Bill S-510 has concerning implications for our privacy

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March 11, 2024

An illustration of government issued ID — ILLUSTRATION: Angela Shen / The Peak

By: Kelly Chia, Editor-in-Chief

On December 14, 2023, Bill S-210 passed its second reading through the House of Commons. Bill S-210 is an act that restricts “young persons’ online access to sexually explicit material.” However, the way it proposes to do this is troubling: it wants Canadians to verify their age while browsing. The Bill doesn’t specify how it wants Canadians to do this, but could include facial recognition technology or a system tracking our digital identification, making our private identities vulnerable. This Bill doesn’t only impact minors — it impacts the privacy of all Canadians browsing the internet. Asking for identification on websites considered to advertise or commercially sell adult material puts us all at a higher risk of having private information leaked.

Independent Senator Julie Miville-Dechêne introduced this Bill, which was first read in Senate on November 24, 2021. The Bill recognizes that sexually explicit material is “made available on the internet for commercial purposes” and proposes to bring age-verification technology as a solution to prevent youth from accessing sexually explicit material. The Bill is well intentioned in protecting youths. The problem is that this Bill has a much wider impact on internet users as a whole than the youths they suggest it will protect.

Dr. Michael Geist, a law professor at the University of Ottawa and expert in internet and e-commerce law, argues Bill S-210 poses significant harm to not only internet users, but also to multiple websites. The Bill broadly condemns “any organization that, for commercial purposes, makes available sexually explicit material on the Internet to a young person.” Geist notes this means the Bill “applies to any site,” including social media websites and search engines, where anyone can upload explicit material. The Bill’s language around sexually explicit content is vague. It notes that “sexually explicit” could include “demeaning material” or anything with sexual content. But it doesn’t describe how much or what kind of sexually explicit content is available on the website for it to require age verification. Asking Canadians to provide identification for a tweet or a Google search is a draconian oversight of our internet usage.

Bill S-210 asserts that online age-verification technology “is increasingly sophisticated and can now effectively ascertain the age of users without breaching their privacy rights,” but does not make clear how it will protect these rights. The Australian government recently rejected online age verification in a similar bill, finding that no available age verification technology could “work reliably” and “balance privacy and security.” It’s this last point I’m especially concerned with as a citizen. It’s noted that the Governor in Council must consider if the method verifiably “destroys any personal information.” There are no penalties listed for websites that fail to do this. This isn’t protection — it leaves many vulnerable people at risk of data leaks.

As with many bills that target internet use, these definitions are too broad to protect us. In fact, they hurt us from using the internet as intended. The task of determining which websites might qualify as “making available sexually explicit material” falls onto a designated “enforcement authority,” like a government agency. If this authority deems it necessary to “ensure that sexually explicit material is not made available,” it can prevent access to all materials, not just those that are sexually explicit. It will not just be young people who would be impacted. This seems like a slippery slope to full-on censorship. It makes me wary to think of how this could extend to conservative arguments about censoring 2SLGBTQIA+ educational material.

In Indiana, a similar bill is being passed through the Senate, to the dismay of many civil liberty unions. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Indiana published a statement on February 22, 2024, expressing their concerns. As ACLU notes, “Without proper protections, bad actors — hackers or disgruntled employees — could use someone’s personal data for exploitation.” ACLU is also concerned that the determination of what is considered sexually explicit material could restrict valuable 2SLGBTQIA+ resources or sex education content from minors.

Historically, when censorship laws are passed, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities feel the impact. ACLU notes there has already been a “systematic effort to censor access to LGBTQ+ literature in Indiana’s schools” because the legal phrase, “material harmful to minors,” has been used to target the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

This isn’t the first time this has happened. Here in BC, Little Sister’s Book & Art Emporium, a 2SLBGTQIA+ bookstore on Davie Street, found its shipments attacked based on a vague law where published materials were deemed “obscene” if they featured “the undue exploitation of sex.” Customs wouldn’t allow the materials to enter Canada based on this law, however, the judge found customs “had systematically targeted the store’s shipments, and wrongly prohibited their entry into Canada.” It took four years for the case to be heard — with the battle starting in 1987 and continuing in the early 2000s. This is how vague laws harm queer people and weaponize attempts at equity for further marginalization. Think about the length of time it would take to prove that educational material provides valuable resources for queer folks. Can you imagine if the safeguard for destroying their private information failed, and their information was outed as a result?

As a teenager, I found queer resources and peers on social media websites that happen to share space with people who upload explicit material, or advertise on it. While it’s good to protect minors, there are much better ways to do it. Parents should already have the responsibility to monitor and protect their children online. The government can instead provide parents with software to better safeguard their children, rather than creating an extensive bill with vague parameters. This Bill absolutely cannot go any further. It’s shocking that it has gone through so many readings when there are so many glaring flaws in it. We must push our MPs to vote “nay” against this Bill when it goes through its third reading in the House of Commons.

SFU FairTrade is leading the charge for ethical campus consumption

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March 11, 2024

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This is a photo of an assortment of vegetables on a table. — PHOTO: Ratul Ghosh / Unsplash

By: Lauren Ord, SFU Student

In today’s world, ethically sourced products are not the norm for most goods purchased in global markets. Most products are produced through poor labour conditions and lead to environmental degradation and equity disparities. This is the result of unfair trade that disproportionately benefits large corporations rather than individual workers providing hard labour. According to SFU FairTrade ambassador program coordinator, Kylee Pocrnich, “Education and raising awareness campaigns are some of the most important” components of combating unfair trade practices.

FairTrade is an organization that ensures products are produced ethically and sustainably by supporting farmers and producers in the developing countries through a set of FairTrade standards. The FairTrade standards guarantee fair wages and equitable revenue for products, despite global market fluctuations. The FairTrade premium is an additional sum of money that producers receive to spend anywhere within their communities, including schools, infrastructure, and family support. FairTrade producers are also granted increased autonomy to make meaningful decisions about their work.

The Peak spoke with Pocrnich to understand more about the program’s role in educating and raising awareness about FairTrade products for students. Pocrnich explained SFU’s FairTrade program “has made [them] a leader for fair trade on campus and in the entire FairTrade movement in Canada.” SFU is Canada’s first and only Gold certified FairTrade campus. This certification signifies an active FairTrade Ambassador program for students, participation in international FairTrade conferences, and the availability of numerous FairTrade products on campus.

Renaissance Cafe and Blenz at SFU both use FairTrade-certified coffee. “After years of having delicious fair trade coffee on campus from Renaissance and Blenz, for example, I hope students remember to pick up FairTrade coffee at their local grocery store.”

The SFU FairTrade Ambassador program prioritizes equity and sustainability. “The SFU community has proven time and time again that we are a group that is passionate about environmental justice and treating people fairly, and the SFU FairTrade program is just another way we can reach these goals,” said Pocrnich.

According to Pocrnich, “The best part about the SFU FairTrade ambassador program is that it is whatever the current students want it to be.” The program’s purpose is to educate and raise awareness about fair trade, and students can choose how to achieve this through participating in one or multiple teams including events, research/survey, education, and social media.

One of Pocrnich’s favourite teams is the education team. This team educates SFU and local elementary students about the FairTrade movement. “After every presentation, the kids ask the most insightful questions, and it warms my heart to see the impact we are having on these kids.” This experience has allowed Pocrnich to strengthen her presentation, public speaking, and organizational skills. Working with any of these teams provides amazing opportunities to learn new things and develop numerous transferable skills.

Additionally, the SFU FairTrade Ambassador program offers many travel opportunities through international conferences. This year, Pocrnich is heading to Montréal for the conference. The Ambassador program also allows students to travel to countries where fair trade programs are operating to gain perspective and understanding of fair trade production. This includes Peru, Ecuador, and Costa Rica.

Students can support FairTrade with a variety of small actions that make a big difference in ethical and sustainable production, according to Pocrnich. “All it takes is swapping out their regular coffee, chocolate, fruit, sugar, tea, etc., for a FairTrade-certified brand to make a real difference in producers’ lives.”

FASS promotes anti-bullying with pink wall of kindness initiative

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March 11, 2024

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This is a photo of the SFU Pink Wall of Kindess — an event where students put pink post it notes on a large pink wall to share kind messages — PHOTO: Rastko Koprivica / The Peak

By: Eden Chipperfield, News Writer

Brian Fox, coordinator of student engagement for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), wanted to spread messages of kindness and anti-bullying at SFU. He turned the focus of Pink Shirt Day into an interactive space with the introduction of the Pink Wall of Kindness.

In 2007, Nova Scotia high school students David and Travis distributed pink shirts to stand up for a grade nine boy being bullied for the colour of his clothing. Since then, Pink Shirt Day has been recognized for the last 16 years in elementary, high school, and post-secondary schools. Pink Shirt Day serves as a way to recognize and combat bullying in educational settings.

The Pink Wall of Kindness was located outside the FASS office in the AQ on February 28. Students, staff, and faculty were encouraged to jot down messages that inspired kindness. The FASS team who volunteered also provided homemade buttons and popcorn to those who dropped by.

“I started the Pink Wall Kindness at SFU in 2017. I used to collaborate with some of the folks in restorative justice like Brenda Morrison, who’s a professor there who did some neat stuff like healing circles in our space,” said Fox. “We want to build community and connect to our students and make them feel like this is a safe, welcoming place.”

Bullying is present in many forms in various environments, whether on campus, online, or in the workplace. “The actions of a bully can happen every single day and in small, subtle ways,” Dr. Hannah Scott, a University of Ontario Institute of Technology professor, told Global News. “It’s just something we don’t tend to talk about because it’s difficult to identify.” Black, Indigenous, and people of colour more often experience bullying due to intersectional barriers and cultural stigma. 2SLGBTQIA+ people are also vulnerable and experience the effects of bullying due to their sexual orientation or gender expression.

Fox has made it his mission to ensure SFU students know there are people looking out for others on campus. As SFU is often dubbed a “commuter campus,” the effect of going to class and heading home can rob students of the experience of community, said Fox. “We have a high commuter population on campus that [is] challenged by the fact that it’s class and go home and not necessarily having any place or space on campus that allows them to feel that connection,” he explained.

Many students in the FASS faculty are undeclared majors, which can also impact feelings of belonging. Fox is determined to ensure that first-years are aware of the programming FASS volunteers and peer mentors are facilitating through initiatives on Instagram.

Fox emphasised community-building on campus and the importance of having student-guided initiatives to engage the student population. “It’s a huge part of what I’m trying to do with the opportunities out of our space: highlighting different resources and opportunities for students, whatever those opportunities are on campus, to find a fit, and find community.”

Paige Jung’s murals are community portraits

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March 6, 2024

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“Hate to Hope” a heartwarming mural of an elderly woman looking upon the younger generation, reaching for and catching stars — a symbol of hope. It invites eyes to a vivid mountainscape and clusters of local flowers meant to represent “growth, endurance, and peace,” that seem to sprout right from the wall. An opaque night sky contrasts with pastel landscapes and clothing. — PHOTO: Courtesy of Paige Jung

By: Saije Rusimovici, Staff Writer

Walking past Larry’s Market in Chinatown, your eyes will be drawn to the green-painted brick wall spotted with bright fruits and vegetables designed by illustrator and muralist Paige Jung. The Chinese Canadian artist’s murals can be found in the nooks of “so-called” Vancouver, attracting passersby with vibrant colours and thoughtful use of space. Jung’s murals inspire a feeling of connection and community, using geometric shapes and juxtaposed hues. Each mural tells a story of community bonds. The artist’s client list includes BC Housing, Daily Hive, Fairtrade Canada, and Anthropologie.

Last year, Jung created a stunning mural outside the Britannica Ice Rink commissioned by BC’s Office of Human Rights Commissioner for the Vancouver Mural Festival. The mural, titled “Hate to Hope” (pictured), is a heartwarming depiction of an elderly woman looking upon the younger generation, reaching for and catching stars — a symbol of hope. It invites eyes to a vivid mountainscape and clusters of local flowers meant to represent “growth, endurance, and peace,” that seem to sprout right from the wall. An opaque night sky contrasts with pastel landscapes and clothing.

Jung was contracted to paint her first mural in Chinatown for the Vancouver Mural Festival in 2021. “I learned a lot of different techniques through other experienced muralists,” she told The Peak, describing the art of mural painting as “a learning journey.”

“Resilient Chinatown” was painted for the Black Strathcona Resurgence Project “to reclaim visibility and reconcile erasure and systemic racism endured over time by Black people in Vancouver” as well as bring together shared stories and a sense of community between Black, Chinese, and Indigenous people in the Strathcona area. Against a light-pink backdrop, the piece features hanging lanterns, oranges, plum blossoms, and portraits of a wide age range of people of Asian descent as an ode to “their stories of perseverance, endurance, healing, and hope.” The portraits honour the resilience of the Asian community, and Jung’s aim was to make them feel “represented and seen.” The collection of soft colours is easy on the eyes and transports onlookers to a joyful springtime.

This mural took Jung 14 days straight to paint and will always be her favourite. Not only was it the first mural she created, but she fondly recalled having “so much support from the community,” and bonding with the locals.

Jung also has a collection of her works on her website, from tote bags, to stickers and greeting cards. I especially enjoyed the selection of art prints available for purchase. Artworks from the “Have a Seat” series are my personal favourites, nostalgic of summer, travel, and slow living. Each piece is crafted in Jung’s signature style with soft, inviting details that invoke the same sense of community, joy, and belonging as her murals.

“Public art is such an important vehicle to help communities feel seen, heard, and represented,” said Jung. “It also has the power to bring awareness to important ideas, and amplify the stories of communities, who historically have been marginalized or not given space.”

You can follow the artist on Instagram (@paigejung_) or visit her website to learn more about the different murals she has created and shop her online collection.

Poilievre’s bathroom debate comments dehumanize trans people

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March 6, 2024

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A gender neutral washroom — ILLUSTRATION: Alyssa Umbal / The Peak

By: Olivia Visser, Copy Editor

Content warning: mentions of transphobia, sexual assault, violence, and death.

Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) leader and electoral candidate Pierre Poilievre has resonated with reactionary right-wing voters since he first gained popularity in the public eye. A great deal of his campaign has been spent making ill-spirited remarks about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Indigenous communities, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people. Most recently, he’s been under fire for making transphobic statements about children and athletes.

On February 21, Poilievre told reporters that “female spaces should be exclusively for females, not for biological males.” His choice of language is no coincidence. Referring to trans people as their assigned gender is not just stigmatizing — it erases the identities and experiences people have fought hard to bring acceptance to. Of course, his message is even more troubling than his language.

Trans people have been the subject of multiple moral panics for decades now, with the bathroom debate being at the forefront of discussions. The idea that trans folks are somehow more likely to commit crimes in a bathroom than cis people is not just unfounded — it’s actually the opposite of what is true. Trans people are far more likely to be victims of violent crime than perpetrators. One study found that 36% of “trans and non-binary students” with “restricted bathroom or locker room access reported being sexually assaulted” in a 12-month period. The bathroom debate falsely labels trans people as sexual deviants, causing extensive harm to already stigmatized communities. Proponents may claim they aren’t transphobic, yet worry about cis men “pretending” to be trans to infiltrate women’s spaces. This has been disproven so many times that the argument is negligible. Moreover, why should trans people take the blame for cisgender sexual predators? These offenders should face consequences, but they have nothing to do with your average trans person, nor are they significant in number.

The bathroom debate largely revolves around ideas of “protecting” school-aged children, but it is precisely this demographic that bathroom bans end up harming. This February, Nex Benedict, a trans teen in Oklahoma, was violently attacked in a girls’ bathroom. The next day, he collapsed at home and died later on in the hospital. Police are currently saying Nex’s injuries were unrelated to the cause of death, which is yet to be determined. However, the correlation is hard to ignore. Regardless of the cause, this event is undoubtedly related to Oklahoma’s bathroom ban, which denies trans people the right to use the bathroom they identify with. Nex was bullied extensively for being trans, and forcing him to use the girls’ bathroom was beyond dangerous and unjustifiable. He deserved better. Protecting children includes trans children, and we are failing them by even considering bathroom bans.

Poilievre either doesn’t recognize or willfully ignores that restricting trans people from their preferred bathroom leads to violence — not the other way around. The debate doesn’t just include gendered bathrooms, either. Some parents have expressed concern over an increasing number of gender neutral bathrooms across schools in Canada. Gendered bathrooms are generally outdated, lack privacy, and can exclude non-binary folks. Alternatively, Simon Fraser University has gender neutral bathrooms on the bottom floor of the Student Union Building. The space has multiple large single stalls with doors that extend down to the floor, and thick walls that reach the ceiling with no gaps. The privacy is better than what’s found in most public restrooms, and is certainly nothing to complain about.

An electoral candidate is the last person you’d want to see pushing baseless, fear-mongering rhetoric. Yet, it’s unfortunately and unsurprisingly on-par with Poilievre’s strategy, among many other Conservative party members. Amid his hubris, he also forgets trans people aren’t a monolith. To assume the Conservative voting base has no trans folks or allies is ignorant in itself, regardless of your political views. Hannah Hodson, a trans woman, is a former CPC candidate who expressed disappointment with Poilievre’s recent remarks. “What he has said today just further extends the idea that trans people are predators,” she told CTV News. It’s clear Poilievre has decided to appeal to his most extreme supporters, which involves tossing aside any and all remaining 2SLGBTQIA+ voters. His popularity should concern anyone who cares about equity, considering he currently has 40.6% of public support, compared to 23.8% for the Liberals and 21.9% for the NDP. If nothing changes, we can expect to see a Conservative majority government in 2025.

If you have the capacity to vote in the upcoming federal election, don’t convince yourself that your vote is unimportant. Research tells us young people are generally less likely to vote, but they also have significant voting power. Young people in Canada make up 40% of the federal vote, which is enough to sway an election. Remember that your employers are legally mandated to provide time off work to vote, and you can apply to vote by mail if you’re unable to visit a polling station. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot for the federal election will be released once the election is called. Your vote holds power, and can make or break equitable policies in Canada.

What Grinds Our Gears: Talking in class

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March 6, 2024

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A group of students talking in class — PHOTO: Yan Krukau / Pexels

By: Petra Chase, Arts & Culture Editor

I’ve had enough with students talking during class. No, I’m not bothered by asking for a pencil or page number — what makes my blood boil is students having full-on conversations while a teacher is giving a lesson. Unfortunately, my cutting glares haven’t accomplished much to stop this tribulation, except get my nervous system even more riled up. So, here’s to those who haven’t gotten the hint.

Look, I failed physics in high school, but even I know sound travels. You must be completely oblivious if you think your discussion doesn’t trickle down the rows in front of you. Also, dropping an octave isn’t the same thing as whispering — it actually makes your voice more distinct, with every voice crack delivering to every ear. Most of us didn’t trek all the way up the mountain to listen to you whine about how your latte is too milky. We came to learn, but that’s difficult with sounds coming from multiple directions, or worse, people trying to rope you into a conversation while you’re clearly trying to take notes.

I can’t think of any other scenario where having a separate conversation while someone is directly addressing you is acceptable. I genuinely want to know why some people come to class. Why not just start a podcast? At least then we won’t be forced to listen. Put yourself in your instructor’s shoes — you’re standing in front of a room of students whose eyes are glued to their devices . . . watching The Bee Movie. It’s another level of disrespect to have students so blatantly uninterested by laughing with the person next to them. The audacity I’ve witnessed is remarkable. I’ve seen students talk over other students sharing their insights or asking questions. This makes me nervous to raise my hand in class.

To all instructors: I wholeheartedly support you in calling these people out, if not for your sake, then for your students. And while you’re limiting distractions, feel free to ban Axe body spray.

Cartoons can be lighthearted

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March 6, 2024

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Moomin walking through flowers — PHOTO: Courtesy of Dennis Livson & Kindernet Entertainment Ltd

By: Michelle Young, Opinions Editor

Often, we might turn to teen or adult dramas in favour of complex stories and mature themes that resonate with older audiences. Some series, like Avatar: The Last Airbender, stay with us forever due to their emotional impact. As we come back to these series, we often have a deeper appreciation for their themes or complexities. There are countless series that have been praised for their duality of being enjoyed by both kids and adults. Typically, the argument goes that certain children’s series tackle serious issues — like racism or family life in The Proud Family and Arthur, and therefore, adults can take something from these messages, too. The assumption that themes like kindness or friendship are automatically too dull to be enjoyed by adults is flawed. Children’s series don’t need to have endless layers of depth to be entertaining.

As a child, I loved watching TV. One of my favourite shows was Pingu, a stop-motion animation from Switzerland about a mischievous penguin living in Antarctica. Typically, an episode features Pingu trying to play and avoid his chores — sometimes with consequences. He spits out his vegetables in the toilet and cries at inconveniences. The series is chaotic, but it’s hilarious and relatable how Pingu can represent our most childish desires. There is no deeper or hidden meaning, at its heart Pingu is just trying to teach kids responsibility, and it’s still enjoyable. In high school, I binged Shaun the Sheep, another stop-motion about animals, but I had a hard time getting my friends on board.

Throughout the pandemic, I’ve visited numerous children’s series as a form of relaxation and escapism. No real action, drama, or violence. I watched the first two seasons of Onegai My Melody — a Japanese series about stuffed animals coming into the real world to protect their dreams. There seems to be an endless hole of memes and video essays analyzing “The Stigma Against Hello Kitty Girls” and why “Everyone Hates Sanrio Girls.” This refers to an “attractive but emotionally unstable and potentially violent” girl who likes Sanrio or Hello Kitty merchandise. While there can be countless explanations for the rise of this judgement toward girls — such as sexism and mental health stigma — it also stems from being unable to believe that adults can enjoy innocent things aimed for children without some underlying meaning. While there have been countless valuable and scholarly cultural analyses of the love of Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters, it also shouldn’t be too difficult to believe that people like something because it brings them joy, and that’s all it needs to do.

With a sharp rise in reboots, many shows that were originally aimed toward children are trying to appeal to those same audiences, who have now become adults. While there’s nothing really wrong with that, it makes me wonder why there is a push to make something “more mature” so older audiences can enjoy it. The Proud Family reboot was criticized for mixing adult jokes with children’s humour, giving the impression it didn’t know who its audience was. As an adult, I don’t care for “adult humour” or mature plotlines all the time. Sometimes, I just want to escape adult life and jump into a world filled with stuffed animals.

Recently, I’ve started watching the Japanese ‘90s adaptation of Moomin, a series about round trolls who live in Moominvalley, where almost everyone is understanding of those around them, and the characters lay around to enjoy nature. I love being able to sit back and take a break from serious issues for a small chunk of my day. While there is lore and hidden messages slipped into the series, along with parallels to the author’s life and relationships — you don’t need to dig deeper if you don’t want to. Just like the other series mentioned, you can enjoy Moomin for what it is without doing any hardcore analysis. As I get older, I see more value in these kinds of series and actively seek them out. Adult life can arguably be more stressful and demanding than childhood, but shows like Moomin and Onegai My Melody allow us to delve into what it felt like to be a child — which is even more of a reason to be open-minded toward series aimed for children.

Children’s series don’t need to be complex or particularly thematic to be enjoyable. They don’t need to be justified — they can be silly, cute, light-hearted, and we can still love them for being just that.

SFU professor discusses risks of hypervisibility for Black trans community

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March 6, 2024

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This is a photo of a trans flag on a flagpole outside. — PHOTO: Shirlyn Zobayed / The Peak

By: Olivia Sherman, News Writer

Content warning: Racism, transphobia, sexual harassment, and violence.

Dr. Victoria Thomas is an assistant professor of media, communication, and public engagement in SFU’s School of Communication. Her research primarily focuses on the hypervisibility of different genders and sexualities, particularly the representation of Black trans women in media. Her newest seminar, Transformative Justice: A Revolutionary Praxis for Reducing Anti-Trans Sentiment, examined these ideas.

Thomas started her lecture discussing the state of visibility for trans women in media. She started by addressing trans actress Laverne Cox’s debut on the cover of TIME magazine in 2014. This was an act Thomas described as the beginning of a “new civil rights frontier.” While this initial visibility was beneficial for introducing the world to trans rights and issues, it quickly led to hypervisibility. Thomas estimated that by 2020, there was “proliferation of lots of trans women” in the media.

She explained, “hypervisibility doesn’t necessarily equate to something good.” Thomas noted a connection between an increase in Black trans women being on the covers of influential fashion magazines, like TIME, Sports Illustrated, and Vogue, and an increase in anti-trans laws and bans in the United States. She quoted Ahya Simone, a singer-songwriter, filmmaker, and Black trans woman from Detroit, Michigan: “Hypervisibility doesn’t always mean that people are safer. Hypervisibility can also make us vulnerable to violence.”

Harmony Rodriguez, a writer and editor for Black Girl Dangerous, explains hypervisibility of trans women can lead to scrutiny and an increased exposure to violence, especially for trans women of colour. Considering the population of Black trans women is fractionally small compared to the overall US population, hypervisibility can make them a target. Black trans women are at the forefront of violence, unemployment, incarceration, and houselessness in the United States due to marginalization and hostile political climates. Thomas described this intersectional violence against Black trans women as transmisogynoir, accounting for misogyny, anti-Black sentiments, and anti-trans sentiments.

Thomas explained the case of Kelly Stough, a 36-year-old Black trans woman, who was shot and killed by a pastor in 2018. The pastor, known for soliciting Black trans women for sexual favours, received an eight year prison sentence in 2023. “We have a system that is, once again, telling trans people that not only will we make it hard for you to live, but if you die, there are no consequences,” said Thomas. Judges and politicians interpret the law, but “they can only work within the system they are given.”

Thomas also cited a culture of vigilantism that creates paranoia surrounding trans people and communities. “One thing that hypervisibility has done is create this monolithic representation of trans women,” which people often act on. “A lot of the policing occurs if a person doesn’t neatly fit into what you think a man or a woman should do.”

She cited an incident in Kelowna, BC, where a man interrupted an elementary school track meet to demand a nine-year old girl take off her clothing to prove she wasn’t trans. While this particular child was cisgender, Thomas said this culture of vigilantism was to blame for the man’s behaviour, as he decided to police what he thought a girl or boy should look like.

This is where the concept of transformative justice comes into play. “The state has proven time and time again that they don’t have the resources, or they don’t have the actual power to effect real change [ . . . ] so, we have to build alternatives to these systems.” Transformative justice is an approach for responding to institutional violence that doesn’t rely on the government, while emphasising “healing, accountability, resilience, and safety for all,” according to the resource hub Transform Harm. Thomas said donating to organizations and initiatives to help Black trans women is vital. She mentioned QMUNITY, a resource centre for BC’s queer, transgender, and Two-Spirit people, as a source of donations and learning.

“You are either a part of the problem, or part of the solution,” Thomas said. “Neutrality is not accountability.”

Expert analyzes the rise of right-wing ideology in Europe

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March 6, 2024

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This is a photo of numerous European flags on flagpoles outside. — PHOTO: Antoine Schibler / Unsplash

By: Olivia Sherman, News Writer

Kurt Hübner is the chair of German and European studies at the University of British Columbia. His lecture with SFU, Europe on the Brink: The Rise of Right-Wing Populism, discussed the rising trends of right-wing ideology in Europe and some of the reasons these ideas and values are on the rise.

“Something is changing,” Hübner explained. “And it’s happening simultaneously: not in one country, but many countries in Europe.”

The concept of populism is, as Hübner explained, the idea that “society is separated into two homogenous groups: the ‘pure’ people, and the elites.” This group of elites aren’t necessarily in positions of political or economic power. As long as “you have a distinction between ‘them’ and ‘us,’” Hübner said, populist ideology is present.

According to Hübner, right-wing populists believe the outside group of elites are “causing all the problems,” and their goal is often to “protect the interests of the white, homogeneous, group of citizens in your country.” This is why many of the people deemed as an “other” in this equation are people of colour and marginalized members of European society, such as immigrants and refugees.

Hübner described the concept of a “polycrisis,” where so many problems are happening simultaneously, and it creates a sense of stress on people and their governments. This stress can lead people to “find fast and easy answers” within political parties and ideologies that seemingly answer any problems that arise. These are the right-wing populist parties Hübner speaks of, who “claim to speak in the name of the ‘pure’ people, and they identify the causes or the problems [ . . . ] that are produced or caused by the elites,” such as issues with the economy, migration, climate change, and the ongoing energy crisis in Europe. While “democracies are dying slowly,” these autocratic parties are growing in number and in support.

An example of this, Hübner explained, is Sweden’s stance on immigration. Sweden introduced “extremely harsh laws” that restrict “any kind of refugee status” for newcomers to the country. Refugees are aware of this, Hübner said, and apply for asylum elsewhere.

“It’s also this kind of policy of, ‘We keep us safe, we keep our interests safe, we build this kind of wall around us, and others have to deal with the problem’ [ . . . ] that’s very much the policy of these rising populist parties.”

Hübner used the example of Germany’s Alternative for Germany party, a right-wing political party that originally stemmed from its stance against the euro as Germany’s currency. In recent years, the party has taken an increasingly right-wing and militant approach against immigration. The bloc has a current electoral sitting of 22% in Germany.

“About half of the global population has the opportunity to hand in their vote in an election,” in 2024. “I try to make the case that you don’t need those right-wing populist parties in government [ . . . ] I don’t think Europe is on the brink, but what I try to show you is that it’s moving toward it.”

Pitching technical difficulties

By

Peak Web

-

March 6, 2024

0

A bored team on Zoom, watching their boss get their hair done while staring blankly at the screen — ILLUSTRATION: Jill Baccay / The Peak

By: Hailey Miller, Staff Writer

On a not-so-typical Thursday morning that quickly turned into an afternoon, staff members of The Peak sat down like any old day for their weekly online pitch meeting . . . but this time, with no Editor-in-Chief (EiC) in sight.

Pitching shenanigans are supposed to start promptly at 11:30 in the morning, and end around noon, as they do any other Thursday. But, as you can probably tell, this wasn’t exactly close to any other Thursday. Us staff writers and editors eagerly logged in to our work accounts to get our pitch fix on and scoop up our must-have weekly quotas! To our surprise, we were greeted by a screen full of blank boxes with everyone’s names except for one. The most important of them all . . . drumroll please . . . the EiC! For someone whose job revolves around pitching punctuality, our boss clearly had more important priorities.

Nevertheless, like the good employees we are, we waited. We sat in silence. Devices muted, screens turned off. We twiddled our thumbs, staring at blank spaces of walls and windows to pass the time. Of course, none of us were bold enough to turn on our mics and ask where Ms. Boss was, or even poke her in the group chat, like she always does for anyone who needs a little reminder. What a silly goose!

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of silence, she showed up . . . on her phone, with the crappiest reception possible. And where exactly might she be joining the virtual meeting from, you ask? Well, none other than the hair salon, obviously! With bleached hair and her head still in the sink, us staff couldn’t hear a damn thing from her phone speaker as she began to justify her whereabouts and the superior importance of getting her hair done before heading off to this year’s student journalism conference that weekend. Okay, little mermaid! I guess, in that case, we’ll let it slide since she’s gotta look snazzy with some nice, new hair to show off and stand out as she represents our entire work crew at the national conference. And, I mean, we are talking bright red hair, people!

So, the EiC was late to her own meeting after spending countless hours in the salon chair with enough technical difficulties to give a vintage computer a run for its money. She was so muffled, we wondered if her phone was being rinsed in the water alongside her hair. Once she figured out we couldn’t hear her, the entire meeting was, therefore, dubbed to be typed in chat.

So, anywho, we are now on a tight schedule, and the meeting’s barely started. As is every old Thursday, the EiC can’t get by without a burning ice-breaker question to kick the meeting into gear. By this point, we’re all half asleep but had to answer a question so bizarre we hardly remembered it as it left her mouth. Then comes the sports editor’s time to answer, but once again, we hear . . . silence. Dead air. A blank screen. Nothing in the chat, either. Do we not get the dignity of a response from . . . anyone?

Our news editor barely finished the last sentence of her weekly pitches and had to dip out faster than it took to get the meeting started since it went so far overtime it clearly ran into other pressing priorities. We had taken it upon ourselves to attempt to turn our mics on to speed up the process, but between technical difficulties and audio cutting out, this hot mess express went from bad to worse in one click of a page refresh.

Half the pitches weren’t even brought up in what turned out to be a very unproductive meeting since the EiC’s muffled, half-working phone could not type out list after list of pitches. Did we actually have section editors or were they blank screens? Was our EiC replaced with a 15-year-old rockstar who forgot she was, in fact, our boss? Fashionably late, as always! What a diva.

Between figuring out who should speak up, to who should unmute, to who couldn’t even see the screen or use the chat, and finally, to those of us who just sat there in silence, this meeting was a shipwreck from start to finish. The chaos ensued from the late minutes of the morning to the overtime we didn’t get paid for far into the wee hours of noon! We were truly in the trenches. Maybe next time we’ll send her a little poke in chat!

The EiC of The Peak was found running away from the pitch meeting, clutching the editors. Will we ever see her again?

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