The Queen's Journal, Volume 150, Issue 2

the journal Queen’s University

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Vol. 150, Issue 2

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M o n d ay , 2 7 J u n e , 2 0 2 2

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Since 1873

The story of the first pride flag raising at Queen’s Former JDUC Director recalls progress made in society and campus Asbah Ahmad Senior News Editor This June, the pride flag adorned campus crosswalks and buildings, and flew at the corner of Union and University. This has not always been the norm.

Trustee Emeritus Bob Burge recalled the first time the pride flag was unfurled on campus in an interview with The Journal. Burge, now the Registrar at Okanagan College, was the Director of the JDUC from 2003-08, under the Dean of Student Affairs.

In Burge’s words, the story of the pride flag being raised at the JDUC for the first time was “simple and beautiful.”

According to Burge, the flag was raised in either 2003 or 2004, when a student heavily involved with the AMS came to Burge’s office and asked if they could raise the flag over the JDUC—making it the first pride flag to be raised on campus.

“I didn’t think I’d have to ask for permission. I said, you just have to bring me the flag. And so the student brought me the flag.” Burge said. “I made a joke that I couldn’t fly the flag, because it didn’t have any grommets on it. The facilities and [Physical Plant Services] people took the flag away and they put in the grommets.”

Burge said there was a flag raising shortly after. He recalls people on campus saying they were surprised the flag wasn’t raised earlier.

Burge believes the raising of the pride flag at the JDUC was fundamental in starting the conversation around the queer community on campus and making the community more visible.

“There wasn’t a lot of, say, queer stuff on campus, or really in the community [...] A lot if it was underground. The positive space committee existed and so there was activity—there just wasn’t a lot of it,” Burge said.

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The pride flag flies during June to show visibility.

“It made the campus more open and friendly. It was a great visual at the time. And not a lot of places were flying the flag. Even businesses didn’t really put the flag out.”

As for Pride month itself, Burge reflected on how the meaning of pride has changed for him and university students in general.

“Just the concept of being out on campus, especially for our trans-identified students, has really opened up, it’s much more inclusive,” Burge said. “The EDII and social justice concepts have been embraced by a larger group of people.”

Burge said another step towards inclusion during his time at Queen’s was the formation of the Queen’s University Association of Queer Employees (QUAQE), which was started by four employees, including himself.

“We have to continue working towards EDII. It really makes it a much more positive place for students to study and professors to teach and staff to work,” Burge said.

Now working in post-secondary administration, Burge said a critical piece of EDII work is intentionality.

He said students and administrators must use an EDII lens is used to check their own biases.

“Queen’s does a lot of training through the Human Rights and Equity Office, and some of those have to be mandatory to advance inclusion,” Burge said.

Burge also reminisced on his work with student leaders while JDUC director, speaking to students directly.

“Get involved and keep your

Features

Queer Representation in Healthcare page 6

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PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

Largest Kingston Pride festival held since start of pandemic

eyes open and be very respectful of everyone [...] The AMS and SGPS executives that got the most done engaged broadly with people and initiatives, including permanent staff—it is hard to get projects done if there isn’t engagement,” Burge said.

At the end of the day, Burge said despite hate filled events, visibility is Kingston makes Pride a family friendly event crucial in fighting back.

“The pride flag brings visibility Sophia Coppolino, “We really wanted to make Pride into focus; the different pride Skylar Soroka more family friendly in order to flags show the diversity of Assistant News Editors allow people of all ages to attend the the community.” events and experience what it is like Kingston Pride had a “normal” to be part of the queer community.”

Pride festival this June after facing The City of Kingston has been COVID-19 restrictions for the past supportive of Kingston Pride two years. since its first official year in 1992, Hundreds marched down Queen according to Burns.

Street and wandered Confederation “We have seen an increase in the Park, showing their support for the amount of engagement with the LGBTQ+ community. The parade City this year. They have just started was organized by Kingston Pride, a new equity department that is a non-profit group that builds specifically geared towards the understanding and acceptance of queer community as well as other the LGBTQ+ community and hosts minority groups,” Burns said. events throughout Pride Month.

The City of Kingston has taken “We had crowds of people steps such as banning conversion coming to celebrate [and] coming to therapy for LGBTQ+ citizens watch,” Ian Burns, chair of Kingston last year, before a federal ban Pride, said in an interview with The was enacted.

Journal. “It was such a wonder to “The city works with us, supports see for small city Kington.” us, and a lot has changed in the last This year’s events included drag 30 years, but we need to continue story time, movies in the square, fighting for our rights as queer and an UNDRwear dance party. individuals,” Mark Richardson, The events culminated in the final communications officer for the parade at the end of Pride week on Kingston Pride Board, said in an June 18. interview with The Journal.

“In the past we’ve done a lot of Richardson added that “diverse PHOTO BY events that are dances and kids identities” are celebrated during Pride Events took HERBERT can’t go to or there’s alcohol served Kinsgton Pride. place through the WANG so children can’t attend,” Burns said. entire month of June.

See News on page 4

Opinions

The demand for progress remains at the core of Pride page 8

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Sports

One of the best teams in Queen’s history page 11

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Lifestyle

Heartstopper gives hope for more queer content page 14

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Monday, 27 June, 2022

City of Kingston ‘committed’ to long-term relationships with Indigenous community ‘We want to be a

city that is inclusive,’ Heritage Services Director says

Aimée Look Assistant News Editor The City of Kingston is looking to provide community support and funding for Indigenous events and initiatives on and beyond National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21.

Organizations like Tipi Moza, Kingston Indigenous Languages Nest (KILN), the Queen’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives, and Metis Nation of Ontario worked with the City to provide community programming in City Park on June 21.

Activities on the day included singing, drumming, language activities, corn husk doll crafting, and a scavenger hunt at a KFPL pop-up library at City Park, in association with Tipi Moza and KILN. The City’s long-term goals for Indigeneity extend past their support for programming on Indigenous People’s Day, Jennifer Campbell, director of heritage

services for the City, said in an interview with The Journal.

Over the past six years, the City worked with Indigenous community members, allies, and settlers in their Engage for Change project. Indigenous community members participating in the project recommend ways the City can support Indigenous initiatives.

According to the City’s website, the project’s goal is for the City and the Indigenous community to “move forward together in a good way.”

Campbell said conversations with the Indigenous community are founded on “respect and understanding,” where various groups have a seat at the table.

As a result of the project, the City has directed $100,000 towards community initiatives.

“The [Engage for Change] project has had a number of outcomes and initiatives, spanning from helping to find gathering spaces, to finding ways to better support Indigenous community members to have ceremonies and have access to space within the city,” Campbell said.

The project began as a series of talking circles to bring people closer to Indigenous history and help them understand the realities and impacts of colonialism.

SOLUS upgraded to fluid interface

Queen’s student discusses personal experience with the site Skylar Soroka Assistant News Editor

Queen’s IT Services released a newer, more interactive SOLUS interface for users to access on June 13.

IT Services shut down SOLUS from June 10-13 to update the website—users were unable to log into SOLUS during the outage. According to IT Services, SOLUS was upgraded to a new fluid model: designed to be simple, intuitive, and better-looking, with a better structure and easier navigation.

SOLUS fluid web designers built the new site with a ‘mobile-first’ design, starting with a design that puts smaller, more accessible devices first, and slowly working their way to larger devices.

The SOLUS update only affects the student self-serve components of SOLUS—the administrative components are not affected. It also provides a more functional mobile and tablet experience, according to IT Services.

“The main goal of the planned update is to enhance the user experience and provide seamless

access via mobile devices,” IT Services wrote.

Max Freeman, ArtSci ’25, spoke to The Journal about the transition between the old SOLUS and the new, fluid SOLUS. “After I got the hang of the [old SOLUS] it was okay, but it took a while to figure it out. The website is not user-friendly and, as a high school student already nervous for my first year, it did not make me feel welcome or reassured,” Freeman said.

Freeman also said the old SOLUS was confusing and found it difficult to find new information.

“I always had to ask for help or look through explanations on Queen’s websites,” Freeman said.

When asked what he would like changed, Freeman emphasized the need for a better visual appearance, namely larger fonts for better directory and a menu at the top of the interface instead of information “hiding on the side.”

The fluid approach is geared towards fixing issues students like Freeman faced in the past, such as difficult navigation due to dated visuals and a cluttered interface.

Freeman also said he would like to see other Queen’s affiliated sites, such as onQ, visually and structurally updated.

Sunrise ceremony in Toronto kicks off Indigenous Peoples Day.

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

Campbell said the City aims to continue its commitments to Indigeneity by allocating a specific stream of funding to Indigenous community organizers through their Heritage Fund.

The fund will support the development of installations, exhibits, projects, and programs about Kingston’s Indigenous history.

“Relationships with Indigenous residents are essential, and they’re at the core of who we are as a community, and its hard work,” Campbell said.

“We’ve been working on [Indigenous community

relationships] for as long as we’ve been here—sometimes in a good way, sometimes, probably not in such a good way—but that is where we want to be.”

The City is currently working on hiring an Indigenous Curator who will develop historical and cultural exhibitions for residents and visitors.

The City uses the Kingston Aboriginal Community Information Network (KACIN) as a communication channel to share news, updates, and programming, both year-round and for Indigenous Peoples Day.

Campbell suggests students get involved by taking a language course with KILN, taking opportunities to learn about Indigenous food practices, or working with others to bring the community together.

“Indigenous relationships are relationships—it’s hard in any short conversation or short news article to capture the depth and the breadth of the work,” Campbell said.

University of Guelph researcher cleared of allegations by panel

The allegations stemmed from concerns around data falsification and supposed plagiarism.

After going through the investigative procedures, the investigation committee determined the researcher did not engage in scientific misconduct.

Queen’s Associate Head of Psychology, Cynthia Fekken, was the external committee member on the panel that investigated the researcher.

Fekken is also a research integrity officer at Queen’s.

“Research integrity concerns

the open, rigorous, and honest pursuit of science and scholarship. It helps us trust the research, the researcher, and the institution for which they work,” Fekken said in a statement to The Journal.

Fekken highlighted the role of federal research funding agencies in Canada in dictating standards and policies for universities across the country to follow.

—With files from Curtis Heinzl

journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

Queen’s academic serves as external committee member in research misconduct investigation

Asbah Ahmad Senior News Editor When allegations of researchers partaking in unethical practices surface, universities and federal agencies investigate these claims, according to a Queen’s professor.

In a recent case at the University of Guelph, an allegation of scientific misconduct was made against a researcher.

Cynthia Fekken outlined the guidelines and policies around similar investigations.

Continued online queensjournal.ca/news

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

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Monday, 27 June, 2022

QUAQE advocates for queer Queen’s staff members Sophia Coppolino Assistant News Editor Queen’s University Association for Queer Employees (QUAQE) works to create a space for employees to be themselves in their workplace.

A l e x a n d ra Pe d e r s o n , QUAQE co-founder, said the association has two goals: to advocate and to create a network for queer Queen’s employees.

“We’ve really been creating space to let people know that we are here and holding space open for others to let them know that there’s safe and accountable space for

them to be out employees at Queen’s,” Pederson said in an interview with The Journal.

Pederson said that not everyone is comfortable being openly queer in their workplace.

“There are some members who take on the face of QUAQE on behalf of others who may not feel safe or well respected enough in the workplace to be their authentic selves,” she said.

With the support of Elliot Chapple, director (EDII) for the Faculty of Arts and Science, QUAQE educated senior management at Queen’s on how to facilitate safe spaces for queer employees.

“Elliot on our behalf, as well as other queer members across campus, held a training workshop for senior level administrators at the university, after having interviewed a

Queen’s association works to create safe space for queer staff number of members at QUAQE, to understand what life looks like for us both in our staff roles as well as outside of them,” Pedersen said.

QUAQE has raised many issues to University administration, including gender neutral bathrooms and changing Net IDs for trans employees.

QUAQE hosts a monthly happy hour for queer employees and their families, usually on a patio. The social is a place for employees to find a community and raise their concerns.

Scholarship being created for beloved former Queen’s Professor

your passion into the classroom and into your grade,” Reimer said.

According to Reimer, Dujardin opened the doors for undergraduate students by creating and finding opportunities for them.

Asbah Ahmad He said Dujardin’s commitment Senior News Editor to education made her students better scholars.

A group of Queen’s alumni are “She was willing to do things that working to start scholarship fund were completely outside the box. in the name of a professor who We did an Early Modern English they say made a lasting mark class in the Special on them.

Collections Library, and The alumni believe starting we were able to use a lot SUPPLIED BY PETER REIMER a fund at Queen’s will make of contemporary works in a difference. money to start a scholarship regular lessons—that’s unheard When Peter Reimer, ArtSci ’14, in her name, I think that’d of at the undergraduate level,” moved back to Kingston in 2018, be a really fitting thing to do,” Reimer said. he reconnected with a professor Reimer said. “She was such an Reimer believes founding a who made a large impact on adamant supporter and scholarship in Dujardin’s name him. He soon realized she was no cheerleader for the quality of will allow English students to longer teaching. undergraduate students at continue to have a connection Reimer told The Journal Queen’s English.” with a person who was former Queen’s English Professor Dujardin was always impressed i n s t r u m e n t a l in the Gwynn Dujardin resigned from by the quality of students education and lives of students. teaching because she was who were coming through “Professor Dujardin was always experiencing symptoms of Myalgic the English Department, someone who not only found Encephalomyelitis, a condition Reimer said. the best and the brightest which can cause chronic fatigue and helped them and other symptoms. continue to be that—the Dujardin had to return to the The way she facilitated way she taught and the United States because her work way she facilitated her classroom, her classroom, really visa expired at the end of her really enabled anyone to enabled anyone to do working term. do phenomenally well,” phenomenally well “When I was at [Dujardin’s] Reimer said. house, she mentioned she was Currently, the fund is going to miss Queen’s a lot. And “I think a lot of the students sitting at around $12,000. there was no avenue for her as a were always impressed with For a scholarship to former professor, to stay connected the quality of professor she was. be endowed, Reimer and the with Queen’s,” Reimer said in an That’s demonstrated since other alumnus must raise $50,000 interview with The Journal. she won a couple of awards by the end of 2023.

“There’s no Alumni Association wh i l e she wa s a t Donations can be made online for professors. She was really Queen’s—awards which through the advancement office’s lamenting the fact she was going to are nominated by students,” dedicated link. miss queens and lose link to what he said. was an important part of her life,” The biggest takeaway he said.

Reimer and many others had After Dujardin moved from Dujardin was how she away, Reimer wanted to create facilitated education and treated journal_news@ams.queensu.ca a meaningful way to remember her students.

Dujardin and ensure her “If you were passionate about legacy continued. “I thought, something, then you could do that. if I can fundraise enough You could incorporate

English professor made lasting impact on students

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queensjournal.ca

“We have been so disconnected from each other that before we can take on any further advocacy, or outreach kind of activities we are back to basics at building community [at Queen’s],” Pedersen said.

The 2021 Queen’s Campus Climate student survey showed trans and non-binary students experienced more challenges compared to non-trans or non-binary students.

27 per cent of non-binary and Two Spirit students said they didn’t feel safe on campus.

“If it is happening at the ground level for students it is most certainly happening at staff and faculty levels and further up,” Pedersen said.

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QUAQE was formalized three years ago. Pederson said that before QUAQE, there was a long line of queer individuals at Queen’s who built a foundation for the current association.

“One of the reasons QUAQE exists as an employee resource group is so we can take up space to remind folks that LGBTQ2S+ folks are amongst equity deserving people and we deserve both support in the workplace, accommodations when needed, and consideration for our lives not following a heteronormative pathway.” journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

Analyzing the gender wage gap among Queen’s top-earning employees

Aimée Look Assistant News Editor The number of top female earners at Queen’s has steadily increased since 1996, the Ontario sunshine list reveals.

The sunshine list shares data on the top earners at Ontario institutions, publicizing the names of individuals who earn $100,000 CAD or more at the end of each fiscal year.

Released in March 2022, the most recent information is about the 2021 fiscal year. The Journal cross-checked the values with the Ontario public sector salary disclosure 2021 reports.

Queen’s employees on the list was $163,929.

Queen’s had the highest female to male earner ratio since 1996 so, more women made over $100,000 this year than in any other reported year.

The female to male ratio of top earners at Queen’s increased by 18.6 per cent from 2001 to 2011, slowing to a 7.6 per cent increase from 2011 to 2021.

The list was 17.8 per cent female in 2001, 36.4 per cent female in 2011, and 44 per cent female in 2021.

Female average salaries increased slightly more than male average salaries at Queen’s in 2021, at 3.8 per cent—male salaries

Data shows trends among female top-earners.

In the 2021 sunshine list, 560 individuals identified as female and 714 as male. 1,286 earners at Queen’s had salaries of $100,000 or more. The total number of earners reaching the list income threshold was up 5.5 per cent from the 2020 report.

There has been a gender wage gap among top earners at Queen’s on the sunshine list present since 1996. Over the last 25 years, female salaries have averaged $142,135 and male salaries $148,117.

On the 2021 list, average female salaries at Queen’s were below average male salaries, at $156,138 and $169,779, respectively. The average salary of

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

increased by 3.7 per cent.

Tina Dacin, a professor in the Smith School of Business, earned the highest salary at Queen’s.

She received a significant salary increase when she became the Director of the Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility in 2008. This was the second-largest increase in salary Queen’s has ever seen, jumping 160.59 per cent, from $182,807 to $476,372.

The most common job position for earners on the Queen’s list were professors, who make an average $181,280 salary.

Continued online queensjournal.ca/news

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Pride in Kingston does not end in June . . . . Continued from front.

Due to the severity of COVID-19 in 2020, Kingston Pride could not run as normal “[We give] gender, sexual, and romantic but still hosted virtual events. In 2021, minorities a space to really come together,” Kingston Pride was moved to he said.

September, with Kingston Pride 2022 He added that Kingston Pride planning starting soon after, in October. is making itself known in the “[This year] COVID is definitely less of Queen’s community. an issue. Last year, we had to walk along “We have a lot of influence with Johnson, so the parade route was a bit our social media and a lot of people different than past years. The results of that engage with our posts,” Richardson made the numbers quite low.” said. “[Pride] is an opportunity for “The awareness of the queer Queen’s students to see that Kingston community here in Kingston is growing,” is a place that embraces diversity Burns said. “That really is the goal and defies the expectations of a of pride, it’s to bring awareness and cis heteronormative society.” bring attention to the lack of equality and Burns echoed Richardson’s sentiments. the struggles of the queer community.”

He struggled to find a community in Pride in Kingston does not Kingston when he was young and end in June. Throughout the year, has since worked to increase queer visibility there are monthly discussions on in the community. gender and sexuality called Gender “There is a very large queer community Talk. To build social connections, here in Kingston. There is a very large trans there are weekly rock-climbing nights and gender diverse community here in at the boiler Room for queer individuals.

Kingston,” Burns said. “There is a community Trellis, the HIV/AIDS community here for members of the queer community centre, does movie nights for the who don’t have one yet.” queer community.

Monday, 27 June, 2022

Queen’s chemistry professor fighting a future bacterial pandemic Sophia Coppolino Assistant News Editor Avena Ross is on a mission to understand marine bacteria. Ross, an associate professor for the Chemistry Department at Queen’s, is researching therapeutic applications of marine bacteria.

“My research group is really interested in understanding how bacteria, tiny subvisual organisms that live in the ocean, make molecules,” Ross said in an interview with The Journal.

“We’re interested in those molecules because, it turns out, that a lot of molecules made by bacteria have biological activities that, as humans, we can use as medicine.”

The most common bacterial medicines are antibiotics. Humans rely on antibiotics to treat many common infections such as, ear or skin infections. Antibiotics are a critical application of Ross’ research.

“There has been a lot of thought recently on the risk of viral infections. The problem with treatment of bacterial infections is this is kind of a silent pandemic in that the drugs we have right now—the bacteria are learning, or have learned, how to get around them,” Ross said.

Bacteria bypassing antibiotics is called antimicrobial resistance.

It’s a serious issue, according to Ross.

It’s predicted that by 2050, more people will die of bacterial infections than cancer.

“There’s not a lot of financial incentive for companies to develop new antimicrobials.

You get sick, you take antibiotics for a week, and you’re cured. It’s not like taking cholesterol medicine that you’re going to need to take forever. So, the academic world has had to step in,” Ross said.

Ross is a recent recipient of the Early Researcher Award. She’s hoping to use the $100,000 in funding to expand her team of research students working to discover new molecules.

“Right now, there are two undergraduate students in the lab. There are seven graduate students,” Ross said. “[The Early Researcher’s Award] enables me to hire more people and pay them to do research.”

The bacteria challenges Ross because, like humans, it reacts differently in different environments, making it a difficult subject to research. One of her students encouraged the growth of bacteria that naturally grows on coral by introducing cotton balls from the Dollar Store into the lab.

“It’s a challenging job finding funding to support research, and I’m incredibly grateful that my team was recognized,” said Ross.

“The Early Researcher Award [is] a little about the person who’s applying, it’s a lot about the people that do the work which are the members of the research team.”

Queen’s student calls on students to become personal health advocates GoFundMe launched to support student undergoing treatment Asbah Ahmad Senior News Editor Queen’s and local community members in different cities are coming together to show solidarity with Brendan Reid, ArtSci ’23.

Reid, whose many interests include fashion, activism, and music, has been heavily involved in the Vogue Charity Fashion Show for over two years. Reid has become more impassioned about health care advocacy after recently being diagnosed with Stage 4 Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

Reid started experiencing an ache in his shoulder he couldn’t get rid of in late 2021. The intense, but inconsistent pain initially led him to believe he pulled a muscle. However, the pain lasted for months.

On March 19, the pain became so excruciating Reid said he had to go to the hospital. On May 20, he started his first of six rounds of chemotherapy.

“Once I shared the news publicly, the support was immediate and overwhelmingly abundant,” Reid said in a statement to The Journal.

Reid was able to reach his initial goal of $10,000 raised on GoFundMe to support his treatment in under 24 hours.

Community members can still donate to this page.

“The initial reasoning [to create the GoFundMe page] was to share to loved ones and to those willing to hear my story, that I have recently received a cancer diagnosis,” he said.

Organized by Reid’s friend, the fundraiser was launched on May 17 and has already raised over $21,000. It has especially gained significant traction in Reid’s

system in Canada, namely that he would be taken care of with “love and the best medical professionals in the game.”

“I was not always treated how I felt like I should be as someone, particularly at 21 years old, who is being tested for cancer,” Reid said.

“Since my diagnosis, my faith in the healthcare system has definitely been restored as I have only been treated by the amazing staff at Grand River Hospital in

Reid is a bigger health advocate through his treatment.

hometown of Fergus, Ontario, and in Kingston.

“It was an experience I never thought those around me could accomplish, especially so fast,” Reid said.

Reid said his outlook and perception on healthcare has shifted since his diagnosis. He said his experience has confirmed some of his beliefs about the health care

Kitchener, Ontario.”

Despite this, Reid wishes there were times he was taken more seriously as a young patient visiting a hospital in a university town.

“Without the support of parents, the smallest things can feel scary and worrisome, and I am aware that the hospitals in Kingston are busy and overloaded with

students that are not self-reliant enough in their health [...] I do not think this should change how the caregivers and staff should treat student patients,” Reid said.

Reid said it took a lot of self-advocacy for his own health and multiple hospital visits before he received anything other than a shoulder X-Ray. “ Yo u n g adults a re learning the ropes to life; yet it should

turned away, never ignore pain or suffering of any kind longer than you should,” Reid said.

Reid explained that he isn’t alone in this journey, and his loved ones, particularly his mom, is working to support him.

“Things like medication, transportation, and general expenses accumulate quickly under the given circumstances.

My mom does what she can to work as much as possible, but she is my primary caregiver [...]

I know she deserves to be supported just as much as I do at this time.

She is my superhero, and I could not get through this without her,” Reid said.

“Receiving a cancer diagnosis is difficult in multiple ways—it’s hard physically and financially but it takes a toll on your mental health.”

Reid’s friends havealsoprovided him with support, keeping him positive and optimistic.

“When it’s been a hard day, it takes a huge weight off the negative SUPPLIED BY BRENDAN REID mental impacts cancer has on the patient and their family,” he said. be trusted that we know our Reid’s family and friends own bodies enough to know describe him as a funny when more needs to be done, person who is loyal, creative, all we ask is to be heard,” and passionate.

Reid said.

“Know and take care of Reid told other students to your health. Cancer takes a lot prioritize their health needs away from you—but it can’t because life and school are always take away your smile. Only if going to be busy. you let it.”

“Trust your instinct, and no matter how many times you are journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

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Monday, 27 June, 2022

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Orientation Roundtable Coordinator discusses harm-reduction policies at the interfaculty event Aimée Look Assistant News Editor Surprise performers will welcome incoming first-year students to Queen’s in the return of the Orientation Week concert this September.

Fo l l o w i n g t r a d i t i o n , Orientation coveralls are a staple of the experience. the concert will be held in the Miller Hall parking lot on campus.

The Orientation Roundtable (ORT) planned the event in conjunction with the City of Kingston and the University.

Attendance is included in the firstyear Orientation fee.

The performers will be announced two days before the concert, which helps “keep everyone in the dark and the surprise very exciting,” Katie Browne, volunteers and volunteer ORT coordinator, said in an It’s a fun low-pressure managers are open on the AMS’s interview with The Journal. website until June 26. situation Browne said that the “We would love to have event plays a big role in seeing the whole entirety of the people from all faculties, helping first-year students incoming class of 2026,” Browne all years of their undergrad come form interfaculty relationships said. “It’s a fun low-pressure and apply,” said Browne. and make new friends. situation where they get to have a Due to COVID-19 restrictions, “It’s really wonderful to see night of entertainment.” the concert hasn’t been held the first-years of all different Students from other years can since 2019. Browne said faculties, meeting new friends, get involved in the event too. that the ORT committee is getting to do events together, Applications for concert monitoring KFL&A guidelines and

PHOTO BY CURTIS HEINZL

Orientation Week concert returns with surprise performers

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policies to accommodate possible changes, and that contingency plans are in place.

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The safety of the first-year students is of the utmost priority

ORT has worked closely with university administration to ensure the concert—and all Orientation

‘Migration is a theme in my own life’: in conversation with Amy Fedeski

Amy Fedeski discusses the importance of Jewish activism and migration.

Bader Postdoctoral Fellow in Jewish Studies talks migration politics Skylar Soroka Assistant News Editor Incoming Queen’s professor Amy Fedeski sat down with The Journal to discuss her fellowship in Jewish History at Queen’s and how the topic of migration will be implemented in her teaching.

The Department of History recently appointed Fedeski, a recent History PhD graduate

from the University of Virginia, as the Bader Postdoctoral Fellow in Jewish History at Queen’s for the 2022-23 academic year.

Her teaching and research will focus on Jewish migration politics during the Cold War. In an interview with The Journal, she discussed the importance of Jewish activism.

“In particular I’ll be developing my current project on Jewish American activists and US refugee policy during the 1970s,” Fedeski said. “You only have to look at the news to see that migration policy is a central question in modern politics.”

SUPPLIED BY AMY FEDESKI

Fedeski will ask her students questions such as “who counts as a refugee?” and “can refugees be truly resettled?” to consider how individuals and organizations influence policy on a global level.

Fe d e s k i previously taught at a large American state school and was a teaching assistant at the University of Virginia from 2019-21.

Fedeski hopes her experience teaching will strengthen her approach to teaching at Queen’s.

“I [will] try to create a classroom environment which is interactive, creative, and egalitarian,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to teaching both an introduction to modern Jewish History

and a course on Jewish migration at Queen’s.”

While teaching, Fedeski aims to explain the process of Jewish migration in history and will discuss its importance in a global context.

She said she will use her experience as a Jewish Studies student when teaching and continuing her research, as well as her work in her master’s degree at Queen’s.

Her thesis, What We Want to Do As Americans:’ Jewish Political Activism and United States Refugee Policy, 1965-1989, examines the relationship between Jewish political activism and US refugee policy and investigates how Jewish Americans’ perceptions of their ethnic identity have changed through time.

Fedeski said she aims

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events—follow safety guidelines.

Staff from Q u e e n’ s and the AMS will be in attendance to ensure safety and comfort, including Queen’s First Aid, Walk Home, and Student Constables.

“They’re also there if anybody needs a hand or just needs someone to chat with.

It’s really great to have all of Queen’s on board and making this event happen,” Browne said.

According to Browne, student and staff policy states Orientation Week is both an alcohol and substance-free week.

This policy is consistent across all Queen’s faculties.

Most first-year students are also under the legal drinking age.

“The safety of the first-year students is of the utmost priority, so that’s why we have a team there ready to support everybody if there’s anything that comes up,” Browne said.

Browne also expressed ORT’s excitement for the return to in-person orientation.

“We have so very many passionate orientation volunteers that are ready to pull off this week.

We are very excited to bring [in-person events] back, and just very excited to see all of the wonderful things that will happen for the incoming class of 2026,” Browne said. journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

to highlight emerging refugee policies in her lectures and course material.

Fedeski also considered migration politics’ impact on her own life, discussing her family’s origins in Poland, France, and Ireland.

“Coming to Queen’s will be my second international move in four years, so I’ve got a pretty extensive history of migration in my own personal life, and all the excitement and stress that comes along with that,” she said. “Migration is a theme in my own life.”

“These days, most of us live in the UK where I grew up, but a lot of my extended family live in Canada and I’ll be joining them as the third wave of Fedeskis to come there.”

Fedeski hopes her experiences will prepare her for what’s to come as a Queen’s professor.

She urges anyone who’s interested in the social and/or physical implications of global migration to take her classes.

The University of Virginia has highlighted Fedeski’s experience, current research, and more information on their website.

For news tips, or to contribute to the news section email the Senior News Editor at: journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

6 • queensjournal.ca

FEATURES

Features

Monday, 27 June, 2022

Anne Fu Features Editor

Kingston resident Alex Haagarde first began seeking out medical gender transition in early 2021.

Haagarde, who is non-binary and chronically ill, had faced negative experiences with the medical system in the past but was convinced to make the leap after hearing about other trans people in Ontario who lived with similar health conditions and transitioned with success.

They first contacted the Kingston Trans Health Clinic in January, seeking to be onboarded for hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Despite their wariness about the healthcare system, Haagarde was disappointed by the barriers they faced while trying to access gender-affirming care in Kingston.

Obtaining treatment was a long, complicated process that involved months of waiting.

Throughout much of the process, Haagarde had to be their own advocate. They often found themselves emailing and calling offices to secure appointments and debating with healthcare professionals over treatments.

After the appointment of theirs they had booked two months in advance was pushed back an extra two months, they were exhausted.

“I contacted the gender clinic again, and I begged them to consider working with me to get me access to hormone replacement because I need it,” they said in an interview with The Journal.

Haagarde believes the Kingston Trans Health Clinic was hesitant to provide them with HRT, because they were concerned it would interact negatively with Haagarde’s chronic illness. Haargarde struggled to convince the clinic they understood the implications of the treatment.

“Part of the reason I actually wanted to pursue hormone replacement was because from other trans people who share my diagnosis, I had heard that it can actually have quite a positive effect on a number of our symptoms,” they said.

To proceed with HRT, Haagarde had to set up an appointment with a family doctor and consult with an endocrinologist, which took several back-and-forths. Although medical professionals wanted to ensure the process was safe, Haagarde spent over a year waiting for treatment as their chronic condition and mental health worsened.

“I’ve lost years of my life to delayed diagnosis and treatment, and part of the reason I waited so long to pursue HRT was that I wasn’t sure I could handle something like that happening to me again,” Haagarde wrote in a follow-up statement to The Journal.

“It’s really painful to have the experience of needing medical help and being told you’re not sick enough, or you’re too sick, or you’re not sick in the right way, or you’re just mentally ill, or drug-seeking, or attention-seeking.”

Moving in a Circle

Health practitioners bring awareness to issues in Queer Healthcare.

GRAPHIC BY AMNA RAFIQ

Exploring the gender-affirming healthcare system in Kingston Patients and practitioners describe issues with knowledge, support, and access to transgender healthcare Although Kingston ranks as one of the nation’s most gender-diverse cities, local physici ans and clinics say they are overwhelmed by the number of people seeking gender-affirming care.

In 2016, the guidelines around providing transgender care in Ontario were rewritten to give all registered nurses, social workers, nurse practitioners, and physicians the power to prescribe HRT to their clients.

Despite this, many medical p ro fe s s i o n a l s p e rc e ive gender-affirming care to be a specialized practice, rather than an integral part of primary care that any qualified practitioner can offer.

“Unfortunately, we don’t see a lot of doctors taking [gender-affirming care] on as part of somebody’s comprehensive care, either because of their own prejudice or cis-normative ideas about somebody’s health, or because they don’t know that this is something that they are able to do,” Carley Hoja, a social worker at the Kingston Trans Health Clinic, told The Journal.

The Kingston Trans Health Clinic, operated by Kingston Community Health Centers (KCHC), is the only provincially funded gender therapy clinic serving southeastern Ontario. Last year, it supported over 300 patients through 1,400 visits to the clinic.

Although the Trans Health Clinic is not the only place where Kingstonians can access gender-affirming care in Kingston, their other options are limited.

Today, the intake waitlist at the Trans Health Clinic stands at 8-12 months due to a shortage of knowledgeable providers and a surge in new patients.

Even as the Trans Health Clinic works to build stronger

networks with allied providers in their community, patients can end up in difficult situations due to the sheer demand for care.

Sarah*, a Queen’s PhD student, began seeking resources to help her transition at the beginning of last year. After visiting Queen’s Student Wellness Services (SWS), she was recommended for gender transition, but was met with a physician who was unfamiliar with this treatment.

Sarah was referred to the Trans Health Clinic, only to be sent right back to SWS and informed there were in-house providers who could provide her with the treatment she sought.

Consequently, Sarah felt like she’d “moved in a circle” between clinics, as the doctor she spoke to at SWS was unaware there were others who could have provided her with HRT without being referred away.

“I’ve been looping around from one place to another and had the feeling that nobody really wanted to provide care to me,” she wrote in a statement to The Journal.

After starting on spironolactone at the Trans Health Clinic, Sarah experienced an adverse reaction and eventually switched back to SWS, where she was able to get a second opinion and have her experiences taken more seriously.

Although she said she’s satisfied with the care she gets at SWS now, it took a long, cumbersome process to get there. Sarah believes her experience highlights the need for greater communication between and within agencies, and for more family doctors to support patients.

In a statement to The Journal, Cynthia Gibney, Executive Director of Student Wellness Services, said the SWS maintains a “close relationship with the Kingston

Community Health Centres and their Transgender Program.”

SWS offers Queen’s students seeking medical transition access to nurses, doctors, nurse practitioners, and therapists who can facilitate gender-affirming care.

Gibney also said SWS is meeting with allied transgender healthcare providers in the area to determine how to best manage referrals.

To Sarah, however, the main barrier trans and non-binary people face when trying to access medical transition is the primary care provider shortage.

With many transgender and non-binary clients lacking a family doctor who can help them obtain gender-affirming care, the Kingston Trans Health Clinic is left to fill in the gap.

“If you can’t access a primary care provider, then you have a problem, right? My understanding is, you go to your doctor, you tell them [your] issue, and then they refer you out to a specialist, and sometimes the Trans Health Clinic would take the role on as the specialist,” Sarah said in an interview with The Journal.

“But it seems more like the Trans Health Clinic is a place for people that don’t have a family doctor that is willing to provide gender-affirming care.”

A Lot of Financial Burden

Although some gender-affirming surgeries and treatments are insured by the province’s public healthcare plan, this coverage is not exhaustive.

The Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) provides coverage for “medically essential transgender surgery,” including top and bottom surgery. Other procedures, such as breast or

pectoral augmentation, facial feminization, or body sculpting, are considered cosmetic procedures and not covered by the provincial plan. OHIP also does not cover aspects like speech therapy, voice coaching, or the costs of changing identity documentation.

Under the Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS) Health and Dental Plan, students like Sarah can get up to $500 worth of counselling, psychotherapy, or speech therapy covered—but she says this is not enough to meet her needs when rates typically range from $140-200 per session.

The other major source of financial support for transgender and non-binary graduate students is PSAC 901’s gender affirmation bursary, which can be used to pay for procedures that fall outside of OHIP and the SGPS Plan, like laser hair removal.

While Sarah is grateful for this resource, she finds it unfortunate it is the only financial support on campus that can pay for such procedures.

For undergraduate students, the AMS provides up to $1,000 a year of mental health and counselling coverage under its Health and Dental Plan, which can be used towards gender-affirming counselling and therapy. The AMS’s Gender Affirming Assistance Program also supplies binders, breast forms, clothing, and financial support to transgender and non-binary Kingstonians.

When it comes to therapy and counselling, however, some aren’t fortunate enough to be supported by university or employer health insurance.

Haagarde receives funding from the Ontario Disability Support Program due to their chronic illness. Although the injectable form of testosterone—which they were prescribed—is covered under the Ontario Drug Benefit, a testosterone gel that could be more appropriate for their chronic illness is not. Haagarde already takes several other drugs to manage their illness, some of which must be paid for out-of-pocket.

Beyond the direct cost of treatment, it’s the little things that add up as well, according to Hoja.

“There’s an extensive recovery period for many surgeries where individuals have to be off work hours, hours traveling from somebody’s home to the surgical center,” she said. “Many [surgeries] are in Toronto or Montreal, so there’s a lot of financial burden that comes with trans healthcare in the province.”

“The basic things are [covered], but not when you look at their reality of how much time someone has to take off work for their health.”

Story continued online.

Monday, 27 June, 2022

Editorials

EDITORIALS

Response reveals a cultural problem.

ILLUSTRATION BY KATHARINE SUNG

Nobody owes you a story Media and public obsession with celebrities doesn’t entitle us to their private lives Australian actor Rebel Wilson recently came out in an Instagram post after Andrew Hornery, a gossip columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald, contacted her team.

Hornery claimed to have had information about Wilson’s relationship with fashion designer Ramona Agruma and gave her two days to respond with a comment.

Setting a deadline for a request is standard journalistic practice. The real problem with this situation is how Hornery responded to Wilson understandably choosing to come out on her own terms rather than cooperate with the publication.

In a since-deleted statement, Hornery

blamed Wilson for denying him a story for which he had enough information to tell.

However, in blaming Wilson for “scooping” the story by coming out, Hornery played his own hand: clearly, the piece was meant to out her.

Journalists should protect and respect their sources, especially when the requested material could put the source in danger.

There is a certain level of responsibility that comes with the profession—even if you’re writing for a gossip column.

Hornery’s actions are unfortunately representative of how celebrity reporting is generally handled.

queensjournal.ca

The Journal’s Perspective

Any respectable journalist should have recognized the situation’s nuances because Rebel Wilson is in a same-sex relationship and had not yet come out. The backlash likely wouldn’t be the same if a straight couple were involved since the social ramifications would have been different.

Fortunately, Wilson occupies a position of privilege and was able to come out safely, albeit not in the way she may have planned.

However, we have to wonder how this situation might have played out for a celebrity living in a country that’s more hostile toward queer people, someone coming from a family that wouldn’t accept them, or a celebrity of colour.

As much as we may enjoy content about celebrities’ private lives, how that content is produced matters. No one—not even famous people—should be coerced into sharing information that could endanger them or cause emotional suffering.

Newspapers are not designed to protect marginalized voices.

While the Sydney Morning Herald has apologized on behalf of Hornery, his behaviour shouldn’t be dismissed as an independent issue. Rather, it’s reflective of a deeper cultural problem: the media and the public feel entitled to celebrities’ private lives and become angry when denied access.

Celebrity culture has normalized the commodification of people. When people become products and their identities synonymous with entertainment, it’s easy to justify invading their privacy.

As a society, we should reflect on our sense of entitlement toward the private lives of our favourite—and least favourite—celebrities.

When people work and are successful in entertainment, the job tends to bleed into the most remote corners of their identity.

Choosing such a career does not obligate a person to put their every intimate detail on display.

Famous or not, people’s experiences are their own and no one is entitled to them, least of all for entertainment or personal gain.

We would all do well to remember nobody owes us a story.

Summer Lovin’ isn’t always a blast Romanticization of summer relationships sets us up for disappointment Suzy Leinster Features Editor There seems to be this idea of summer as something transformative, but just because the seasons change it doesn’t mean we automatically become new people.

June through August is supposedly the time for ‘hot girl’ summers and anticipated ‘glowups.’ It’s an opportunity to escape from peers and professors and focus on doing you—and doing it well.

“However, this type of growth can often feel forced and is influenced by the images we see on social media and on television.

There is a specific energy to the end of the academic year that propels us into the new season the minute our exams are finished.

We students now leave quiet exam halls, put down our 24-hour energy drinks and envelop ourselves in the warmth of summer break. Whether we’re starting a fancy new internship or going back to that old ice cream shop that never disappoints, summer is perceived as a season of growth.

However, this type of growth can often

feel forced and is influenced by the images we see on social media and on television.

Summer often becomes romanticized as if we live in Shakespeare’s sonnets and frolic in fields of flowers.

Social media and Pinterest boards represent one image of what we should be doing with our time. They’re about achieving an aesthetic and present a flat representation of what we should look like or how we should be acting.

It’s important to set goals and romanticize life, but when these activities are only done to achieve a certain image or attain an ideal, the season stops being enjoyable. We should live a summer that fulfills us, not one we imagine will be most desirable.

This extends to summer romances, too.

They’re ‘supposed’ to sweep us off our feet, suspended in a fantasy of playfulness and fun. But as much as we would like it to, fantasy rarely translates into the real world we live in.

Relationships are not automatically stronger because the sun is shining, and you’re not a failure if you find yourself in an unhappy one—or without a relationship at all.

The more we want to love and be loved, the harder it is to grasp and hold on to.

Trying to act like people on social media or

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THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL Volume 150 Issue 2 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873

Editorial Board Editor in Chief Managing Editor

Ben Wrixon Julia Hamsworth

Production Manager

Dharmayu Desai

News Editor Assistant News Editors

Asbhah Ahmad Sophia Coppolino Aimee Look Skylar Soroka

Features Editors

Anne Fu Suzy Leinster Maia McCan

Editorials Editor Editorials Illustrator

Katherine Sung Sandrine Jacquot

Opinions Editor

Rida Chaudhry

Arts Editor

Sam Goodale

Assistant Arts Editor

Sarah Maat

Sports Editor Assistant Sports Editor

Chad Russell Maddie Hunt

Lifestyle Editor Assistant Lifestyle Editor

Clanny Mugabe Curtis Heinzl

Photo Editor Assistant Photo Editor

Herbert Wang

Video Editor

Mackenzie Loveys

Copy Editors

Vineeth Jarabana Casandra Pao

Mikayla Wilson Amna Rafiq

Graphics Editor BIPOC Advisory Board Members

Ruth Asunde Alexis Ejeckman Sharon Sun

Contributing Staff Alexa Bartels

Contributors

Laura Devenny Matt Finley Daniel Green Catherine Rose Larissa Zhong Staff Writers

Cassidy McMackon

Business Staff Business Manager Sales Representatives

Fundraising Representative Social Media Coordinator

Chad Huang Sylvie Garabedian Eric Joosse Grace Moffat Claire Schaffeler

Want to contribute?

For information visit: www.queensjournal.ca/contribute or email the Editor in Chief at journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca Contributions from all members of the Queen’s and Kingston community are welcome. The Journal reserves the right to edit all submissions.

The Queen’s Journal is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University, Kingston.

Situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. The Journal’s Editorial Board acknowledges the traditional territories our newspaper is situated on have allowed us to pursue our mandate.

We recognize our responsibility to understand the truth of our history.

Editorial opinions expressed in The Journal are the sole responsibility of The Queen’s Journal Editorial Board, and are not necessarily those of the University, the AMS or their officers.

190 University Ave., Kingston, ON, K7L 3P4 Editorial Office: 613-533-2800 Business Office: 613-533-6711 Fax: 613-533-6728 Email: journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca Please address complaints and grievances to the Editor in Chief and/or Managing Editor.

The Queen’s Journal is printed on a Goss Community press by Metroland Media in Toronto, Ontario.

Contents © 2021 by The Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of The Journal.

Suzy Leinster.

PHOTO BY CURTSI HEINZL

even to match the lifestyle of our friends will only lead us to feel unfulfilled in September.

With bucket lists getting filled to the brim and ice cream melting down our sun-kissed arms, we expect something wonderful to come our way. However, our expectations are never quite met because people and things cannot exist in a fantasy.

We should enjoy our time, and not put too much emphasis on what we think we should be doing. Most of all, let’s be sure the idea of living out a ‘perfect’ summer doesn’t cause us to miss the opportunities we never expected to come along.

8 • queensjournal.ca

Opinions

Monday, 27 June, 2022

OPINIONS Queen’s Clubs aren’t showing true solidarity during Pride Your Perspective

Little believes clubs are talking over important voices.

SUPPLIED BY ELIOT LITTLE

Pride is about celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, not teaching allyship The first time I experienced queer joy was in June of 2019 at a local queer prom.

I danced in red high-tops and a blue bow tie that I’d snuck out the house, changing out of the dress I’d said goodbye to my parents in. To me and many others in the LGBTQ+ community, Pride month symbolizes a time when we can unapologetically take up space in places where expressing our identity is otherwise minimized.

Unfortunately, Pride has increasingly been appropriated by groups as a marketing tool, shifting the focus away from celebrating the queer community to straight allies. Although this practice is wellintentioned, claiming support by saturating Instagram feeds with statements of solidarity or explanations on how to be a better ally fails to celebrate queer progress or joy.

This also applies to student groups at Queen’s. Though they may not be profiting off Pride like corporations, they still seek to gain social capital.

Posting during Pride is an easy way for clubs to write statements of support without advocating for changes that benefit queer students. These statements of solidarity mainly serve to absolve groups of guilt. Not only do they fail to facilitate the

safe space so many queer students seek in June, but they distract from our celebration and continued advocacy.

Many groups speak to allies rather than to LGBTQ+ students in their Pride content. Clubs wanting to make a meaningful contribution to Pride should target the LGBTQ+ community with their messaging—Instagram posts explaining how to be a better ally are counterproductive.

These posts redirect attention away from queer voices; June is not the month for allies to take up space learning about our history, challenges, and celebrations.

Rather, Pride is a time for us to be unapologetically proud.

If clubs want to educate students on how they can better include the LGBTQ+ community in their organization, they would be better off implementing advocacy training informed by resources developed by QTBIPOC students.

Clubs too often assume all their followers are cis-het and need to be educated on queer issues, failing to acknowledge the presence of LGBTQ+ students.

Our community continues to struggle being visible in academic and professional spaces, as we often tone down our self-

expression in ways that help us fit in.

When clubs fail to recognize that queer students are a significant portion of their follower base, it perpetuates the idea that we are not present on campus or involved with student groups. It's tough to find and make safe spaces if we are not recognized within the student body.

Real structural change is needed. Though solidarity and allyship are essential, they do not have a place in Pride conversations.

This is our time to celebrate, not the time for us to help you navigate the discomfort and uncertainty of true allyship.

Therefore, the demand for progress remains at the core of Pride.

We have seen great strides since the Pride movement was born in 1969, but we are still far from achieving equity.

Each year over 320,000 queer University students across the country experience discrimination based on their sexual or gender identity. Our community continues to experience disproportionate rates of violence, housing or food insecurity, and suicide.

Queer organizations and advocates work tirelessly all year to address these inequities.

Next year, clubs should consider focusing their support on LGBTQ+ groups and issues

instead of spending time and resources developing content to demonstrate allyship, If this work doesn't fall within your club's mandate, consider partnering with queer organizations aligning with your club. For example, Law student groups could consider volunteering at Legal clinics that provide services for the LGBTQ+ community. Volunteering is a great way to respectfully and effectively support your peers.

Clubs need to address the correct audience with their Pride content—the last thing they should be doing is speaking over queer voices. Making space for students to proudly express their queer joy is the best way to participate in Pride, be it through donations or volunteering.

Let us reclaim the joy that many of us were denied growing up. Give us space to dance awkwardly in our blue bow ties and red high-tops. Cheer us on—quietly, from the sidelines.

Eliot Little (they/them) is a first year Law student.

Arts

Monday, 27 June, 2022

ARTS

queensjournal.ca • 9

How artistic activism propelled the fight against Queer prejudice Art is a powerful tool in social mobilization Rida Chaudhry Senior Arts Editor Political and creative realms have long overlapped.

From propagandic poster art to films that glorifying military, we’ve seen time and time again how art is used to shape social perception.

Social activist movements have historically coincided with artistic expressions of the implications of bigotry.

From the 1960s to late 1980s, the Western world experienced an upsurge in queer creativity and beauty against the heteronormativity and homophobia of the time.

The Gay Liberation Movement and the AIDS Activism movement were propelled by visuals that directly called on the negligence of politicians at the time. The

trials and tribulations of queer people were represented by artists advocating for a society free from ignorance and hate, or at least one not governed by a non-inclusive heteronormative agenda.

Gran Fury, a collective formed during the AIDS crisis of the ‘80s, used historical symbols to depict the persisting persecution of the LGBTQ+ community by the government. The group reclaimed the upside-down pink triangle once used to identify queer people during the holocaust by turning it right-side-up with an accompanying message: “Silence = Death.”

This powerful imagery served as an uncomfortable callback to a horrific historical event, linking the past to the then-present. It helped challenge ignorant claims that AIDS was only a disease only affecting queer people and therefore unworthy of care.

Gillbert Baker, a prominent artist and activist in the 1970s, sought to remake a symbol for

Visual aids in the 1970s questioned how the system treats the LGBTQ+ community.

LGBTQ+ folk that invoked celebration and positivity for the future rather than a representation of a dark chapter in queer history.

The Rainbow Flag imagery commonly associated with the LGBTQ+ community was initially inspired by the powerful symbols of identity and freedom in national flags as queer people defied heteronormativity. Baker felt it provided rioters and protesters on the front lines of the Gay Liberation Movement with a necessary identifier of liberation, hope, and prosperity.

The late Keith Haring, the connoisseur of the graffiti pop art, created many bright calls to action to rid the ignorance and fear of AIDS and encourage the messaging

of love is love. His legacy lives on and is popularized by continued allegiance to his talents.

The “Kissing Doesn’t Kill, Greed and Indifference Do” bus poster from ACT UP, another AIDS activism organization, is another powerful statement.

Featuring a lesbian, gay, and straight couple, the poster aimed to show how corporate greed, government inaction, and public indifference exacerbated the AIDS crisis. The inclusion of a straight couple alongside the queer ones unifies all those in relationships to mobilize against this disease that does not care what your sexual orientation is.

As we now see Fortune 500 companies slapping rainbows

GRAPHIC BY AMNA RAFIQ

on their logos in honor of Pride month, we must be cognizant of who this serves and how it helps them profit.

Pride is a time for celebration and visibility of the LGBTQ+ community, not one to be capitalized upon in the name of faux-solidarity in hopes of increasing sales.

When observing Pride and enjoying the celebration from the community, it is important to remember how we got to where we are today. Our freedoms are directly built on the back of artists and activists using their creative skills as calls to action.

SUPPLIED BY JOHN ELIZABETH STINZI

Stinzi’s work spans from fiction novels to poetry collections.

John Elizabeth Stintzi discusses writing and the natural world Winner of the 2019 RBC Wallace Award set to begin residency at Queen’s Sam Goodale Assisstant Arts Editor The Queen’s Biological Station (QUBS) is welcoming two writers for a two-week residency this summer: John Elizabeth Stintzi and Smokii Sumac.

Stintzi won the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers in 2019, which lead to a meeting with Carolyn Smart, professor emeritus at Queen’s, who invited them to QUBS. Ahead of their tenure as writer in residence at QUBS, The Journal sat down with John Elizabeth Stintzi to talk about writing, nature, and death.

“The main goal is to get back into that project while I’m here,”

Stintzi said in reference to a poetry collection that’s been in the works for a decade.

The collection will draw upon Stintzi’s experience growing up on a cattle farm, which continues to inspire their work and has been a crucial part of their attempts to grapple with their identity.

“This book of poems that I’m writing is not so much about gender per se, but is about my own feeling of out-of-placeness, not feeling like I was properly built for the farm life […] It just didn’t really feel like I fit in,” Stintzi said.

Stintzi has always been both attracted to and repelled by the natural world.

For them, it’s been a place of beauty and a place of death. They

hope to capitalize on this complex relationship during the residency.

“I have this weird connection with nature, and that’s something I’m really interested in, just how death-soaked the existence of living on a cattle farm is,” they said.

“Beyond whatever livestock you might slaughter for meat, there’s just so many dead things that you have to deal with and things you have to kill.”

Stintzi is excited about how the isolation will allow them to sink back into the past and dive into their creative work.

“I want to see what’s in there that I haven’t even thought about.”

Although Stintzi is looking forward to their time in nature at QUBS, they say it’s a cliché in

literature to think the natural world is somehow more inspirational than cities.

“We have this weird idea that nature connects us more to what it means to be alive and be human, but you can learn that by going to Walmart.”

The natural world has been integral to Stintzi’s realization of their identity. Although Pride is a time of celebration for the LGTBQ+ community, Stintzi has become disillusioned by the month, which they now see as a time co-opted by corporations to increase sales.

“This month doesn’t mean anything to me. I’m pleased that it means stuff to other people.”

Stintzi has always had a complex relationship with Pride.

Their LGBTQ+ community is fractured and online, and they’ve all become jaded.

“I don’t really think about it that much,” they said. “I mean, June is a nice month.”

For Stintzi, writing has helped them discover their identity.

It provides them an outlet for personal exploration that they hope to capitalize on during their residency at QUBS. “I’ve been writing for a very long time, I haven’t quite understood myself for as long as I’ve been writing,” Stintzi said.

“My coming into my own clearer sense of my identity coincides with my coming into my most powerful writing.”

Arts

10 • queensjournal.ca

Monday, 27 June, 2022

Review: ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ Surprise album dissects Drake’s persona and private self Sam Goodale Assisstant Arts Editor The critiques levelled against Drake’s Honestly, Nevermind are hardly unexpected.

After being surprise-released on June 17, the album has been extensively slammed on social media. Although Drake’s dip into the dance world might have been met with H&M-related ridicule, Honestly, Nevermind is one of his more interesting albums in recent memory.

Drake’s turn into dance music is not unprecedented, as “Passionfruit” off 2017’s More Life wouldn’t be out of place in this lineup of songs.

The album brings the melodic flourishes integral to Drake’s discography and sets them against ambient dance productions to incredibly intimate and sometimes haunting results. Although a genre divergence, Drake’s scathing witticism still teems within Honestly, Nevermind.

The lo-fi beat on “Sticky” provides a minimalist backdrop for over-the-top brash you’d expect from a rap album. The drums

on this track are hard-knocking yet simultaneously lowkey, never bubbling over Drake’s buoyant flow.

This contrast between production and vocals is when the album is at its best. It allows the focus to remain on Drake, who is, as it should be, the star of the show.

The next track, “Massive,” is an expertly crafted, thumping club anthem. It’s a ready-made summer hit, with a brooding Drake desperately holding onto an extinguished muse over a booming big room house track. It’s playful and maybe a little self-indulgent, yet extremely well-executed.

Through its twists and turns, Honestly, Nevermind is both selfaggrandizing and self-deprecating.

The album is an intimate and personal listen that reveals the tension between Drake’s persona, his past, and his unwillingness to let go.

The album’s genre allows the background to drub along while Drake grapples with lost relationships, distance, and loneliness. The songs are retrospective and surprisingly frank—there are no holds barred on this highly transparent project.

This album is one of paradoxes, both progressive and regressive.

Drake moves along at a breakneck pace, but there is a feeling of inertia, an unwitting looking back, dwelling

GRAPHIC BY AMNA RAFIQ

Drake dropped dance album on June 17. on the past. Although the album represents a clean break from his old stuff, Drake can’t seem to look ahead.

There’s a self-aware sort of playfulness to Honestly, Nevermind—it feels like there’s a secret being withheld, something Drake knows that we don’t. This unknown is what helps separate the bombastic persona from the deeply introspective private self of Drake. The two inform

each other—at times, at odds, at others working harmoniously.

It’s no coincidence that the album’s closing tracks, “Liability” and “Jimmy Cooks,” are a return to more typical Drake offerings. They embody the past-obsessed Drake and the self-assured, untethered ego of Drake’s persona. The two exist in tandem, and ultimately, they’re impossible to fully separate no matter how hard Honestly, Nevermind tries to do so.

Drake seems to be pulling away by concluding the album on a rap song with 21 Savage, the album’s first and only feature. It marks the end of a personal exploration.

It’s as if Drake is finally going to reveal something, some profound truth of himself we’ve never seen before. Yet, as we get too close, he stops and tells us, “honestly, nevermind.”

Welcome to Drag: The performance art celebrating gender fluidity The drag scene is thriving all across Ontario—from Toronto to Kingston travelled through the United States during the prohibition era where speakeasies provided solace for gay men to express themselves and explore their gender identity.

Rowena Whey, a leader within the vibrant Kingston drag community and a practicing drag queen of six years, told The Journal what the culture means to her.

“Drag is an allencompassing art form. Not only is it makeup, fashion, body contouring—it’s also dancing and singing and acting and comedy.

Rowena Whey gave insight on the Kingston Drag scene.

Rida Chaudhry Senior Arts Editor I walked into Crew’s and Tango’s, a queer bar in Toronto, and my senses were flooded with light, glitter, wafts of vodka cranberries, and Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” blaring on the speakers as a drag queen performed.

Ivory Towers, a drag queen fashioned with caution tape as a

bodysuit that matched their vibrant yellow hair, led an entranced crowd through the last stanzas of the song. Their stage presence was as powerful as their black thigh high stilettos.

When Helena Poison joined the stage in an incredible pair of ass-less chaps with rainbow fringe going down the pant leg, the two engaged in banter with the crowd members, all of

SUPPLIED BY ROWENA WHEY

whom hung onto their every word.

Drag performers like Towers and Posion have had to create a space for themselves in an outwardly heteronormative and patriarchal society.

The first renditions of drag culture trace themselves back to Shakespearean times when male performers cross-dressed to portray female characters. They

“Drag is an art form where we perform gender, that takes a lot of forms,” Whey said.

While she adopts a female presenting gender for her performances, Whey stressed that drag comes in varieties; there are drag kings and non-binary performers as well.

“Drag is an all-encompassing art form,” she said. “Not only is it makeup, fashion, body contouring—it’s also dancing and singing and acting and comedy.”

Her first encounter with drag was in Edmonton at the Evolution Wonder Lounge where she was mesmerized and intrigued by a performer who would later be her partner.

“I didn’t really know drag existed until I moved to Edmonton,” Whey said. “I started doing drag for Halloween one year, but if I was going to do it, I was going to do it right.”

Whey spent time watching makeup tutorials and making her own clothes for her drag persona.

“They like to say that when you’re doing drag makeup, there’s this like wow moment where you actually feel like your transformation is complete.

“When it came time to go out, I was in drag for 15 hours. If I could do that I could do it as a career,” she said.

Whey talked about the lengthy process of getting ready for a show, from venue hunting to styling to makeup to hair. The work that goes into drag is all-encompassing.

“They like to say that when you’re doing drag makeup, there’s this like wow moment where you actually feel like your transformation is complete,” she said.

“For me, that doesn’t really happen until after my entire face— lips, lashes, like everything—is on, but my wig doesn’t have to be on, which I always find strange.”

When asked to name who her biggest inspiration has been, Whey said Elton John.

“I love that he is an out and proud queer man, he’s not afraid to be flamboyant. He’s theatrical and out of this world and over the top. I always felt that really deep down.”

Catch Rowena live at the Grad Club and Daft Brewery on the first Wednesday of every month and the last Thursday of every month, respectively.

Sports

Monday, 27 June, 2022

SPORTS Sarah Maat Senior Sports Editor

Earlier this month, a five-player roster represented Queen’s on the green at the National Championships held in Montreal at Chateau Bromont Golf Course.

The steep inclines of Chateau Bromont Golf Course, which is situated at the base of the Mount Brome, are challenging when the weather is nice. The five Gaels competing in the weeklong tournament fought through heavy wind and some rain to a 10th place finish.

For Michael Von Schalburg, ArtSci ’22, and the rest of the gold team, their pursuit of a national championship began in the first week of September after a long winter.

“If there was anything we were worried about, or should have been worried about, it was any sort of rust. That is the biggest factor when you are coming into a tournament in the spring,” Von Schalburg said in an interview with The Journal.

The Gaels didn’t let Canadian winters set them back. They entered the tournament with the confidence instilled by their Ontario University Athetics (OUA) gold medal finish just months earlier.

“We knew we were good—we knew we had probably one of the best teams in Queen’s history,” Von Schalburg said.

University golf is unique because it necessitates teamwork and collaboration.

Typically scored on an individual basis, golf leaves little room for creativity and strategy building unless played at the university level. The team embraced this distinction while competing.

“There was a lot of brainstorming and group thinking going on about how to handle the week, about how to try and conserve energy, not only physical energy, but mental

queensjournal.ca • 11

‘One of the best teams in Queen’s history’ Men’s golf concludes a landmark season with top ten finish at the National Championships

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY JOSH KIM

The team won a gold medal at OUA’s in the fall.

energy,” Von Schalburg explained.

The tournament lasted a week because golf involves more set up and preparation than a typical basketball or football game.

The first day had the team do tedious practice rounds that lasted six hours, followed by daily rounds that last five hours each.

When time and energy are considered, it’s clear how week-long golf tournaments quickly become grueling tests of endurance with little room for error.

“That’s just how tournament golf is.

Every person is putting the maximum effort and focus into every single shot,” Von Schalburg said.

The end of the tournament is marked by what is known as the cut. Only the top ten teams are allowed to fight on the final day of competition—Queen’s barely made it.

“There were four or five teams that were all right around the cut line […] and after the first or second day, winning the championship was maybe a little out of

our reach, but […] our new goal was to make the cut,” Von Schalburg said.

It ultimately came down to a single stroke.

“A single stroke over four scores, over three days,” Von Schalburg said. “One stroke, and it was very tight coming down the finish.

We knew it was close.”

Coming through in this big moment clinched a spot inside the top ten.

“It reaffirmed that we are one of the top three or four teams in Ontario,” Von Schalburg said.

Sporting facilities need to be accessible for all Queen’s is making strides but still has work to do

Accessibility of sporting facilities is still an important area of growth.

Asbah Ahmad Senior News Editor For community members with disabilities, the accessibility of sports and recreation facilities can pose challenges even with legislative efforts and mandates work toward equal access.

Isaac Sahota, ArtSci ’22, is no stranger to the advocacy work in improving accessibility at Queen’s.

During his undergraduate studies, Sahota has worked with various stakeholders across campus to improve access.

His crowning achievements

include his work to make accessibility grants awarded monthly, and his work developing “Accessible Allies,” a mentorship programme that connects upperyear students with incoming first year students who have disabilities.

In an interview with The Journal, Sahota discussed the importance of representation across all levels of decision making, particularly when it comes to accessibility in sporting facilities.

“Representation matters, and someone who really knows the problems related to accessibility should be consulted and employed

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if there are positions for them [...] [Organizations] have enough resources, but they’re missing perspective, they’re missing the perspective that will make things positive and accessible,” Sahota said.

Sahota said advertising of accessibility measures needs improvement.

“Even before this interview, I was at the gym, so you know, people from the community do use these facilities,” he said. “We should advertise these facilities more, and we should advertise them ass inclusive and accessible.”

In modern sport, Sahota also discussed the unfair implications that can be drawn from the treatment of athletes with disabilities.

“Canadian Paralympians are not paid the same as able bodied Olympians—the two players are going to need the same resources, or even more equipment if someone is disabled. It’s just not fair.”

In speaking to his experiences at Queen’s, Sahota highlighted the ARC facilities as being much better in terms of accessibility than some other facilities off-campus.

“I was happy at the ARC since there is some equipment, like hand cycling [...] There is equipment and everything, but no one to give you information regarding that,” Sahota said.

“I don’t want to say something negative-the people working there sometimes don’t have enough information to assist someone with accessibility needs. So that’s something we need to work on.”

Duane Parliament, A&R manager of facilities and operations, highlighted an integrated approach to working on accessible facilities.

He said a lot of work goes into building management and development, and example being the Pavilion at Richardson Stadium.

“It’s not just A&R that’s doing all of that work,” Parliament said in an interview with The Journal.

“There’s a project manager from central facilities that is involved in that project as well [...] All of the current Queen’s standards are consulted and reviewed when those designs are taking place.”

Parliament said staff receive extensive training on subjects like power balance and sport safety in addition to legislativelymandated training on accessible customer experience.

A coordinator of equity education and learning was also hired last fall to help with the implementation of training and EDII initiatives.

Parliament highlighted resources exist at A&R facilities for people with disabilities, including accessible weight equipment, entry ramp into pools, and chair lifts.

Some equipment is designed for seats to be adjusted for folks using mobility devices.

For students seeking resources, Parliament stressed the importance of either asking at the customer service desk at the ARC or sending an email.

Since Sahota has graduated, he hopes to see people at Queen’s continuing to advocate for accessibility. He also had a message for students at Queen’s with disabilities.

“Don’t get demotivated. Do the things they want to do, be visible and take up space.”

Sports

12 • queensjournal.ca

Monday, 27 June, 2022

Professional wrestling shows humanity through its LGBTQ+ stars Nyla Rose and Kenn Moore are proof that selfexpression is a key to success chad russell Assistant Sports Editor Professional sports are, before anything else, entertainment. This idea becomes clearer as teams and leagues constantly look for new ways to attract fans.

More than the competition itself, the people who compete are most important for many of these fans. This is truer for no athletic showcase more than professional wrestling where the storylines being portrayed are just as crucial as the action happening in the ring.

An integral aspect of professional wrestling is the characters that make up the roster of a promotion.

Following the archetype of the face versus the heel, there’s a place for every character to flourish and contribute to the storylines.

Professional wrestling, for all its violence, operates in a way that is

similar to LGBTQ+ friendly events such as drag shows. Wrestlers can tell their own stories based on how they express themselves outside the ring and their style within it.

By conducting itself this way, professional wrestling allows fans to intensify with its stars as they express themselves to the fullest. For queer folks, it is a chance to see community members finding massive success without compromising their individual identities.

One person who has capitalized on this opportunity is Nyla Rose of the promotion All Elite Wrestling.

Rose is notable as the first openly trans professional wrestler and became AEW Women’s World Champion in February 2020.

The upstart company, All Elite Wrestling, has quickly become one of the top in the professional wrestling scene, thanks in no small part to the recruitment and training of wrestlers whose showmanship matches their skills.

Another example of this is Kenn Moore—known as Kenn Vazion inside the ring—of MEGA Championship Wrestling, who describes his preparation as “getting cute, looking sexy, being better than everybody else.”

Wrestling promotions are learning to celebrate and empower their LGBTQ+ stars.

For him, each of those three are equally important.

Moore has spoken to how finding oneself is a key to finding success in the world of professional wrestling. A wrestler’s identity must be allowed to breathe before they can truly belong.

As professional sports organizations look to compete in an entertainment landscape that

Queen’s Ultimate Frisbee athletes go international Three Gaels representing Canada at the World Juniors this summer

is becoming progressively more competitive, there are calls from fans to encourage the athletes to show more of their personality and shine as individuals.

People ache for reminders that star competitors are as human as the rest of us—professional wrestling has used this formula for decades to find continuing success.

Other professional sports should

Sarah Maat Senior Sports Editor Tyler Gunasekera, Thomas Oyhenart, and Taige Tomlinson are heading to Poland in August to compete at the World Junior Ultimate Championships. The tournament will take place at the Pola Marsowe Fields in Wroclaw, Poland from August 6-13.

The three players dominated during their last season, each playing an integral role in helping Queen’s bring home the silver medal at the National Championship in October. Their hard work leading up to that tournament paid off; they withstood the challenges presented by COVID-19 over the past two years and led their extremely young team to success.

This past season defied norms as it saw a team of seven first years and 12 rookies destroyed many rosters filled with more experienced players.

“I feel like going into that tournament we weren’t really looked at as much of a title contender just because of how young we are […] and [because of] our inexperience at the university level,” Gunasekera, Kin ’25, said in an interview with The Journal.

When reflecting on the past season, Gunasekera was thankful for his coaches and team captains for their unwavering

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY EYE-TO-NGAI

follow the lead of professional wrestling by integrating the identities of their athletes directly into the narratives of sport, making them an integral part of the value proposition. In doing so, they will not only improve the product for their fans, but also show that sports are a safe space where everyone can thrive.

Women’s sports demonstrate the power of LGBTQ+ representation Amateur and professional LGBTQ+ athletes revolutionizing women’s sports

chad russell Assistant Sports Editor

Men’s Ultimate produced three athletes for Team Canada.

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Sports are often stuck in the past. Large sports leagues are financial and social institutions. Like many other institutions, they sometimes change slower than the rest of society. This is especially apparent in men’s sports where few athletes have come out as LGBTQ+.

In contrast, women’s professional leagues are still quite young and therefore less encumbered by tradition and the past.

Similarly, the rank-and-file nature of college sports makes them more connected to everyday people and better positioned to reflect the makeup of society.

Members of the LGBTQ+ community have been fighting for change in the women’s sports world for decades. They frequently find themselves at the centre of social justice cases in their sports, acting as trailblazers for their peers and future generations of athletes.

Billie Jean King, one of the top tennis talents of the 1960s and 70s, founded the Women’s Tennis Association and fought for equal prize money at large tournaments.

Sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson and her 2021 suspension have amplified debate around the ban on cannabis use by athletes.

These women have become trailblazers, not only for their own sports, but also for sports on a more general scale.

support. His team awarded him Rookie of the Year.

“This was a good year to come into the program because we had such a young team,” Gunasekera said. “It was a really good year to develop my skills.”

However, it was Tomlinson, who won the Most Improved Player award, who embodied the true power of the Queen’s Ultimate program.

“Taige I only met this year […] and he won the most improved player,” Gunasekera said.

“He’s got much, much better in this last year and I’m excited to play with him on the team.”

After their season, Gunasekera, Oyhenart, and Tomlinson decided they weren’t finished.

They have kept their training up and will also be attending two training camps this summer to prepare for the World Juniors.

“I’m really excited to meet all the guys, and then in the actual tournament I think just seeing how Ultimate is around the world because I’ve only played in Canada,” Gunasekera said.

The World Juniors have been a long time coming for Gunasekera.

“This is something that I’ve kinda been working towards for a long time, so I’m honestly not really scared of anything out there. I’m just really excited to start and I can’t wait to travel there.”

Women’s sports are pulling ahead.

Another example is Megan Rapinoe, the face of the US Women’s National Team’s battle for a better collective bargaining agreement. She and her partner, WNBA star Sue Bird, are one of the most iconic power couples in all of professional sports.

Likewise, Sedona Prince is paving the way for the next generation of student athletes through her TikTok account and NIL, deals while calling out the inequalities experienced by female basketball players playing in the NCAA. While professional male sports leagues having begun embracing new ideas, they need to adopt the ones more in tune with everyday people, starting with the athletes themselves. LGBTQ+ athletes have the skills, personalities, and perspectives needed to revolutionize their respective sports for a new generation of fans.

Recent changes to name, image, and likeness rules at the collegiate level have afforded LGBTQ+ athletes new opportunities to express themselves and support their families. Now is the perfect time for leagues to tap into their star potential.

In many ways, male professional sports are falling behind. If they are to remain relevant by continuing to grow and reaching new fans, they must follow the trends in women’s sports by putting their talented LGBTQ+ athletes at the forefront of their brands and businesses.

GRAPHIC BY CURTIS HEINZL

Monday, 27 June, 2022

LIFESTYLE

Lifestyle

queensjournal.ca • 13

How to be an ally every day, not just in June How straight and cisgender people can use their privilege for good Francesca Amato Contributor Being an ally to the LGBTQ+ community is so much more than changing your profile picture to the rainbow flag.

An ally is someone who stands up, supports, and encourages the people around them. To be a good ally to your queer friends, family, coworkers, and community members, it’s essential to have an open mind and open heart.

Here are a variety of different ways for straight and cisgender people to strengthen their allyship with the queer community.

Educate yourself and others Straight and cisgender people are often not aware of the history of the LGBTQ+ community and the discrimination we have faced.

As an ally, it’s not only essential to educate yourself on the historical discrimination queer people have faced, but also to develop an understanding of how these issues are still present today.

An ally doesn’t only take the opportunity to educate themselves; they also share their knowledge with others who are willing to learn.

Don’t make assumptions As an ally, it’s important to refrain from making assumptions about anyone’s sexuality, gender identity, or pronouns. A person’s physical appearance or previous romantic partners do not correlate to their sexuality and expression.

As a straight and cisgender person, it’s essential to introduce yourself with your name and pronouns. This provides everyone with the opportunity to vocalize how they identify and how they would like to be addressed.

Support local LGBTQ+ artists and businesses Instead of designating Pride month as the only time to support local queer artists and businesses, make a conscious effort to support these groups all year.

Local LGBTQ+ artists and businesses face significantly less support than big corporate It’s key for straight and cisgender people to engage in allyship all year round. businesses, so try to visit a local queer shop, purchase a book by a queer author, or listen to music by a different streaming artist.

These acts of giving back may seem small, but these changes can Recommending queer fiction: make a world of a difference to seven husbands, her great love queer creators. story is with fellow actress Celia YA, romance, and sci-fi St. James. Reid intertwines many Recognize your privilege and Julia Harmsworth intersectional experiences, namely use it for the greater good Managing Editor being Cuban, being a woman, Being a heterosexual, and being queer. cisgender person entails a Pride Month is here, and it’s the Overall, this book explores love, variety of privileges. It grants perfect time to infuse your summer sex, and marriage on a spectrum, you the privilege of never facing reading with a little colour. Here in all their beautiful complexity, discrimination because of your are some of my favourite LGBTQ+ and it’s truly worth the read. gender expression, never being reads—plus one on my to-beattacked for displaying love to your read list—that you should pick up Aristotle and Dante Discover the partner, and never being excluded this month.

Secrets of the Universe from playing your favourite sport because of your gender identity.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Does this take you back to It’s important for cisgender Hugo 2013, or what? I actually read and heterosexual people to this book really recently acknowledge how their privilege You’ve probably seen this book and absolutely loved plays a part in the homophobic on TikTok, but in case you haven’t, it—turns out, everyone back and transphobic system we live in. here’s your cue to get out from then was right!

They also need to recognize they under that rock and hop on the Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s Aristotle can use this privilege to educate Taylor Jenkins Reid train. and Dante Discover the Secrets of others and stand up for those The Seven Husbands of Evelyn the Universe is a beautiful comingwho are negatively impacted by Hugo is the first of Reid’s books of-age story about the relationship such discrimination.

I read, and it really is incredible. between two boys, Dante and What makes Reid’s novels shine is Ari. It’s slow, and mellow, and *** her ability to create worlds that feel really allows you to sit with incredibly real. the characters and watch their As June comes to an end, don’t In this novel, she weaves the relationship grow. We watch think of it as an end to Pride, but as setting of the glitzy, glamorous old as they learn about their sexualities a fresh start to engaging in allyship Hollywood—it had me Googling the and themselves, and it’s just year-round. characters like they really lived. rather lovely.

Evelyn Hugo, one of the novel’s It’s worth all the stickers on two main characters, is bisexual. the cover.

Despite being famous for having

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

4 LGBTQ+ reads to pick up this June An Absolutely Remarkable Thing Hank Green! The superior Green brother! I absolutely loved Green’s debut, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. It was entertaining, weird, and surprisingly thought provoking. It’s a very odd mix of contemporary and sci-fi, but it works really well.

One of the best things about this book is its protagonist, April. I found her to be unique and interesting: she feels human and flawed in a believable way. It’s especially lovely to read about her relationship with her girlfriend, Maya.

One thing I liked about this book is it’s not a romance book. It’s not about a queer relationship: it just features one that’s part of April’s life.

It normalizes queer relationships beautifully, as we watch April and Maya make mistakes and have great moments, just like in any other relationship.

It’s really good! Pick it up!

One Last Stop

Last on my list is Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop. This novel just came out last year, and I haven’t actually read it yet, but it’s on the top of my to-be-read list.

McQuiston also wrote Red, White & Royal Blue, if you’ve seen that on TikTok. I’m in love with this premise: a girl named August moves to New York City and sees this really hot girl, Jane, on the subway. It turns out Jane is a real punk rocker from the 1970s displaced in time, and August tries to help her, and I assume they fall in love. How fun is that?

As might be evident from my obsession with An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, I love fiction books that are infused with a little bit of not-so-real-life, so I’ll be picking this one up soon. …

I hope something on this list struck your fancy! Happy reading.

Four fabulous additions to your summer reading list!

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Lifestyle

14 • queensjournal.ca

Monday, 27 June, 2022

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Many celebrities have posted about Pride month on social media.

Celebrities & Pride Month: the influence of social media Exploring its positive and negative ramifications Katie Bell Contributor In honour of Pride Month, many celebrities took to social media to celebrate.

JoJo Siwa tweeted “be what you be!!!” and Cara Delevingne captioned a photo of herself in a rainbow shirt “be proud.”

Not only are some celebrities using social media to celebrate Pride, but many are using it to speak out about their sexuality and gender identity.

Halsey uses her social media platform as a way to fight against bisexual erasure. The singer received backlash on National Coming Out Day when she described herself as “out and proud” while being in a relationship with G-Eazy.

In response to the backlash, Halsey said, “bisexual people, we exist!” She used her platform as a way to speak out about the discrimination many bisexual people face as they are often labeled as ‘confused’ or ‘attention seekers.’

Demi Lovato, who announced they identify as non-binary in 2021 on Twitter and Instagram, said it took them a long time to come to terms with their identity.

On social media, they said, “in 2018 when I overdosed, I feel like the reason why that happened was because I was ignoring my truth […] I was suppressing who I am in order to please stylists, or even fans that wanted me to be the sexy, feminine pop star.”

Lovato’s story acts as a reminder that individuals with similar identities are not alone and that no one should be afraid to be themselves.

There are many other celebrities

such Lady GaGa, Laverne Cox, Lil Nas X, Hayley Kiyoko, and Frank Ocean who use social media platforms to either show their allyship or to let their followers know they are not alone and that it is okay to be themselves.

While celebrities have a huge influence over their fan base, this can also act as a double-edged sword.

Many celebrities such as J.K Rowling, Drake Bell, or Tracey Morgan have been accused of posting anti-LGBTQ comments.

While some of these celebrities have since apologised, their comments can be largely influential on how their fanbases think.

Additionally, many reporters and journalists use celebrities’ identities as a source of entertainment because they are so high-profile.

For example, two weeks ago, Rebel Wilson posted a photo of herself with her female partner

Ramona Agruma. It was later revealed that The Sydney Morning Herald found out about Wilson’s relationship and planned to release an article about it, causing Wilson to post about her relationship first.

Wilson later tweeted, “it was a very hard situation but [I’m] trying to handle it with grace.”

Queer censorship on social media is also a huge issue.

As of December 2018, Facebook has about 15,000 moderators who have a split-second to decide which terms are appropriate and which aren’t.

While this oversight does help keep the community safe, a lot of LGBTQ+ posts have been censored by these moderators, making it harder for those in the queer community who are not celebrities to post about their lives.

Activist Greta Christina posted a picture of herself and her partner at the San Fransisco’s Dyke March, hash-tagging the post with the

word ‘dyke.’ Facebook quickly banned the post for hate speech purposes after her choice of language in the hashtag.

While ‘dyke’ has been historically used as a slur for queer women, it is now known as a reclaimed word. Facebook, however, took it down for hate speech.

For a celebrities or individuals with large social followings, their censored content is easier to retrieve. A member of the queer community without such fame may not be as lucky, giving them less online freedom than an influencer.

Ultimately, while social media is a great way to build community, inclusivity, and help others gain the confidence they may be missing, it can also send the wrong message or mislead others into believing the wrong ideas.

‘Heartstopper’ gives Netflix audiences hope for more queer content

Nick and Charlie bring to life the most pure form of love.

Love is love is love, and you will LOVE ‘Heartstopper’ Maddie Hunt Senior Lifestyle Editor With an abundance of heteronormative romance movies and shows dominating Netflix, Heartstopper’s queer focus is a breath of fresh air.

Based off Alice Oseman’s graphic novels of the same name, Heartstopper follows the life of Charlie, an openly gay boy in high school.

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Early into the show, Charlie falls for Nick, an apparently straight boy in the year above him. As Charlie and Nick become close, Nick begins to struggle with his own identity as he questions his sexuality.

This first reason to adore this show is its sense of innocence and ignition of hope in young viewers’ hearts—and those of older viewers like myself.

From adorably animated doodles floating around the screen during intimate moments to stolen glances and overthought text messages, Heartstopper gives the audience love at its most innocent between

two young boys struggling to accept themselves.

Charlie and Nick share small moments on screen that indicate their affection while they try to understand it themselves—the small “hi,” followed by a flush of red on their faces, tells more than the grand monologued “I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU” moment in nearly every popular straight movie.

These small yet affectionate moments are so important to younger viewers who may still be trying to understand their identity.

In one episode, Nick googles, “am I gay.”

For many people, the Internet may be the first place to try to understand who they are, and that’s okay.

While shows like Sex Education also provide education on queer relationships, they are far too progressive and sexually graphic for younger viewers.

Heartstopper is a great reminder for younger queer viewers that their feelings are normal. Its strict focus on the emotional bonds built between Charlie and Nick— the most important, yet least physically intimate, aspect of relationships, is incredibly important for young viewers to see.

This is not only a much stronger message for younger viewers—that relationships aren’t strictly physical—but it eases younger viewers’ possible fears about starting queer

relationships. Nick and Charlie act as the perfect template for what love should be for younger audiences, something few other shows provide.

Another one of Heartstopper’s admirable aspects is its active work in breaking stigmas in Hollywood.

In many popular romance shows and movies depicting heterosexual relationships, producers attempt to ‘get with the times’ by adding a funny queer side character to compliment the straight lead. Heartstopper breaks this norm by giving viewers a show with multiple queer leads.

As our two leads navigate the stigmas around queer relationships, Nick and Charlie show viewers that their love is just as normal as a boy and a girl’s love.

Unfortunately, Heartstopper’s popularity and normalization of queer love is a rarity.

Hollywood has largely failed the queer community in delivering relatable and inclusive media on large streaming platforms.

Popularity still lies with heteronormative shows with straight leads, rather than LGBTQ+ media.

We need more stories about queer youth.

We need more shows like this that give hope to viewers and present self-questioning as completely normal.

Lifestyle

Monday, 27 June, 2022

queensjournal.ca • 15

‘Obi Wan Kenobi’ is a step in the right direction Disney has finally produced some worthwhile ‘Star Wars’ content Ben Wrixon Editor in Chief A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars was unencumbered by Disney’s incessant need to pump out as much content as humanly possible.

Disney bought the rights to Star Wars when it acquired Lucasfilm for four billion dollars back in 2012. Now, in 2022, after their much-maligned ‘sequel’ trilogy, several mediocre spin-offs, and two TV shows, Disney has finally delivered quality content with Obi Wan Kenobi.

Ewan McGregor has reprised his role as the titular hero he first played in the infamous prequel trilogy from the early 2000s. No matter how you feel about the terrible dialogue, midichlorians, and boring space politics in those films, his charismatic portrayal of the legendary Jedi gave us countless memorable moments and lines.

There could be no Obi Wan Kenobi TV show without McGregor, and it’s clear from the first episode that the actor is fully invested in the role once again.

Given the circumstances in which this postRevenge of the Sith Obi Wan finds himself, he plays the character with an appropriate amount of weariness. McGregor sells all the internal plight and torment with careful facial expressions and body language.

Yet, truth be told, we all saw this coming.

Nobody was worried about whether McGregor could recapture the magic from all those years ago. Rather, we were worried about whether Disney would trap him in another underwhelming corporate mess.

The last decade of Disney-produced

Iconic characters are at the heart of the show.

content has made it clear the company values quantity over quality—when it comes to Star Wars and all their other franchises.

From 1977 to 2005, we got six Star Wars movies. From 2015 to 2022, they’ve pumped out five movies and three TV shows that garnered extremely mixed reviews.

The Force Awakens was a fun retread of familiar plot points that introduced us to a new generation of heroes. Unfortunately, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker were nonsensical messes that broke the rules of the Force and basic storytelling.

These sequel films were an uncomfortable seesaw of pointlessly re-writing old narratives and desperate pandering to long-time fans.

In Disney’s pursuit of making money, they seemed to forget that people love Star Wars for its characters, first and foremost.

On the TV side, The Mandalorian was a smash hit despite its episodic format that lacks an overarching storyline. The Book of Boba Fett was just bad. In many ways, Obi Wan is the course correction fans have been so desperately awaiting.

Kenobi could have easily coasted on fan service alone—Obi Wan and Darth Vader duking it out is reason enough to sit through six episodes. However, where the show succeeds is by deepening existing relationships in the long-running saga.

Its six episodes dig into Obi Wan’s broken

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relationship with Anakin Skywalker as he protects a young Princess Leia. The new faces and storylines are admittedly not as interesting, but still enrich the world around the characters we do care about.

With all that said, the show isn’t perfect. Its sets and visual effects would have seriously benefitted from Disney opening their purse a little wider. The production values aren’t on the level we have come to expect from Star Wars, which is disappointing, to say the least.

Nonetheless, Kenobi is a major step in the right direction for the company. It’s surely taken longer than we might have hoped, but at last the Force is strong with Disney Star Wars.

3 BIPOC-lead and queer-inclusive shows to binge this summer ‘Pose,’ ‘We Are Lady Parts,’ and ‘The Get Down’ contain beautiful stories, soundtracks, and visuals Clanny Mugabe Assistant Lifestyle Editor With every corner of the internet saturated with new media, it’s hard to parse through it all and find fun, quality shows that promote diverse perspectives.

Here are a few shows with BIPOC leads and queer characters that are totally worth binging this summer. Instead of dealing with decision fatigue, take a look at one of these stellar acclaimed shows that you might have missed out on.

Pose

Pose is a drama series centering on the lives of Black and brown LGBTQ+ individuals in the 1980s and 1990s in New York City as they navigate poverty, the HIV/AIDs crisis, and the rapidly shifting political landscape.

Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista, played

by Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, is the mother of House Evangelista , a “team” that lives and competes together in the Ball scene of New York City. Through her ambition, confidence, and guidance, the members of House Evangelista grow as performers and people as they take their skills off the ballroom floor.

Pose is a stunning and stellar show with a talented cast of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC actors. Its significance lies in what it does for representation in media and its influences in retelling the stories of real-life, queer New Yorkers.

Pose provides stunning looks, strong characters, and emotional backstories.

Despite what can be sad subject matter,

the show is laced with hope and a central message that prioritizes found family above all. It’s informative, timely, and uplifting all at once and the perfect show to binge during pride month.

We Are Lady Parts

We Are Lady Parts is a fantastic British comedy series about Amina Vasan, a twentysix-year-old PHD student looking for a committed relationship who becomes the lead guitarist for the band Lady Parts.

The show explores the rich, close-knit, and diverse Muslim community in London, as each member of the band has a different area of origin . The show is written primarily

by Nida Manzoor, a Pakistani-British woman

The shows celebrate BIPOC and queer stories.

with enough experience in the community she writes about that the show feels like a love letter to a tight-knit community.

This show has a strong stylistic voice—the directors are not afraid to delve into the goofy and the campy. In ten episodes, the show packs emotional punches with its creative direction. It starts out light-hearted and funny, with Amina’s narration coating the whole show in a layer of clever irony.

As the show progresses and the relationships between the main cast deepens, the themes of finding freedom and new friendships, gaining confidence, staying true to yourself, queerness, and faith rise and strike a strong emotional chord.

The show also focuses on women in their late twenties and early thirties with messy

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lives, reminding us how people can grow and change and reach new milestones later in life. This is especially refreshing considering most forms of media using similar stories tend to be about high schoolers or college freshmen.

The Get Down

The Get Down is a stellar musical drama on Netflix about a group of teenagers living in the south Bronx in the 1970s, trying to make names for themselves in the competitive and rapidly changing music industry.

The show is led by Justice Smith, who sings and raps his way through the series, intercut with character Nas’ own rapping to provide narration and context in each episode.

The Get Down is one of my favourite shows of all time. It’s a big, bold, and bright celebration of music and the ’70s. The show is an eclectic mix of various moods, sounds, and colours, with original music woven perfectly into the narrative.

While not a focus, the influences of queer culture on music, especially on the disco scene, play a role in the storytelling, like with the story arc of Jaiden Smith’s character, Dizzy.

This show deserves a dozen rewatches— it packs so much into one season and it’s visually stunning. If you have ever seen Romeo and Juliet, or enjoyed Moulin Rouge, then you might recognize Baz Luhrmann’s chaotic and gorgeous style in The Get Down.

Lifestyle

16 • queensjournal.ca

Monday, 27 June, 2022

Growing up, Francesca hid her sexuality from others.

Learning to accept my sexuality How the Queen’s theatre community helped my confidence Francesca Amato Contributor As a young girl, I found women beautiful.

I grew up completely enamored by the female characters I’d watch on my screen. I’d gaze at them wide-eyed, in a trance-like state, totally starstruck. As a child I always interpreted this as my admiration and interest for performance and acting, but as I entered my early teens, I realized this was more than admiration and, ultimately, more than a phase.

I grew up in a Roman Catholic household. I completed all three sacraments—not necessarily for my own religious beliefs, but to appease the somewhat vital traditions my family has upheld for decades. I grew up never learning about queerness or what it meant to be anything other than straight. I was presented with the traditional heteronormative family landscape up until my early teens.

“Could I be gay? What does that word even mean?

It wasn’t until I was twelve years old when I began to explore art, film, theatre, and music entirely on my own on my first iPod. Around this time, I realized that my admiration towards women was more than just admiration: it was a feeling of love and attraction I had disguised as praise.

I was terrified.

Could I be gay? What does that word even mean? I’d only ever heard it used in a negative context by kids at school—did this mean that I, too, was something bad? Was there something wrong with me?

I panicked and did what any lost twelve-year-old would do: I took to the internet.

I found myself searching for music or films that might resonate with me, desperately searching for anyone or anything to relate to.

I dug deep within the Tumblr trenches of queer fan fiction and YouTube rabbit holes of advice videos, coming out stories, and comedy sketches by queer content creators. The last stop in my internet deep dive was Googling a very important question, “Am I gay?”

In hindsight, I wish someone had told me, Darling, if you have to ask, you’re probably on the spectrum of queerness. But, looking back, I was only twelve, so completing hundreds of different “How to tell if you are gay” quizzes from Buzzfeed was the way to go.

After days and weeks of doing research and trying to answer my most important query, I

came to the conclusion that I was gay. Or maybe bisexual?

But wait, what is the difference between bisexual and pansexual?

Turns out, I came to absolutely no conclusion at all, but I knew I wanted to kiss girls the same way everyone else wanted to kiss boys. I was queer but had no terminology or prior knowledge of the LGBTQ+ community in order to fully understand myself and my sexuality.

“The only way I could engage in queer-related media was if I hid my truth behind the mast of a straight ally.

I was mortified. It felt like I was the only person at my age with such a secret—a secret that felt dirty and wrong and completely world-shattering. I felt scared and alone in my attraction to people who weren’t boys. I felt weird and deeply upset to find another reason to be labeled as an outsider.

Not to mention, as a child who grew up in a bigger and taller body and faced intense bullying for it, I was dedicated to keeping this secret hidden in hopes the kids at school wouldn’t have another thing to tease me about.

I hid this secret with my life. Absolutely no one could know, so instead of coming out, I hid my queerness under the

label of an “ally.” The only way I could engage in queer-related media without being questioned was if I hid my truth behind the mask of a straight ally. I spent my early teens dedicated to learning more about the history of the LGBTQ+ community and became a fierce advocate for a community I desperately wished to openly be a part of.

In high school, I suppressed my queerness as a form of protection, as the kids around me weren’t as accepting and loving as I wished.

I hoped if I hid these feelings long enough, they would eventually go away. Surprise, surprise: they didn’t. Instead, they grew more difficult to suppress.

Somehow, I blinked, and I was in university. I was completely on my own. I didn’t have the everyday influence from family or the church or anyone from school—I only had me. Although it was scary at first, I felt free and excited to begin a chapter of my life that felt entirely my own.

“I found a safe space to share my truth, and so I did.

I threw myself into the theatre community at Queen’s, and for once, I truly felt like I had found my people. The drama students at Queen’s were excited and passionate about theatre in the same way I was. But a lot of them

SUPPLIED BY FRANCESCA AMATO

possessed a quality I had yet to gain: confidence in their sexuality.

Suddenly, I was introduced to so many theatre makers and new friends who identified under the LGBTQ+ umbrella. For the first time in my life, I was around queer people who were confident and proud of who they are, rather than ashamed. I felt completely at ease around them when I had spent most of my life on edge.

I could finally express myself and uncover the part of myself that was so carefully hidden. I found my people—I found a safe space to share my truth, and so I did.

“I came to realize there was a beauty queen within my queerness.

In my second year, I came out as pansexual. I grew into my sexuality, realizing it wasn’t about just wanting to kiss girls or boys, but about wanting to kiss people.

As David from Schitt’s Creek says, “I like the wine, not the label.”

Although I struggled with my sexuality, I came to realize there was a beauty queen within my queerness. I grew into the fact that I’m a lover—I love the people around me deeply, and I simply want to share that.

How could that ever be wrong?