did not respond right away, Chief of police Eric Girt said at a town hall last month that responses would have been different if police were welcomed at the Pride events.

Councillors Maureen Wilson and Nrinder Nann are calling for an independent investigation into the police response at Pride.

However, not all members of the queer community agree that strengthening police presence will ensure their safety. A June 2019 study surveying 900 members of Hamilton’s queer community found that approximately one third of respondents believed that they had been treated unjustly by the police. Transgender respondents were even more likely to recount unjust treatment.

For some, what happened at Pride was an example of the queer community coming together to defend one another without the need for police involvement.

“2STLGBQI+ folks can protect each other and we do not need the police or the carceral justice system to ensure the safety of our communities,” says a statement from the McMaster Students Union Pride Community Centre, “there is no Pride in policing.”

ARRESTS

The arrests that have occurred since Pride have further exacerbated tensions between the queer community and police. In the past month, five people have been arrested in connection to Pride. According to the Tower, a Hamilton anarchist social centre connected in the queer community, four of the people arrested were associated with the pink masked pride defenders. HPS has only announced the arrest of one far right protestor.

The most high profile arrest was that of Cedar Hopperton, the first person to be arrested in connection to Pride. Hopperton was arrested on June 22 for allegedly violating parole conditions from their involvement in the 2018 Locke Street vandalism.

On June 18 Hopperton made a speech at city hall in which they called on members of the queer community to defend themselves against violence and to not rely on police support. On July 8, the parole board voted to continue to revoke Hopperton’s parole, in large part because they ruled that Hopperton was inciting violence in their anti-police speech.

Hopperton’s arrest and parole hearing sparked massive backlash, leading to the “free Cedar” campaign, which condemns city hall and HPS and calls for HPS to drop the charges against Hopperton and other pride defenders.

Many community organizations have publicly supported the campaign. Scholars from 100 universities across Ontario, as well as McMaster faculty members, have submitted open letters expressing solidarity with the pride defenders.

In a statement released on July 12, the PCC stated that the pride defenders were acting in self defence and should not have been punished.

“The Canadian state frequently criminalizes the self defence that is often necessary for the survival of marginalized people,” says the PCC’s statement. “This is completely unacceptable and is a tactic of repression of social control.”

In the month following Pride, community members have repeatedly taken to the streets to demand that all charges against pride defenders be dropped. There has been a heavy police presence at many of the demonstrations, with some officers showing up on horseback.

This past Monday, the Tower released a video of 11 officers arresting a young woman who had allegedly written an anti-police slogan with sidewalk chalk during a rally on June 28. A crowd of bystanders intervened and the woman was eventually released. In the comments on the video, people were critical of the police for allegedly arresting the woman over sidewalk chalk, and questioned why it was necessary to have such a large number of officers present for the arrest.

CITY HALL RESPONSE

Representatives of the queer community have been critical of city hall in the months prior to the Pride attacks, and council’s response to the attacks have exacerbated much of the tension.

Last May, Hamilton’s LGBTQ2 advisory committee voted unanimously against the annual Pride flag raising outside city hall. This was in large part in protest of the city’s employment of Marc Lemire, the former head of a white supremacist organization.

Following the Pride attacks, on July 5 Mayor Fred Eisenberger released a statement naming two special advisors for Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ community initiatives, Cole Gately and Deirdre Pike, to help address the queer community’s concerns.

However, other members of the queer community responded by stating that the discussions should happen publicly and should be accessible to everybody. Cameron Kroetsch, who was invited to take part in the discussions, stated in a public Facebook post that the private meetings did not feel safe or productive.

“I won't attend private meetings with no shared list of invitees and no detailed agenda. It doesn't feel safe, for so many reasons, and won't until Fred Eisenberger, our City Council, and the Hamilton Police Service can demonstrate that they're willing to build trust with our community,” wrote Kroetsch.

As an additional response to the Pride attacks, city council proposed a “hate incident prevention policy” that aims to assist in the identification of, and response to, hate motivated crimes. The proposed policy calls for increased surveillance on city-owned properties.

Initially, the policy placed strict limitations on acceptable activities during protests on city grounds, prohibiting the use of sound amplifying equipment, swearing and writing with sidewalk chalk. The policy has received criticism for limiting the rights of all protestors, not just hate groups.

“We said ban hate speech, not ban all speech,” said a sign from a city hall protest this weekend.

In the past month the community has come together to support one another and demand justice.

This past weekend, two different queer community groups converged at city hall. The Tower organized a weekend long occupation at city hall called “Camp Chaos Gays.” They held a series of workshops and community building events, at the same time protesting police harassment and the hate incident prevention policy.

At the same time, the July 13 “Hamilton for Who?” event cosponsored by Pride Hamilton and other organizations, was a non political, family friendly rally against hate groups.

Following the backlash against the hate prevention policy, council has since amended the list to remove many of the previously banned activities. However, the security provisions remain. The policy will now go out for public consultation.

 

WHAT NOW? 

On July 16, the Tower announced that Hopperton was released from jail early. The announcement was met with a wave of relief from supporters. However, the fight is far from over.

The yellow vests have continued to demonstrate outside of city hall every week, drawing counter protests from the community. Furthermore, many members of the queer community feel that city council has not properly consulted them and addressed their concerns. Demonstrators have reported being harassed and intimidated by police officers at protests, and many queer people report feeling unsafe around police.

Members of the queer community are working to regroup, support one another and find a way forward.

Photo by Razan Samara

By: Drew Simpson

From Nov. 12 to 19, the trans and LGBTQA+ community came together to observe Trans Awareness Week. While marginalized groups were reflecting on the country’s history of transphobic violence, the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party passed a resolution to open debate whether gender identity theory should be stripped from curriculum in Ontario schools.

The Nov. 17 resolution seeks to characterize gender identity theory as a “controversial, unscientific, liberal ideology.”

While Ford has since pledged to not proceed with the motion, it has significant implications at McMaster. The resolution has sparked concerns from student groups on campus and in Hamilton.

According to Daniel Blum from Speqtrum Hamilton, a youth-led community program for queer and trans youth in Hamilton, the non-binding resolution has dangerous consequences for the trans community.

“Political sentiment can be every bit of dangerous as a piece of legislation because it can embolden people who have similar sentiments to act. And it can push for further legislation,” says Blum.

“My concern is that people are going to stop fighting because of that, and that we have to keep fighting. Especially cis people and allies out there that might think ‘oh Ford put out a statement, we are okay now.’ We are not okay. Our rights are always still in jeopardy. They can always still be rolled back,” said a representative of Speqtrum who is also involved as an executive at the McMaster Students Union Pride Community Centre

They also explained that the resolution may put trans rights in jeopardy.

On the evening of Nov. 17, the MSU’s PCC released a statement condemning the resolution.

“The pride community centre is vehemently opposed to this resolution and vows to stand with our communities as we mobilize against actions which seek to delegitimize our identities and revoke our rights and protections,” reads part of the statement.

In addition, the PCC called the resolution transphobic and colonialist. The group’s Facebook statement was shared by the MSU’s Women and Gender Equity Network, which has yet to create their own written response.

The Hamilton Trans Health Coalition has also denounced the resolution.

“As healthcare providers and supporters of the Hamilton trans health coalition, we are working to close gaps in care and know that we need leadership from government, not additional barriers. We wholeheartedly condemn this resolution which is meant to delegitimize transgender people,” reads part of a statement on the HTHC’s website.

The Hamilton Academy of Medicine stipulates that the resolution’s characterization of gender identity is scientifically inaccurate.

“Calling it a theory erases the fact that everyone in the entire world has a gender identity. It is not a theory for cis theory people so it is not a theory for trans people either,” said Blum.

Blum also notes that there are resources available for LGBTQA+ students. For instance, both MSU PCC and WGEN provide peer support, either one-on-one, in groups or in drop-in safe spaces. Speqtrum also offers support groups and also promotes the Transgender Suicide Hotline, which can be reached at 1-877-330-6366.

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Making the case for why kink, leather and BDSM belong at Pride 

If you have ever attended a Pride parade, you may have experienced the vibrant festivities featuring an endless stream of colourful floats, merchandise and ecstatic music. This is, as cisgender, heterosexual and white-dominant society deems it, a palatable celebration of 2SLGBTQIA+ community. 

In conflict with this “ideal” representation of the community is the supposedly distasteful involvement and attendance of the kink/leather community at Pride. Consider the following controversial, now deleted, viral tweet: “Please don’t bring your k*nks/fet*shes to Pride, there are minors at Pride and this can sexualize the event.”

Although it is understandable that parents have a desire to specifically curate an ideal environment for their children, this unfortunately manifests as a relentlessly regressive attempt to hide any semblance of sex and kinks from youth. This rhetoric is harmful on innumerable levels, emphasizing that sex and sexual desire is inherently gross — that sex is taboo. 

As such, attempting to eradicate any mention of sex and kink from Pride both serves to appease the cishet, white and able-bodied world. It connotes that queer sex specifically is dirty and shameful. In essence, stigmatizing sex and kink at Pride contradicts Pride’s intent: a protest spearheaded by sex workers and various intersectional subcultures within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community aiming for consensual queer sexual and cultural liberation. Queer sex, in itself, is inherently an act of rebellion. 

This distaste towards kink and leather at Pride is also based on a fundamental misunderstanding on what the subcommunities themselves stand for. While it is easy to categorize them as being simply overtly sexual, it is important to emphasize that these were, above all, communities by and for queer and trans individuals to find family and the sex-positive empowerment that they were denied. For countless individuals who were rejected by friends and family, leather bars and clubs became safe spaces for them. 

The Stonewall Uprising itself additionally has connections to kink, considering that numerous patrons of the bar were Black and Latinx trans women of colour, drag queens —which at the time, were considered cross dressers by cishet police officers and were policed — and leather daddies. Essentially, the kink and leather community, a notable number of which are Black and Latinx Trans folks, laid major groundwork for queer rights. 

During the height of the AIDS epidemic, when cishet political figures, including Ronald Reagan, the then-President of the United States, were dismissive towards the so-called “gay plague,” patients with AIDS were estranged from society and effectively othered. It was the kink and leather community who stepped up, dedicating their time to embrace AIDS patients when disease transmission mechanisms were unknown. Such AIDS patients and Leather caregivers lived in “leather families,” communities of individuals who would unconditionally care for one another when biological relations refused to. In addition, the Kink and Leather community began hosting parties and BDSM events to fundraise for patients' costly care funds. 

The Kink and Leather communities’ contributions during the AIDS epidemic and to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community were so great that the city of San Francisco recently openly commended them for their work, some appreciation long overdue. 

No one has any right to litigate how individuals should identify, behave and express themselves to be valid within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Yet, unfortunately, we see this narrative occurring frequently, both from cishet society and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. We witness society expressing transphobic rhetoric, questioning as to whether or not asexual and aromatic folks really belong and debating the validity of the leather and kink community, even considering their immense contributions to queer rights. However, it is essential to note that nobody should need to contribute to 2SLGBTQIA+ advocacy in order to prove their validity. They are valid simply for being them. To uphold such an expectation is to aid in reinforcing the homophobic and transphobic narrative created by dominant white, cisgender, heterosexual and able-bodied society. 

We cannot abandon community members without reinforcing our oppression by cishet society's homogenized and “pristine” ideal of what the 2SLGBTQIA+ should look like. Kink and leather belong at Pride because above all, they are woven into it’s foundations: queer joy and sexual liberation for all.