Human Rights
The queer agenda is solidarity
November 8, 2025By: Noeka Nimmervoll, Staff Writer and Zainab Salam, Opinions Editor Like many other communities, the queer community experiences marginalization that intersects with various social issues. Some of those issues are related to mental health, poverty, race, and physical ability. Because systems of oppression politicize queer and trans existence, the community’s activism must be rooted in a broader fight for justice. The term “queer agenda” has been used for fearmongering to deepen distrust of queer and trans folk, and spread the idea that the goal of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community is to coerce people into joining their so-called “deviant” lifestyles. However, the…
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Understanding Bill C-2
July 21, 2025By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer For many, the newly proposed Bill C-2 (also known as the Strong Borders Act) is cause for concern. According to a joint press release, it has received pushback from over 300 organizations. The federal government…
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Section 33 of the Canadian Charter lets the government legally violate your rights
February 4, 2025By: Yildiz Subuk, Staff Writer Section 33, also known as the notwithstanding clause under the Canadian Charter of Rights and freedom, allows the provincial and federal government to override certain components of one’s human rights. When section 33 is invoked,…
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Unhoused residents of Vancouver parks subjected to discrimination
January 15, 2024By: Olivia Sherman, News Writer Since 2018, Fiona York has dedicated her time to advocating for some of Vancouver’s most vulnerable populations. Unhoused residents of Vancouver parks, such as CRAB Park and Oppenheimer Park, are subjected to street sweeps, exposure…
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International human rights lawyer discusses genocide and conflict
November 22, 2023By: Olivia Sherman, News Writer Content warning: mentions of violence and genocide. Payam Akhavan is an international human rights lawyer and special advisor to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). He’s best known for his work with the…
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Attorney Neri Colmenares speaks on the growing fascism in the Philippines
November 2, 2023By: Izzy Cheung, staff writer On October 17, SFU Harbour Centre set the stage for “Defending Human Rights: Resistance Against the Growing Fascism in the Philippines,” an event that explained the political and economic climate of the Philippines. Headlining the…
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By Us, For Us reports pressing circumstances faced by BC sex workers
May 16, 2023By: Eden Chipperfield, News Writer The By Us, For Us project surveyed over 200 sex workers across Metro Vancouver and Southern Vancouver Island; it highlights essential topics like the COVID-19 pandemic, the criminalization of sex work, the ongoing overdose crisis,…
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Political Corner: Romina Ashrafi’s murder in Iran could have been prevented
June 28, 2020By: Kelly Grounds, Peak Associate In late May of this year, Romina Ashrafi, age 14, ran away from her home in Iran to be with her boyfriend. The decision came after Ashrafi’s father objected to their marriage. After running away, the…
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Election rundown: Scheer’s unclear stance on same-sex marriage and abortion leaves voters confused
September 15, 2019By: Kelly Grounds, Peak Associate The October 21 federal election is fast approaching and the party campaigns are heating up. The Liberals have taken aim at the Conservatives by pulling up old videos of party leader Andrew Scheer. These videos…
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Discrimination and harassment complaints on the rise on campus
July 10, 2017The number of cases of discrimination and harassment brought forward to the SFU administration spiked by 13.5% last year, with the largest portion of complaints surrounding the accommodation of disabilities. A report by the SFU Human Rights Office, which is…
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