Capilano Courier | Vol 54, Issue 2 by Capilano Courier

OCTOBER 2021

VOLUME 54

ISSUE NO.2

EST. 1968–2021

from the editor’s desk

Kat Savard (She/they)

Stable Housing is a Right — A Better Plan for Future Pandemics

Contributor

2SLGBTQQIA+: Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and/or Gender Diverse or Non-binary. Being ‘in the closet’ negatively impacts both a student’s academic success and overall mental health. Historically, 2SLGBTQQIA+ persons have often been displaced from their original homes and have had to build new ‘chosen’ families with other 2SLGBTQQIA+ and allied persons, because of the discrimination that they face. Universities play an important role in a student’s ability to connect with like-minded individuals, as well as present a unique opportunity to model safe and equitable housing. Access to safe, stable housing is regarded as an indicator of post-secondary student success. However, due to ongoing discrimination, housing instability is a common issue for 2SLGBTQQIA+ persons, particularly as these students pursue their academic futures. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this issue. A study by The Point Foundation, The Williams Institute and The University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law found that almost 50 percent of 2SLGBTQQIA+ students who have had to move back home with families during the pandemic, are not ‘out’ to said families. Without access to safer places, we will only continue to see academic and mental health outcomes for 2SLGBTQQIA+ students stagnate and decline. When planning for future crises, universities can and should be providing housing options — not only for 2SLGBTQQIA+ students, but for students in other marginalized groups who are unable to return to their original homes. Capilano University and other post-secondary institutions must apply forward thinking in planning for future pandemic possibilities. They may do so by investing in housing and supporting 2SLGBTQQIA+ and other marginalized student groups impacted by housing insecurity find secure, safe, and affirming housing. Doing this will ensure that the negative learning outcomes associated with housing instability are reduced, and positive learning outcomes will be accessible to all students.

FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK

STAFF

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DESIGN DIRECTOR

NEWS EDITOR

PRODUCTION ARTIST

INDIGENOUS EDITOR

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

COMMUNITIES EDITOR

BUSINESS MANAGER

FEATURES EDITOR

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Alisha Samnani (She/Her) @alishawsamnani editor@capilanocourier.com

Bridget Stringer-Holden (She/Her) @bridget_sh news@capilanocourier.com

CULTURE EDITOR

Emma Mendez (She/Her) culture@capilanocourier.com

OPINIONS EDITOR

Jayde Atchison (She/Her) opinions@capilanocourier.com

COLUMNS EDITOR

Valeriya Kim (She/Her) @valerochkim design@capilanocourier.com

Sara Nguyen (She/Her) @sarasnnguyen production@capilanocourier.com

Gaby Salas (She/Her) business@capilanocourier.com

Andrea Gallardo (She/Her) @andreagallardoval communications@capilanocourier.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Alexis Zygan, Andie Bjornsfelt, Hassan Merali, Kat Savard, Matt Shipley, Mayumi Izumi, Rain Marie

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS Ethan Woronko, Mikaela Johnson, Sharleen Ramos, Sophie Young, Tal Rouck

FEATURED ARTISTS

Anna Tsybulnyk, Annie Chang, Emma Sun, Graeme Duckett, Liann Huang, Mia Canderan

COVER ART

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Valeriya Kim

COLUMNIST PORTRAITS Valeriya Kim

STAFF |

CONTENT

NEWS CapU On-Campus Residence Housing Project Approved . . . . . . . . . . 08 The Capilano Students’ Union Turns 50 Series #1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

COMMUNITIES CSIS and Academia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Global Narratives: Home is Where You Make Your Nest, Not Where You Came From. . . . . . . . . 22

INDIGENOUS Birth Alerts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Indigenous Filmmaking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

FEATURES The Really Gay History Tour: Breathing Life into the Lost Stories of 2SLGBTQQIA+ People. . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

CULTURE An Interview with Savannah Read. . . 32 Modern Witchcraft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 How Doc Martens Became a Staple in Lesbian’s Closets. . . . . . . . . 36

COLUMNS

Aesthetic Autumn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

The Unbeaten Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 QUEERies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

OPINIONS Should we cancel cancel-culture?. . . 42 Assuming Only Makes an Ass Out of You. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Vax 4 Vax. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Just Because J-Lo Did, Doesn’t Mean You Should. . . . . . . . . . . 46 Out of Office or Out of Motivation?. . . 48

CONTENT |

NEWS

CAPU ON-CAMPUS RESIDENCE HOUSING PROJECT APPROVED

The new 360-bed residence located on the north side of campus is set to open in 2024 BRIDGET STRINGER-HOLDEN (SHE/HER) News Editor

The current residence buildings are located on Old Dollarton Road, where Capilano University (CapU) rents the former boarding school from Darwin Properties. It is at capacity, with all 390 beds full prior to the pandemic, and waitlist numbers surpassing 200 students. The lease is set to expire in 2022, and while CapU hopes to continue renting, it all depends on Darwin. CapU originally submitted their proposal in the Spring of 2020, and the District of North Vancouver approved the housing project in June of this year. Construction is expected to take about two years to complete, and the 1.5 acre site will be located in the Northern part of the campus, where Parking Lot 2 currently resides. The building will be six stories, the bottom being a 200-person dining hall – with a kitchen able to accommodate 500 students in case of expansions to the housing building – as well as spaces for studying and doing laundry. The other five floors will comprise 50 single dorm rooms and 155 double-occupancy rooms. Originally, the proposal included an underground parking lot, however, it was decided that the existing parking lots would be able to sustain both the students in residence and those who commute. There will be 1,223 parking spaces on campus, meaning a net loss of 220 spots. However, only 65 per cent of the campus parking was occupied — even during peak times — according to a staff report. The new work from home and mixed mode styles of teaching and learning also apparently means that up to 40 per cent staff and students will no longer be commuting. Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) President Maia Lomelino (she/they), who describes her part of their job as acting like a bridge between the CSU and the university, thinks that the new student housing will have a positive impact on student life. CapU has always had a commuter culture, where students come for in person classes, and then go back home. “Even if they live in residence, they’re going back there, and any social things are going to happen there too,” they said, “I think that it will be a little easier to reach more students if they live on campus.” The CSU’s role in this has been consultative, helping the university understand what students might need in terms of housing. Lomelino says the CSU is hoping to be consulted throughout the project as they have direct access to students to know what they want and need.

“So far we are quite happy with what was presented,” says Lomelino, noting that accessibility needs were taken into consideration from what they saw of the planning. Two improvements that the CSU would like to see is the addition of rooms for families to use when visiting—especially for international students—and family units where students with kids or spouses could live. Although Lomelino knows that this probably isn’t going to be included, it’s definitely something that they deemed necessary for the future. Another crucial accessibility aspect is the affordability of student housing. The new building is set to be about ten per cent under market rate, or more if possible. The CSU is an advocate for affordable housing and finds this so important for students because there are so many other costs to account for, such as tuition fees and the inability to have a full-time job while studying. “It's crucial that student housing has a price that is lower than the market value—otherwise it's not going to be accessible to students at all,” says Lomelino. There is provincial advocacy currently underway in the fight to include student housing as part of the Tenancy Act, as there’s no actual rules or rights for students in residence. The CSU is part of the Alliance of BC Students, a provincial advocacy group that joins multiple student unions in B.C. Understanding that many students don’t or can’t live on campus, the CSU also hosts workshops to ensure everyone is informed of their tenancy rights and to help students navigate finding housing and understanding and abiding by the Residential Tenancy Act. “There isn't much more that we can do, unfortunately, because of budget,” explained Lomelino. “But what we try to do is empower students, let them know their rights, and that we are here to help them. If we can't do anything directly, we can at least point them in the right direction and lobby for better housing.”

NEWS |

THE CAPILANO STUDENTS’ UNION TURNS 50 SERIES #1 Past members of the executive reflect upon their time at the CSU, how it’s changed, and what they hope for its future BRIDGET STRINGER-HOLDEN (SHE/HER) News Editor MIKAELA JOHNSON (SHE/HER) Illustrator

Emily Bridge (she/her) Bridge was part of the CSU (Capilano Students' Union) from June 2019 to May 2021. She first served as the President and Vice-President of Equity & Sustainability, and then the following year only served as the President as there was a restructuring of the executive committee to make the president a standalone position in the fall of 2019. The aspects she considered the most rewarding that she helped accomplish have been “the establishment of a new strategic plan which [she thinks] is really forwardthinking and ambitious for a student union, and the amount of financial support [the CSU] mobilized for students in the past year.” She mentioned that it’s been a turbulent couple of years, but that the CSU has worked hard to advocate for students, support CapU’s (Capilano University)'s device loaner program, and make emergency financial aid available for all students, including international students who were unable to access government aid. They also established another scholarship and two bursaries—one to support trans, two-spirit and non-binary students, and another for Black students. “It was a real honour to be a part of that work,” she said. “I'm really grateful that I could be a part of it, if only for a brief time.” One of the biggest challenges that Bridge experienced—other than the pandemic

| NEWS

where there were so many pressing needs and advocacy priorities making it difficult to balance workload and wellness—was having students be seen as experts in their own experience. “When I became president, I was in my mid-20s, but I still felt like I was treated as a child at times,” she said. “I heard other folks at the university speak about students as if we didn't have agency, autonomy, and the ability to make our own decisions and take responsibility for those decisions like grown-ass adults (sorry for the language). I think that will continue to be a challenge, for students and student activists, advocates, and organizations to be taken seriously, because we kind of have good ideas,” she chuckled.

“One of the biggest challenges that Bridge experienced...was having students be seen as experts in their own experience." A lesson that she learned during her term was the importance of clear and kind communication to make sure everyone feels valued. “Especially when things get tough, you have to keep finding a way to keep lines of communication open,” said Bridge. “That and to use each other's strengths— when you're working in a collective or with a group of folks, we all bring gifts.”

NEWS |

FEATURED ART

LIANN HUANG @liann.huang

FEATURED ART

INDIGENOUS

PARENTS SUBJECTED TO BIRTH ALERTS REPRESENTED IN NEW CLASS ACTION Vancouver-based f irm CFM f iles class action against Government of B.C.’s MCFD for parents subjected to "illegal and unconstitutional" birth alerts in the province ALISHA SAMNANI (SHE/HER) Editor-in-Chief ETHAN WORONKO (HE/HIM) Illustrator

Warning: The information here may trigger unpleasant feelings or thoughts of past abuse. Please contact the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419 for support. Indigenous parents in British Columbia that have been subjected to birth alerts are now represented in a proposed class action lawsuit filed through the B.C Supreme Court in September 2021.

government lawyers advised the MCFD that issuing birth alerts was "illegal and unconstitutional" the impact of unexpectedly and forcefully having your newborn child removed from your care is long lasting.

In B.C., ‘birth alerts’—something practiced by the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD)—were issued by social workers when they felt that an expectant parent would put their newborn at risk. These alerts involved sharing personal information of these expectant parents without their consent. Once a newborn arrived, hospital workers would inform the social workers, who would often apprehend or remove the child immediately after the birth.

Due to the ongoing impacts of systemic racism and colonial structures, Indigenous children represent over two-thirds of all children in care in B.C.—despite only accounting for 10 per cent of all youth under 14 in the province.

It's a practice that was cited in the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls as "racist and discriminatory and a gross violation of the rights of the child, the mother, and the community." In addition, it's a practice that disproportionately affects Indigenous women. According to government records obtained by Indiginews, birth alerts in B.C. lead to infant apprehensions 28 per cent of the time. In 2018, 58 per cent of parents impacted by these alerts were Indigenous. Although B.C. is one of many provinces said to have formally abandoned the practice—although not until 14

Camp Fiorante Matthews Mogerman LLP (CFM), the Vancouver-based firm who filed the class action, alleges that birth alerts are "a product of the state's colonialist and paternalistic attitude," which are "grounded in discriminatory assumptions regarding which individuals are likely to be neglectful or abusive parents." CFM is working alongside Indigenous-owned and operated firm Semanganis Worme Lombard (SWL) to ensure a trauma-informed process. SWL is also working on a class action against the forced sterilization of Indigenous women across Canada. While birth alerts are said to no longer be a thing in B.C., what tangible steps have been taken to ensure that no newborn — or their families — fall through the cracks? This is a developing story and will be updated online at capilanocourier.com as more information becomes available.

INDIGENOUS |

FROM THE ARCHIVES*

INDIGENOUS FILMMAKING Taking a closer look into the Independent Indigenous Digital Filmmaking Diploma at CapU MEGAN HELIN Contributor

“Hello, my name is Sachenne Littlefeather, I’m Apache and […] I’m representing Marlon Brando this evening, and he asked me to tell you in a very long speech which I cannot share with you presently because of time… but he very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award. And the reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry.”

| INDIGENOUS

In 1973, The Godfather lead actor Marlon Brando asked Native American Activist Sacheene Littlefeather to represent him and refuse his Oscar for Best Actor. Littlefeather was forced to give this brief speech when the Oscars got word of their intent, banning her the original speech written by Brando and threatened her if she went forward with it that evening on stage. For decades, Indigenous people have been portrayed in a single narrative, otherwise known as Pan-Indigeneity, created by Hollywood for fame and monetary gain. Lumping every Indigenous person (First Nation, “Indian,” Aboriginal) into one pile and only ever referring to them as “The Savage,” “The Indian Princess,” or “The Warrior.” To be Indigenous—based upon the harmful single narrative created by Hollywood—you must be red skinned, with long flowing Raven hair in braids, and wear a headdress with turquoise around your neck and wrists—as if every Indigenous person is either of Mohawk of Navajo descent. The Indigenous Independent Digital Filmmaking (IIDF) Program at Capilano University (CapU) began in 1999 in the Northwest Territories “when Northern Native Broadcasting applied to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and were successful in getting a license to broadcast,” said Gregory Coyes, Metis/Cree of St. Albert, Alberta and faculty at CapU within IIDF and Motion Picture Arts. After success with broadcasting in a number of arctic communities of Canada, they later applied for a national networking license that became the network Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) that broadcasts to this day. In the creation of APTN, it was noted there was a need for Indigenous people in film to help run these Aboriginal networks and the conception of IIDF was born. The program eventually found its way to CapU in the 2000s. With successors like Peter Crass, Jackson Crick, and Doreen Manuel. Gregory Coyes is the current Program Coordinator for the students of IIDF. He works alongside fellow Indigenous instructors and Allies to educate Indigenous students in the history of their people in film, while training them in industry standard practices to take with them when they graduate from the program. IIDF is the only program in Canada and one of two in North America to offer a diploma program that can lead to a Bachelor’s Degree for Indigenous film students. The IIDF includes graduates like Jessie Anthony, Petie Chalifoux, Michel Auger, and Jay Cardinal Villeneuve who have since entered the film industry and are highly regarded in their craft. They inspire fellow Indigenous people and finally represent them in film with respect—unlike in decades past. IIDF faculty and students work hard to ensure that the treatment of Indigenous people within the film industry, both on and off the screen, never again allows unjust representation, treatment and erasure. “I feel so comfortable being around people who know what my culture is and understand the fact of how important it is,” said first year IIDF student, Sunshine Waterworth of the Squamish Nation. Indigenous peoples have always been present in film and will continue to be in the future. This time, however, they will be holding the camera, writing the screenplay and editing the footage.

* This article was originally published in the November 2020 issue of the Capilano Courier.

INDIGENOUS |

THE COURIER IS HIRING AN INDIGENOUS EDITOR Responsible for assigning and editing news stories on a wide variety of topics from an Indigenous lens. Oversees editing and writing quality of the Indigenous section. Requires editing and writing experience, as well as knowledge and interest in a range of local and current topics. Must have the ability to convey information in a clear, concise and conversational manner. Strong research skills, including the ability to navigate online search engines, are mandatory. Must have the ability to interact professionally and build strong relationships with sources. Strong social media skills/experience is preferred. Required to attend Monday staff meetings, Tuesday pitch meetings and Friday proofreading sessions. Position is paid. Email editor@capilanocourier.com with your resume, cover letter, and writing samples to apply. 18

WE'RE HIRING

THE COURIER IS HIRING A COMMUNITIES EDITOR Oversees editing and writing quality of the Communities section. Requires writing and editing experience and an understanding of global issues. Must have the ability to convey information in a clear, concise and conversational manner. Strong research skills, including the ability to navigate online search engines, are mandatory. Must have the ability to interact professionally and build strong relationships with sources. Strong social media skills/experience is preferred. Required to attend Monday staff meetings and Friday proofreading sessions. Position is paid. Email editor@capilanocourier.com with your resume, cover letter, and writing samples to apply.

WE'RE HIRING

COMMUNITIES FROM THE ARCHIVES*

CSIS AND ACADEMIA Not a Cold War but a cold shoulder NIROSH SARAVANAN Contributor VALERIYA KIM Design Director

Old habits die hard when it comes to foreign policy in this country. Canada finds itself in the middle of a stand-off between the US and China. Much like a small boat between two ships, Canada will have to find a way to stay afloat while the two pass by. This will depend on both Canada’s relations with the two powers and its relations with other countries. Ultimately, Canada must start to diversify its trade agreements in order to stay competitive in the global field and exert its role as a middle power. One thing that has gotten in the crossfire is the academic cooperation between the two countries. An example is how the Thousand Talents Plan (TTP) is being used to attract academic talent, primarily to help with topics relating to economic and military advantage. For Canada, this is becoming an increasingly fine line to walk given the deteriorating relations between the two countries. This could not have come at a worse time as the COVID-19 pandemic requires greater collaboration between countries than before. What could have been an opportunity to pull the world together against a common foe has been mired in scandal and controversy. This led to many countries starting to pull away from the international community and starting to focus on their own interest. This has put further strain on both relationships with both China and the US. While there are benefits to trading with China, such as the large amount of capital or demand for resources, its recent behavior has shown that it is better to keep them at arm’s length. Currently, relations have been strained following the detention of two Canadian citizens following the arrest

of a Huawei executive, which has been described as “an act of hostage diplomacy.” China’s refusal to follow diplomatic norms in this incident highlight the need to keep a distance from China diplomatically. So where to go from here? As Ken Moak points out for CGTN, a Chinese state run media outlet, “Canada can find alternative markets, but it needs many to replace China.” The same applies for the US as well, since they make up to 75 per cent of Canadian exports. This brings us to the fact that Canada should start to strengthen their relations with both established and emerging markets.This way, Canada could reduce its dependence on the major powers. As well, Canada does not need to be hostile towards China, but should know when to put its foot down. Mutual respect between the two countries is required before anything productive can happen. There are many other fields outside of defence where both parties can find mutual benefit. But this comes with the paradox that the “scientific collaboration is not about advancing science, it is to advance China’s national security interests.” What should be made clear is that this is a conflict of economic power between the US and China instead of an ideological one like during the Cold War. Because Canada has relations with both powers, it will have to tread lightly until China starts shifting away from national security and towards scientific advancement as an end in and of itself.

* This article was originally published in the November 2020 issue of the Capilano Courier.

COMMUNITIES |

FROM THE ARCHIVES*

GLOBAL NARRATIVES: HOME IS WHERE YOU MAKE YOUR NEST, NOT WHERE YOU CAME FROM ANNALISSE CROSSWELL Contributor

| COMMUNITIES

On a casual trip to Safeway on a rainy Tuesday morning to grab a few supplies, I looked at my phone to see a message from our Columns Editor. She said that there’s a need for an international perspective this week, and she asked if I would be willing to throw something together. My first thought was that I was rather insulted she thought of me for this piece, but then again I did announce to the entire office that I’m from New Zealand during my first week on the job. There’s no question, I am an international student and my tuition statements are enough to make you Canadians hold on tightly to your wallets. But I’ve never really thought of myself that way. I moved to Canada at the age of 20 on my own dime, ready to find a job and build some sort of a life for myself. I definitely wasn’t expecting to stay as long as I have, and yet I never came here to be a tourist. After all, half my family is Canadian and therefore I must have some right to call myself more Canadian than the average immigrant, right? As far as I see it, there are people who come to Canada – or go to other countries – to engage with people from their home countries, do the touristy stuff like take pictures of the Gastown steam clock and learn as little as possible about the local spots. And then there are people like me – overly invested in their ability to pass as a Canadian, eager to learn about anything that may enhance the ability to pass and ready to leave their homeland behind in the dust. I’m so invested in this endeavour that I know a little about hockey despite the fact that I hate watching sports and, at least in my early days, insisted that seeing places like Surrey was a part of knowing the true experience of Greater Vancouver. So when Rachel fired back at me that I could talk about how I dealt with homesickness from an international student’s perspective, I again shied away from the topic. As far as I’m concerned, Vancouver is home, and homesickness has never been my battle. Even when I first arrived in Vancouver with no friends (aside from one notable roommate who featured in every blog post

I wrote at the time), no money, and I subsisted on a combination of ham sandwiches and Pop Tarts. These things never made me miss home,as in New Zealand, though. Instead, they made me wonder where in the world I would find that feeling of home, or, if we’re being honest here, the feeling of belonging that we look for in a home if one place doesn’t work out. When things started to look up six months after I moved to Vancouver, I took a trip to Los Angeles with the aforementioned roommate to celebrate my 21st birthday. That’s when I started to miss home for the first time – as in Vancouver this time. That was the first time in my life that I truly felt that feeling of being happy to be home after a vacation. It was another year and a half before I started at Capilano University in order to maintain my life in Canada. I suppose this is what makes the labels feel like they don’t fit. Because I lived here without much help from, or contact with, my family and friends in New Zealand for two years prior to returning to school, I didn’t want to ask my parents for the tuition money I needed because that would degrade my standing as a person who had moved overseas to make a life in their own right. When I’m referred to as an international student I associate it with kids whose parents are paying their way through school and who don’t have to jump through so many hurdles. This is obviously far from the reality for many international students, but somehow, with a small and accurate label, I find my independent struggle to become a Canadian, and live a life in Canada, being disenfranchised.

* This article was originally published in the November 2020 issue of the Capilano Courier.

COMMUNITIES |

GRAEME DUCKETT @duckett.art

FEATURED ART

FEATURES

THE REALLY GAY HISTORY TOUR: BREATHING LIFE INTO THE LOST STORIES OF 2SLGBTQQIA+ PEOPLE Take a Walk Through Vancouver’s Hidden 2SLGBTQQIA+ History RAIN MARIE (SHE/THEY) Contributor VALERIYA KIM (SHE/HER) Design Director

2SLGBTQQIA+: Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and/or Gender Diverse or Non-binary At the corner of Hornby and Georgia streets, before it housed the Vancouver Art Gallery, lived a courthouse surrounded by an ever-growing Queer History. Despite this courthouse being the site of many arrests that targets both 2SLGBTQQIA+ and BIPOC individuals over the crime of Buggery - meaning the act of Anal and Oral sex performed by penetration - the streets surrounding became epicentre for 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. The streets surrounding the courthouse were filled with many hotels, some of which are still standing today, such as Hotel Vancouver and Castle Pub. But it wasn’t the hotels themselves that made this area so interesting, it was what was underneath them. In the early to mid-20th-century, hotel bars had a very particular quality to them: they were separated into sections based on one's gender assigned to them at birth. The “men's” section of these bars allowed only men to enter, whereas the women were women only or women being accompanied by their husbands. This, although originally designed to promote respectable and chaste behaviour, created a space for gay men to meet each other without fear of suspicion. Each of these surrounding hotel bars had its own specific niches and parts of the community that they connected to. For example, Hotel Vancouver housed a nightlife for a lot of Gay Men whereas Castle Pub created some more space for Transgender people and Drag Queens. Unfortunately, these new safe spaces did not come

without discrimination of their own within them. Gay Men who frequented Hotel Vancouver were very against anything that drew attention to them, so they did not appreciate Trans people, Drag Queens, or People of Colour entering their space. There was also very little space for Queer Women in these bars as men were free to enter their space provided they were escorting their wives. For years Vancouver’s 2SLGBTQQIA+ has been pushed aside, hidden and actively erased from the public eye. Vancouver has long been a mecca for Queer activism, communities, and art, but, many people, both in the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community and outside of it, remain unaware of its deep history. Forbidden History Walking Tours, which you can find at forbiddenwalkingtours.ca, is a Vancouverbased tour company that focuses on the “forbidden” history of Vancouver and making history that was wiped away, accessible to the public. Glenn Tkatch the Head Storyteller of the Really Gay History Tour designed this tour in 2017. Tkatch started this tour as he “knew that queer history would be a perfect fit for [Forbidden Vancouver], and [he] also suspected that there was a real hunger for this subject matter”. It is an interactive history tour that travels from Vancouver City Center Station to Davies Street with the intention of getting Vancouver locals and people visiting Vancouver better acquainted with the long-buried history of 2SLGBTQQIA+ people in Vancouver. Tkatch and Forbidden History Walking Tours teach us about powerful and influential members of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ that we would not get the chance

FEATURES |

to otherwise learn about such as ted northe, Gaétan Dugas, Bruce Smyth & Jim Deva, and Jamie Lee Hamilton. Empress of Canada, as titled by the International Imperial Court System (a grassroots network of drag queens); ted northe was and gay civil rights activist and drag queen active in Vancouver in the ’50s to ’60s. ted northe was known for his activism, an unlikely friendship with Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, and his work inspiring the eventual passing of bill C-150 decriminalizing homosexuality. Walking down to St. Paul’s Hospital, Tkatch teaches us about the gross mistreatment of Gaétan Dugas by the government and his community after being The act storytelling, particularly incorrectly titled Patient 0 for G.R.I.D or HIV. Heading Davies street, the telling of Queer stories, is hugely towards Tkatch takes us to the old important to Tkatch as it is location of Little Sister’s Book & Art Emporium, “To understand, in specific terms, what Co-Owned by Bruce Smyth & Jim Deva. Little Sister’s is the tradition that I belong to? What is Book & Art Emporium is an 2SLGBTQQIA+ hub and my heritage? What is my legacy? To be store that survived through three years of harassment from able to understand your own identity in the Canadian Government through Candian Customs the context of a tradition, of an ongoing and a series of anti-gay terrorist attacks on the story that you are part of, is really bookstore. Finishing up at Jim Deva Plaza, the tour important to understanding yourself.” participants learn about Jamie Lee Hamilton, an advocate for Indigenous people, the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, and Sex Workers. In 1970 she was one of the first medically acknowledged Trans Women and one of the first youth treated for “gender identity disorder”. She was also a Sex Worker who operated out of Davies Street and fought to keep Pimps out of sex work. The Canadian government has an unfortunate habit of trying to effectively erase any parts of history they consider grim, dark, dirty, and especially anything that casts them in a darker light. Our community has seen this in the erasure of Indigenous history and abuse, silencing of immigrants, and forcing the stories of 2SLGBTQQIA+ people back into the closet.

FEATURES

Forbidden History Walking Tours was created to find these stories and breathe new life and value into them by passing them back into the mouths and hearts of the public. The act storytelling, particularly the telling of Queer stories, is hugely important to Tkatch as it is “To understand, in specific terms, what is the tradition that I belong to? What is my heritage? What is my legacy? To be able to understand your own identity in the context of a tradition, of an ongoing story that you are part of, is really important to understanding yourself.” Story Tellers such as Tkatch uncover these stories through extensive research and one of the best and oldest ways that stories get passed on, by talking to the people who lived through these moments in history. Storytelling is the oldest form of immortality and our memories are one of the most powerful tools we have. No matter how hard one tries to erase and silence a community they cannot erase the words and memories of someone who was there. Passing down stories from generation to generation keeps people’s actions and impact alive long past their death. It allows future generations to know who came before them and how their efforts created the world we get to live in now and how we can protect, respect, and further their progress. The act of keeping the story alive also helps our society grow and heal rather than end up stuck repeating progress that has been lost or forgotten through the passage of time. Organizations such as Forbidden History Walking Tours are so important as they help us keep the past alive and valued and help us progress into a stronger, more just society. The Really Gay History Tour is a wonderful and accessible opportunity to learn about Vancouver History that the Government and Schooling have previously denied us access to. It runs every Sunday at 10 am rain or shine and takes around two hours to complete for 32$ for adults and 29$ for Students and Seniors. It is an incredible way to spend a morning and learn detailed recounts of previously lost 2SLGBTQQIA+ history following the stories of the activists mentioned and many more. Tkatch invites all people of all backgrounds to come and learn from forbidden history as “everyone benefits from the freedoms won by queer people. We are all more liberated because of these queer heroes. Everyone will benefit from understanding this history better.”

THE COURIER IS HIRING A FEATURES EDITOR Responsible for assigning and editing long-form feature and special feature stories on a wide variety of topics that are of interest to Capilano Courier readers. Oversees editing and writing quality of the Features section. Requires editing and writing experience, as well as knowledge and interest in a range of local and current topics. Must have the ability to convey information in a clear, concise and conversational manner. Strong research skills, including the ability to navigate online search engines, are mandatory. Must have the ability to interact professionally and build strong relationships with sources. Strong social media skills/experience is preferred. Required to attend Monday staff meetings, Tuesday pitch meetings and Friday proofreading sessions. Position is paid. Email editor@capilanocourier.com with your resume, cover letter, and writing samples to apply.

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CULTURE 32

AN INTERVIEW WITH SAVANNAH READ Budding Musician, Scholarship Recipient, & Former CapU Student MAYUMI IZUMI (SHE/HER) Contributor

Former Capilano University student, Savannah Read (she/her), has accomplished great things during the pandemic. She won a Beedie Luminaries Scholarship, completed her first year at Capilano University, just began the music program at The University of Victoria, and released a single, as well as an EP! “I don’t want to say [the pandemic] helped me, but it definitely motivated me to record my music and share it properly,” says Read. “It gave me the time to sit with what I had and think, ‘what can I make out of this? What can I put out to the world?’” Her first single, “Patience” tells the story of being shunned by someone you love or someone you like as a friend and feeling let down. Yet continuing to keep going anyways, telling yourself that everything is going to be okay. She didn’t want the song to be depressing, so she tried to keep an upbeat feel to it. She accomplishes this with a catchy, modern jazzy vibe that makes you feel everything yet want to sing her poetic lyrics like no one’s there. “That’s all I did after school ended in March and I still couldn’t see anyone,” she recalls. While most of us were complaining about our online classes and exams, Read was working on her EP, Honey, There’s A Lot of Trouble,“I just spent basically every day recording my songs in my bedroom. Trying to see what I could do with them… but it definitely motivated me to put [the EP] out because I suddenly had time to. And it seemed like people were excited about it and we did it… I think music was a big part of the pandemic. People coming together.” It took Read about a year to complete the EP, beginning in the summer of 2019 after she graduated high school until 2020— where she spent time collecting songs she

had written to create her EP, focusing on themes of complicated situations. Read comes from a musical family as both her father and sister are musicians. Her father gave her a guitar when she was five years old and she immediately began singing, and soon after, writing songs. At seven, she started to perform in talent competitions and she attended Nootka Elementary in East Vancouver where she was enrolled in the Fine Arts program. When asked how she balances her musical aspirations and classes at UVic, Read admits she has just begun the music program, so she feels that she hasn’t had to juggle the two yet. Along with all of the mentioned accomplishments, Read also participated in CBC Searchlight 2021, performed at the Granville Promenade, and was enrolled in a 6-month music masterclass, Cypher, that is partnered with Sarah McLachlan’s School of Music. Even with all of her success, Read remains humble. She still plans to continue her musical studies at UVic, even if a record producer wanted to sign her because, “there is no guarantee…” She offers advice to aspiring musicians that may be dreaming of a career as a singer, andsays, “DO IT!”. To listen to Read's music, visit her YouTube channel @SavannahRead. To learn more about her upcoming performances, follow her @readsav on Instagram.

CULTURE |

MODERN WITCHCRAFT

A Look into The Life of a Modern-Day Witch RAIN MARIE (SHE/THEY) Contributor TALIA ROUCK (SHE/HER) Illustrator

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Many people have heard or seen the depictions of witches in the media or heard stories of witches as a child but, what does it mean to be a modern witch? Most cultures have roots in witchcraft and spirituality, as many different forms of witchcraft have been practiced since the beginning of recorded history. Witchcraft was, unfortunately, demonized and given a bad rep, leading many of those who practiced it to hide their beliefs. Today, modern-day witchcraft is resurfacing, as many witches feel safer to openly practice their beliefs. Victoria-based Creative, Tarot Reader, and witch, Dakota Tollefson (she/her), sat down with us and took us on a journey of what her practice means to her. Witchcraft exists in many forms in Dakota’s daily life—from her business as a tarot reader, to keeping two altars (one for her ancestors and one for the changing of the seasons), to involving witchcraft in her daily activities. As many might know, keeping up a daily practice can be difficult with the stress and constant motion of life. Dakota combats this by doing simple daily things such as doing a daily tarot spread. “Every morning when [she] makes tea or coffee [she] blesses it and stirs it a specific amount of times as a ritual” to “connect to [her] sense of spirituality even if [she’s] off to work.” One’s practice, although it can sometimes include complex rituals or long hours of meditation, can also be made up of simple things that help one feel more connected to the world around them and their ancestors. The autumn season and the month of October is an interesting time for witches and those interested in spirituality. During October, as Halloween and Samhain (A Celtic festival symbolizing the end of the harvest and the shift into the colder months of the year, celebrated by many witches) comes closer, Tollefson explained that the veil is getting thinner. This means there is more space for communication

with ancestors, spirits, and more connection to the inner spiritual worlds. For Dakota, this means more focus on Shadow Work, which she defines as “bringing awareness to places that don’t feel light and breezy [...] and acknowledging ways that [she] can do better moving forward or things that [she] would like to change.” Shadow work to Dakota is “a questioning of our own beliefs, biases and reflections of ourselves and others.”

It is difficult to talk about modern witchcraft in the month of October without also mentioning all the different forms of media that come out about witchcraft this month, and how being a witch is often portrayed. The character of the witch is seen in many films such as the 1996 teen horror The Craft and shows like Sabrina The Teenage Witch. These movies portray witchcraft to be a fantastical, dangerous force that can be fun to watch, although not completely true to the actual practice of witchcraft. The main issue with these

media portrayals is seen through depicting it without the proper education or research behind it. Leading producers to “take things from different cultures without any recognition,” Dakota explained. As witchcraft has appeared in many shapes and forms in different cultures, without the proper research, cultural appropriation or taking things from closed practices can occur. Witchcraft has recently become more popularized on the internet in virtual communities such as #WitchesOf Instagram and WitchTok. Although these communities are amazing places to learn and connect with people interested in practicing witchcraft, they can also be filled with misinformation. One of the best ways that you can protect yourself from misinformation online is by doing research on who you follow. Dakota notes that misinformation can occur because “social media is so instantaneous [...] you can just like someone’s aesthetic so you follow them [...] but when it comes to these sort of practices if you take your cultural appreciation seriously instead of cultural appropriation, one of the number one things you can do is do extensive research into who you’re following.” Dakota urges people new to the witchcraft community to “follow BIPOC practitioners, especially Queer-Fem BIPOC practitioners” but to “accept that you will be doing different things than them.” When looking into all things witchcraftrelated this October season, make sure to take some time to focus on the simple things, reflect on how you can grow and change, listen to the voices of the people around you– especially those voices who have been suppressed and make sure to do your research.

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In the 1960s, Dr. Klaus created the infamous 1460 Doc Martens with air-cushioned soles. He showcased the prototype to a friend from university, and production began shortly after using surplus military supplies. Once released to the public, the clunky boot was adopted by older women who had a knack for sensible footwear. Doc Martens gained popularity in the 70s among members of counterculture circles, activists, punks and the Queer community. A big factor in their adoption by those on the margins of society was their price tag, accessibility and availability in secondhand shops. During the gay liberation movement, 2SLGBTQQIA+ people depended on secret signifiers to indicate their sexual orientation. Gay men had the hanky code, meanwhile, lesbians had workboots made of stiff leather. The instantly recognizable silhouette of Doc Martens allowed Queer women to identify one another on the street at a time when homosexuality was punishable by law. Butch women who were more likely to work nontraditional jobs for women at the time, in male-dominated fields such as skilled labour, wore Doc Martens. They would often wear them with a flannel and jeans, along with a carabiner attached to the belt loop. Not far off from what you’ll see a butch wearing on TikTok. A butch is a lesbian woman who defies the male gaze by adopting a genderless aesthetic that draws upon the subordination of emphasized femininity. Originally, the term butch referred to aggressive women, derived from the term butcher. Lesbians reclaimed the term in the 1950s.

HOW DOC MARTENS BECAME A STAPLE IN LESBIAN’S CLOSETS It’s not just a pair of shoes, but a part of Queer history ALEXIS ZYGAN (SHE/HER) Contributor JANELLE MOMOTANI (SHE/HER) Illustrator

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There’s a 1976 advert in Dyke, a quarterly magazine for queer women, with the headline, “which shoes fits you?.” It has an image of a wedged heel as Option A and a 10-eyelet Dr. Martens boot as Option B. Underneath the two images is the caption, “If you choose Option B then Dyke Magazine may be for you.” Footwear dictates lesbian women’s movement in the world and for a long time, the stereotype was that dyke and butch lesbians wore heavy boots. In the article “Looking Good: The Lesbian Gaze and Fashion Imagery” by scholar Reina Lewis, she addresses how, regardless of what clothes a person wore as long as the shoes were chunky boots, they would be perceived as a lesbian. Doc Martens continued to grow in popularity throughout the 90s when they became associated with the grunge movement. In 2021 they are widely worn by butches and baby dykes. Doc Martens released a blog post on their website featuring interviews form 2SLGBTQQIA+ voices that explain why pride is still important in 2021. The article acknowledges how lesbians molded the shoes as a brand synonymous with rebellion, wearing them to gay marches and to hospitals where gay men lay in beds suffering from Aids. Prior to coming out, I owned a pair of Doc Martens. I saw the boots on my Tumblr feed and was immediately captivated by their edge and punk roots. In 2012, they were unavailable in Canada so I travelled South to purchase the boots from a Doc Martens flagship store in Seattle. I felt an immense sense of pride lacing up the boots to wear outside for the first time. They became a staple in my closet, all year round, until the rubber sole split. By that time, Doc Martens were labelled as one of the “five fall shoe styles for queer women” in a blog post by Awkward & Out, and I was openly Queer.

AESTHETIC AUTUMN To make your fall extra vibey this year ANDIE BJORNSFELT (SHE/HER) Contributor SHARLEEN RAMOS (SHE/HER) Illustrator

Keepin’ it Old School Going to that old pumpkin patch, kissing your sweetheart on Halloween eve, the crackle of classic music on your record player, painting your face (you’re going as a ragdoll this year), handing out baby sized candies to the neighborhood kids

Playlist:

Movies:

Autumn Leaves - Doris Day

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

This is Halloween - The Citizens of Halloween

Gremlins (1984)

Monster Mash - Bobby Pickett

Lucy: "All you have to do is walk up to a house, ring the doorbell, and say 'tricks or treats.'"

Shows:

Sally: "Are you sure it's legal?"

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)

Lucy: "Of course it's legal."

The Twilight Zone (1959-1964, 1985-1989)

Sally: "I wouldn't want to be accused of taking part in a rumble."

The Spectacular New Adventures of Casper (1996-1998)

BeetleJuice (1988)

Books: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Alvin Schwartz The Halloween Tree - Ray Bradbury Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

– It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)

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Dreary Outside, Cozy Inside Lighting a few candles, the smell of spice in the air, thick knitted sweaters, socks with witches on them, the rattle of tree limbs waving across your window, candy corn breath “I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” – L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Playlist:

Movies:

Roslyn - Bon Iver

Frankenweenie (2012)

Bobby - Beabadoobee

Hocus Pocus (1993)

What am I here for - Jade Bird

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Shows: A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017-2019) Gilmore Girls (2000-2007) Freaks and Geeks(1999-2000)

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Books: The Simplicity of Cider Amy E. Reichert Autumn - Ali Smith Pumpkinheads - Rainbow Rowell

Spook me out Trying on grotesque masks at Spirit Halloween, binging the freakiest movies you can get your hands on, a few attempts at summoning Bloody Mary in your bathroom mirror, aiming for that delightful chill-down-your-spine feeling “I delight in what I fear.” – Shirley Jackson

Playlist:

Shows:

Carousel - Johnny Jewel

American Horror Story (2011-Present)

I Got 5 on it (Tethered Mix from US) Halloween Theme John Carpenter

The Haunting of Hill House (2018) Black Mirror (2011-Present)

Movies:

Books:

Midsommar (2019)

Coraline - Neil Gaiman

The Shining (1980)

Tender is the Flesh Agustina Bazterrica

The Witch (2015)

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke - Erica LeRocca

Suburban Gothic Wandering empty streets at 3 am, having a slight existential crisis, glowing neon lights from the diner (open 24/7), feeling the slow fade of youth, sounds of train tracks in the distance, wondering if you will stay in your hometown forever. “I remember that I stood on the library steps holding my books and looking for a minute at the soft hinted green in the branches against the sky and wishing, as I always did, that I could walk home across the sky instead of through the village.” – Shirley Jackson, We Have Always Lived in the Castle “Why is summer mist romantic and autumn mist just sad?”

Playlist:

Movies:

Punisher - Phoebe Bridgers

Carrie (1976)

Salem - Fox Academy

American Beauty (1999)

Hide - Little May

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Shows:

Books:

Stranger Things (2016-present)

The Lottery and Other Stories Shirley Jackson

Sharp Objects (2018) Twin Peaks (1990-1991, 2017)

The Virgin Suicides Jeffrey Eugenides The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires Grady Hendrix

– Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle

CULTURE |

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OPINIONS

SHOULD WE CANCEL CANCEL-CULTURE? Past mistakes should be a chance to learn instead of being an exile f rom society HASSAN MERALI (HE/THEY) Contributor VALERIYA KIM (SHE/HER) Art Director

Earlier this year, Alexi McCammond, a political reporter in the United States, was named the new editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue. It was a strange choice from the start, as McCammond didn’t have magazine experience, and was dating a member of the Biden administration. McCammond was a rising star, and her competence wasn’t the issue—it was her past tweets.

Ten years ago, when she was 17, McCammond published racist and homophobic tweets, although the language was more common and undisputed back then. After the tweets re-surfaced, a backlash ensued. McCammond took full responsibility for the tweets; she said all the right things, apologized sincerely, and committed to doing the work of learning and making amends. Still, staff protested, and McCammond resigned before her first day. Many aptly pointed out that this was indicative of a larger problem with cancel culture. “Cancel culture” refers to the phenomenon of people with power or fame falling from grace through deplatforming, boycotting, or loss of their positions of power. This has been seen time and again with various stars. Kevin Spacey lost parts in movies after being accused of sexual assault and Mike Richards was turfed as host and executive producer of Jeopardy! after antisemitic comments. But this is not just happening to the rich and famous; in every sector of society, people are scared to express themselves honestly for fear of getting “cancelled” by friends and colleagues. In academia and in journalism—two sections of society known most for their proclivity for tolerating difference and debate—some are starting to self-censor, fearing a backlash that could cost them their job or social standing. So, is it time we cancel cancel-culture? On the one hand, the rising tide of social justice movements seeking to correct past and present injustices like racism and antagonism to 2SLGBTQQIA+ people has found its way to the masses. People are increasingly unwilling to continue to lend their monetary or political support to public figures who have abused or exploited others. Many people don’t want to listen to R. Kelly anymore. In this case, people are simply removing their support for someone based on new information available to them. They’re voting with their dollar, their attention, and their approval (or lack thereof). People exercising their free-will to decide what they want and don’t want to support, is a key part of freedom of speech. On the other hand, the barrage of social media outrage at everybody from celebrities to minor public figures has mob-like qualities. Statements from years ago are often dredged up, and force people to be tried in the court

of public opinion on their past statements against the social mores of the present. In this puritanical culture devoid of understanding or forgiveness, people are raked over the coals for their mistakes. Forgiveness is little, mercy is scarce, and patience is non-existent. Should we abandon trying to hold people accountable for their actions? Should we just dump the chumps who screwed up, and pick from the crowd of others who haven’t (that we know of)? Or should we seek some kind of balance between the two? We should opt for a more nuanced culture of accountability. Holding people accountable for their actions is critical to challenging the culture of covering up abuse by the powerful against the powerless. But holding out understanding, compassion, and even grace for those in the public eye who have made understandable mistakes is important for our cultural fabric.

“In this puritanical culture devoid of understanding or forgiveness, peoople are raked over the coals for their mistakes. Forgiveness is little, mercy is

scarce, and patience Who among us hasn’t said or done something is non-existent." racist, sexist, or homophobic? Especially in our youth? Not only do people make mistakes, but social norms change. In the previous century, it was the norm to call Indigenous people “Indians.” Was it wrong then? Of course. It would also be wrong to refuse to talk to your grandparents based on how they spoke without knowing the politically correct terms. If your grandparents still talk this way—that’s a different conversation (and hopefully one that doesn’t happen over a big family dinner). We need a culture of openness—a culture that is willing to engage in more debate, not less. A culture that is more willing to engage, than to shun. A culture that is more willing to forgive, than to cast aside. A culture that saves deplatforming for the most toxic and heinous people who cause harm, and accepts the apologies of those who made mistakes and are willing to learn from them.

OPINIONS |

ASSUMING ONLY MAKES AN ASS OUT OF YOU It’s time we stopped feeling entitled to other people’s personal information MATT SHIPLEY (HE/HIM) Contributor SOPHIE YOUNG (SHE/HER) Illustrator

These days, it seems as if gossip flies as ubiquitously as conversation itself. It’s getting harder and harder to get through the day without hearing whispers from another student or a coworker. “Is he gay?” “Did you hear he’s transitioning?” “There’s no way they’re not dating.” As small as each of these interactions are, they become an irritating— if not outright damaging—spiderweb for those unfortunate enough to be caught within it. I’m about as drama-averse as one can be, but I recently moved in with a family that lives and breathes the stuff. Every day, they’ve got the TV blaring sleazy celebrity rumours and judgy reviews of America’s Got Talent performers. And then they talk about it all evening. I wonder what it’s like to be one of those people, smiling for the cameras whose photos will end up on a stinging article bashing their weight gain. Do they live off of the drama, just like my host family? Or do they look at people like them with derision, or pity? I wish I knew what all the gossip makes them feel about themselves. Being completely open about who you are is a privilege. Would I come out as gay if my parents were devout religious conservatives? If my friends would whisper behind my back, debating who I was dating and whether or not I was just doing it for attention? Not a chance. I’ve seen worse things happen to my 2SLGBTQQIA+ friends, and none of it was their fault. In a society where being yourself is often looked down upon, when your way of life doesn’t fit the societal norm, existence becomes a chore. The more different we are, the more conversation encircles us, and the taller the tales become.

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The thing about gossip is that it, by definition, is negative. It’s very rare for people to trade secrets that make a person look good. If someone’s story is intriguing, more often than not it’s because we’re looking at them and thinking, “well, at least they’re worse off than I am,” not understanding that we’re perpetrating the same behaviour that made them so. In essence, looking at someone in a negative light is not the problem; it’s sharing that opinion with others. We don’t need to know that James didn’t pay for his date’s meal last night. We don’t need to debate whether or not he’s broke, if he was fired from his job, or if he’s just an asshole. One simple action, seen by the wrong people, can balloon into something huge, even when not a single person knows that James’s mother fell down the stairs and needed to be driven to the hospital. The solution is easy enough. Just don’t do it. Focus on growing your own life, and being proud of yourself. If you need to look down on other people to be happy with who you are, you’re injuring yourself just as much as the people you deride. Stop using other people’s plight as an excuse to tread water in your own personal journey. If you’re unhappy that you’re a smoker, or that you can’t find a lover, or any number of other things, only self-action will solve your problems. Making fun of other people is not a magical medicine. It just makes you look like a coward.

VAX 4 VAX After swiping right on a dating app and heading out on a date, our stance on vaccines should be clear MATT SHIPLEY (HE/HIM) Contributor SOPHIE YOUNG (SHE/HER) Illustrator

“How many rejections does an anti-vaxxer have to go through before they drag their feet to the nearest health office with their tail between their legs?"

It’s no secret that dating apps, especially these days, are hit-and-miss. It was hard enough to find a good match before the pandemic—now we have to contend with our political views and our beliefs about COVID as well. As vaccines roll out in droves, and pretty much everyone who wants their shots can get them at any time, it’s time we start integrating them into the services upon which we depend. Most dating apps already have options to declare whether you drink, smoke, party, or any other habits, and they’re there because people’s stances on those subjects can be major deal breakers. Not only is the vaccine a more polarizing subject than any of these, but it’s also a matter of health and safety for the daters, and the people around them. If halfway through a night out, my date took a leftover bite of my pasta, looked at me with an air of derision, and said, “You’re not vaccinated, are you?”, I would leave them at the table and rush to the nearest chlorine plant, where I could douse my body in high-grade bleach. (For legal reasons, that was a joke). At the same time, the government is subconsciously doing a lot of the dating-regulation work for us. We’ll need proof of vaccination for things like restaurants, clubs, game bars, and tons of other places that happen to be great first-date venues. As mandates continue to roll out, the only real option for unvaccinated city kids will be to sit out

in the rain together and complain about the vaccine—which sounds like a pretty good excuse to get the shot. How many rejections does an anti-vaxxer have to go through before they drag their feet to the nearest health office with their tail between their legs? Do I think dating apps will ever require their users to disclose their vaccine status? No. It would require a federal health order, and the amount of work it would take to integrate all of the different provincial proof systems would be significant. However, most people are proud to admit whether they believe in the vaccine or not, and that metric will be well proven within an optionaldisclosure system. The integration of said system wouldn’t be any different than the little profile tags for drinkers, smokers and the like; it’s just a convenient way for people to avoid having to ask the question themselves. If two people are trying to seduce each other over text, there’s no chance that the vaccine would break into the conversation without also breaking it up. At the end of the day, dating itself is impossible to regulate. There are endless ways for people to meet, and a two-person gathering could hardly be considered a high public health risk. But as so many of us are stuck at home and keeping in touch with friends over social media instead of in-person gatherings, a small gesture like this from dating apps could give health-conscious people like myself the confidence to step out of our bubble and rejoin the outside world.

OPINIONS |

JUST BECAUSE J-LO DID, DOESN’T MEAN YOU SHOULD When getting back together with your ex is scarier than any Halloween horror flick MAYUMI IZUMI (SHE/HER) Contributor VALERIYA KIM (SHE/HER) Design Director

| OPINIONS

Jennifer Lopez, aka J-Lo, has recently gotten back together with her ex—actor, director, and Academy Award winner Ben Affleck. Jenny from the block is not the only person to give their ex another shot—we have seen it over and over again with couples like Angelina Jolie and Johnny Lee Miller, and Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott. For all of us that are old enough to remember the early 2000s, Bennifer getting back together is the most unexpected. The couple met in 2002 and began a whirlwind romance. They were in Vancouver filming the movie Gigli, when he cheated on her with a stripper from the notorious No. 5 Orange exotic entertainment showroom and pub. Lopez subsequently ended their engagement in 2004. Affleck bought Lopez a beautiful pink 6.10 carat diamond ring that cost a whopping $1.2 million—that she allegedly kept. The silver lining to keeping the engagement ring is that maybe it’s tucked in a safety deposit box somewhere and Affleck won’t have to spend another million. But just because these icons got back together, does that mean we regular folks should be doing the same? I’ll be the first to admit, I am guilty of getting back together with a few of my exes and friends would often ask me why I always give second chances to these people. It’s hard to say no to the constant calls, texts, and flirting that would start after a while of them being alone. I liked the attention and the feeling of being chased again. At the end of the day, I am a sucker for love. Or is it lust? I wanted to rekindle the romance because I was still attracted to them. There was a spark that was still burning, a sexual chemistry that didn’t die with the relationship. However, my on-again off-again relationships never lasted. There was a good reason why I broke up with them—they were emotionally unavailable. Unfortunately, this became a repeated pattern in my love life as I seem to be most attracted to the unattainable male.

Attractive male approaches me, pursues me and captures my attention. We begin to date, and we have sex. I become enamoured with them and in my passion, I start to pursue them back. This seems to scare them off and they become emotionally and physically distant and often they’re suddenly unreachable by phone or text. I used to think there was something wrong with me. It took a lot of reflection and healing, but I eventually realized it wasn’t me, it was them. Not only should I not have gotten back together with them, but I also should never have dated them in the first place. It took a while to get out of this cycle, but I am now in a healthy place in my life and happily single. Recently, my growth was tested by an ex from high school. We had dated for a week and I broke up with him because he was never around, he was too busy skateboarding. Didn't Avril Lavigne write a song about this? I said see you later boy! But he never got over me. Twenty years passed, and he called me out of the blue after his wife moved out. We began to date, and the cycle of on-again, offagain began because he would get cold feet. He told me that he was falling in love with me, but I didn’t say the same to him because of his non-committal behaviour towards our relationship. We broke up a final time, but he recently tried to get back together. I had enough of this unhealthy habit and told him to forget it; I was off the market—which wasn’t exactly true but it was just the easiest way to get him off my back. From my years of repeating the pattern of dating my exes, I know now that I will never date them again. For anyone that is thinking about sparking up a romance with your ex—save yourself the trouble and don't do it! Remember all the reasons you two split, evaluate what you need from a partner that you know they can’t provide and that should stop you from repeating the past. Take it from a former serial ex-dater: it’s better to invest in a plant.

OPINIONS |

OUT OF OFFICE OR OUT OF MOTIVATION? Orange may not be the new pink, but f reelancing IS the new 9-5 JAYDE ATCHISON (SHE/HER) Opinions Editor VALERIYA KIM (SHE/HER) Design Director

Sitting in your Bleckberget IKEA chair that, let’s face it, might as well be a folding chair—you begin to wonder if it’s worth it to keep waking up early each morning for a job you’re only okay with. When the world took a turn none of us were ready for in 2020, many of us lost our steady jobs and fell into an existential crisis we weren’t expecting until it perfectly blended with our mid-life crisis. If you’re anything like me, you spent too many hours contemplating what career you wanted to actually pursue. After two weeks turned into 6 months, I began looking at what my options were if my office kept its doors closed forever. What I discovered was an empire that I never knew existed: freelancing. Sites like Fiverr and Upwork flew under my radar when I was a student, and I was so preoccupied with my day job after graduation that I stayed ignorant to other possibilities. Once I built my profile, I became addicted to setting my own hours, choosing projects I was truly passionate about and receiving grateful praise for my hard work. While there are risks involved with jumping headfirst into the freelance realm, there are a lot of benefits that office jobs just don’t offer. Not having to commute to work, being able to work while you travel, and setting your own rates are just a few of the benefits that many companies can’t offer their employees. It turns out people like to be their own boss, who would have thought? According to a survey done on Upwork this summer, 10 million people are considering switching to the freelance field. This will have companies around the world losing talented employees. If employers want to keep a loyal team of proficient members, they will need to step up their efforts to

| OPINIONS

entice steady employees. Businesses need to start realizing that people have lives outside their job. If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that we are all capable of accomplishing quality work from the comfort of our homes. It’s time to realize that if we are having a mental or physical health day, we can accomplish our tasks from the comfort of our toasty blankets. Workers deserve the safe space to negotiate their workload based on their burnout potential. As a freelancer, you have the ability to veto any projects

that are going to push you over the edge, but you don’t often get the option to say no to a boss due to a fear of missing a step on the corporate ladder. There needs to be a clear indication of how employees are valued at the company. Offering paid sick days, the option to work from home, boundaries surrounding contact about work related topics outside of work hours, and more vacation incentives, will make people happy to work for them.

simply because it’s a paycheque. This is a valid reason to take a job, and often the case for many people. However, when we keep accepting the bare minimum, businesses will have no reason to change their ways. There is a lack of motivation to head back to the office, and for a lot of people it’s never going to come back.

As of right now, the standards of the typical work environment are dismal because people settle for jobs

OPINIONS |

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MIA CANDERAN @miacanderanart

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COLUMNS

THE UNBEATEN PATH Golden Hour MATT SHIPLEY (HE/HIM) Columnist

There’s something almost mystical in a perfect sunset — so much so that it’s impossible to explain. It’s more than just an image of raw beauty. It’s the transition between the burning assault of a hot summer day and the cold silence of the night; like the gentle touch of an infant’s hands on your face before you put them to sleep. It’s the sound of the first few crickets brave enough to take to the stage and sing their solitary aria before the chorus files in behind them. I say this as though the sunset itself is my happy place, but over time, and through experiences and adventures, one comes to the conclusion that not all sunsets are created equal. The same is true for what I call sunset spots — special places that capture the exquisite splendour of those moments better than anywhere else. In my mind, in no small part because of the lovely, joyous, unique experiences I’ve had there, no sunset spot comes even close to Lions Bay: up the Sea to Sky Highway, about halfway to Squamish. The first time I ran across the bay was in an Internet article the day after I moved to Vancouver. That day, I was scouring the Web, searching for every single possible cliff-jumping spot this side of the Cascades. Lions Bay was, of course, the first result to pop up. A well-known spot, it boasted an illustrious rope swing built by two legends who have since become good friends of mine, as well as a good few forgiving, low-height cliff jumps — all topped off with a picturesque view out into the mouth of Howe Sound. I hurriedly jotted it down onto my increasingly saturated bucket list, and continued with my day. Fast forward five months, to January — not exactly the height of cliff jumping season — and I had just met someone who, unbeknownst to me, would make a massive difference in my life. I followed her on social media, seeing that she was a Canadian cliff jumper, and we bonded right away. It didn’t take long for us to realize that we only lived about eighty kilometres apart, and that we had a perfect meeting place nearly exactly halfway between our respective abodes — Lions Bay.

Soon it was a crisp, clear February afternoon. I left my spotless little Evo next to a forgettable side road, sticking out like a sore thumb next to a Disneyland-esque lineup of ratty, worn-out 1990s station wagons. I was trekking down a lonely railroad track and over a small, rocky hillock when suddenly, the forest opened up. I was met with open arms by my friend and a plethora of her best mates, who guided me down a secret trail and out onto the rough rocks and jagged cliffs of Lions Bay. The sun was still high, and although it was nearly freezing outside, I couldn’t wait to rip off my jacket, don my wetsuit and leap into the frigid, salty water. I suppose the whole trip was kind of like that; a sort of “screw it, let’s go on an adventure” kind of mentality. It was a feeling that I had never really had before, but have had many times since. I remember the sun going down that day, as we sat together with our legs dangling over the ocean below, laughing, sharing snacks and taking pictures. I remember capturing the perfect shot, where my friend and I did backflips side-by-side as if we were leaping gracefully over the sun itself. I remember seeing her treading water far below me as I contemplated a trick that I had never done before, and the emphatic, rib-crushing embrace that followed after I hit the water cleanly. I remember laughing, purely and tear-jerkingly, for the first time in forever. And, most of all, I remember sharing that perfect sunset, where the sky forms a glimmering gradient from shimmering gold to deep purple, and the scattered, wispy cumulus clouds glow like salt lamps drifting listlessly above the sun’s nightstand, with someone whom I knew was going to be my best friend in the whole world. I return to that place sometimes — not always with the same people, but certainly with the same mindset. It’s a place where I can let the modern rat race go. The rocks, the trees; the waves lapping softly against the shore and the quiet creaking of the rope swing blowing in the breeze all serve to rekindle the love inside of me. To share that with friends is, to me, the meaning of paradise.

COLUMNS |

QUEERIES The Journey and Complexities of Coming Out RAIN MARIE (SHE/THEY) Columnist

There was a stillness in the air as my eighth-grade class huddled onto the frostbitten grass of our school field. Our PE teacher was trying to suck the last few drops out of outdoor PE classes before the harsh Alberta winter would force us indoors. It must have been well into October — I can still feel the wind stinging my skin through my thin gym clothes. She had lent me one of her sweaters since I had forgotten mine at home. The sweater itself was nothing spectacular: it was an old oversized green hoodie that probably said something across the chest at some point, but it was her sweater. The one that she wore almost every day. The scent and feel of something so close to her on my body was almost all-consuming. Although I knew that the sweater meant nothing to her —and that we would spend most of our class time joking about the obvious crush she had on one of our male best friends — my heart sped up in a way it never had before, and I finally knew what it meant to crave the feeling of being close to someone. The isolation one feels as a Queer youth is quite unlike any other experience in the world. It is a disorienting and lonely experience. Gender and sexuality are subjects rarely taught to kids. Despite who we feel we are and who we fall in love with being such a fundamental part of what makes us human — kids rarely have the vocabulary to express anything other than what they mimic from their friends, family, and the media. When talking about my experience of coming out, I feel both like I was very lucky in some elements and like it’s a battle I am still fighting today. From the beginning, like most queer youth, I knew something was different with me. I just wasn’t sure what. From the fourth to fifth grade I sat with the same girl every single morning on the bus ride to school. She was a year older than me and knew everything I didn’t understand about romance. I remember thinking that everyone would just talk about their crushes because they felt they were supposed to, not because they wanted to. I disliked romance in stories and music as a kid; I felt it was cheesy, overdone, and that no one felt that way. I didn’t know my own romantic and sexual exploration would branch further than the heteronormative standard. I was made to believe that those all-consuming romantic feelings that every piece of media seemed to revolve around were something fictional that never would be mine. I wish I could sit here and share some huge self-affirming story of a first kiss or experience where I instantly knew who I was and what I wanted, but unfortunately, life is not that straightforward. Most of my ‘firsts’ came from truth-or-dare, parties or hanging out at friends’ houses. They weren’t particularly thrilling or romantic, but

| COLUMNS

they did show me that there was more to explore than the default of heterosexuality. Although there wasn’t a large community of out 2SLGBTQQIA+ people at my small Calgary high school, we did have a tiny Gender and Sexuality alliance — or Gay-Straight Alliance, as it was called at the time. The alliance was set up by some grade 12 students who already had a good understanding of what the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community was, and who were already dealing with their own anger towards an unaccepting community. I joined the alliance knowing only that I didn’t feel like the other girls in my grade — I was pretty sure I was attracted to women. Everyone in the alliance seemed so sure of themselves. They knew exactly who they were and how they identified. They were everything I was not. I found myself in over my head, drowning in a world where I knew nothing. I spent most of my time there listening, terrified to say something or do something that would get me thrown out of a community that I was just starting to find my place in. I left the alliance knowing three things: I was definitely attracted to women, despite feeling uncomfortable with my gender (I wasn’t going to touch that issue with a ten-foot pole), and it was important to me to find my group at my school. I quickly adopted the word ‘lesbian’ to identify myself. That became one of the first things people knew about me at school. I felt like owning that would mean no one would take it from me or make me feel wrong for it. For the most part, it worked. Throughout high school, I began to interact more with the generally accepting arts and theatre people. However, despite my new-found identity and a group of people who accepted me for who I was — I was still that same little kid who was both thrilled and terrified to wear another girl’s sweater. Your identity shifts and grows with you, and exploring elements of who you are can be difficult, if not nearly impossible. It’s because of the community around you, where you are in the world, the perceived rules about how you should be living your life, and the rules you’ve created for yourself. Everyone’s coming out story is different. It can be a lifelong journey or something you’ve known your whole life. Circumstances and environment play an extensive role in the safety you feel in exploring these feelings. No matter how or when you go about this journey, discovering your sexuality and gender is a valuable and beautiful experience that belongs to you — and you alone.

COLUMNS |

THE COURIER IS HIRING AN COLUMNS EDITOR Oversees editing and writing quality of the Columns section. Requires writing and editing experience. Must have the ability to convey information in a clear, concise and conversational manner. Strong research skills, including the ability to navigate online search engines, are mandatory. Must have the ability to interact professionally and build strong relationships with sources. Strong social media skills/experience is preferred. Required to attend Monday staff meetings and Friday proofreading sessions. Position is paid. Email editor@capilanocourier.com with your resume, cover letter, and writing samples to apply. 56

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THE COURIER IS HIRING A STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Responsible for taking a variety of campus/story related photos per month. Must have strong photography skills, and the ability to enhance writing through photography. Will work closely with the Communications Manager and Design Director. Strong social media skills/experience is preferred. Position is paid. Email editor@capilanocourier.com with your resume, cover letter, and portfolio to apply.

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Check your sun (the sign everyone knows, identity, ego), moon (emotional), & rising (how you come off to others). Dates for sun sign:

VIRGO

LIBRA

( Aug. 23 – Sep. 22) Magic is your power within, Virgo! But can you see that, and will you?

(Sep. 23 – Oct. 22) Opportunities may be slower or nonexistent this month. Don’t stress, abundance is near with the right opportunity! Relax.

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

(Oct. 23 – Nov. 21) Illusions are heavy right now for a reason. But trust that you know the answers and they will come to you at the right time and right place.

(Nov. 22 – Dec. 21) New beginnings are here! Embrace the child-like wonder that comes with this part of your life, because blessings are here.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

(Dec. 22 – Jan. 19) Nostalgia is here to stay for this month, but that’s nothing to fear! You are simply being asked to love where you are now and appreciate the lessons from younger you.

(Jan. 20 – Feb. 18) Sit back, rest, and relax! You have nothing to fear, all is coming into place at the right time and for the right amount of $$.

PISCES

ARIES

(Feb. 19 – Mar. 20) Allow yourself to be seen this month for the intuitive and selfless person you can be. Attention is not bad, just ask Leo!

(Mar. 21 – Apr. 19) Be careful of the words you say, they may not be taken how you want them to. Careful, caring, communication is key.

TAURUS

GEMINI

(Apr. 20 – May 20) Things are progressing slower for a reason, don’t push it. You may find you break what you have if you’re not patient.

(May 21 – Jun. 20) It is time to look at what you’re desiring within. Stop looking for external validation.

CANCER

LEO

(Jun. 21 – Jul. 22) Guarding your energy is important, but so is asking for help this month.

(Jul. 23 – Aug 22) Miscommunication is a blessing in disguise. Don’t f***k it up.

HOROSCOPES |

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capi lan o cou ri er VOLUME 54, ISSUE NO.2

Capilano Courier | Vol 54, Issue 2

Articles inside

QUEERies

Aesthetic Autumn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 The Unbeaten Path

Doesn’t Mean You Should

Vax 4 Vax

Out of You

Out of Office or Out of Motivation?

Should we cancel cancel-culture?

a Staple in Lesbian’s Closets

An Interview with Savannah Read

Modern Witchcraft

CSIS and Academia

of 2SLGBTQQIA+ People

Not Where You Came From

Indigenous Filmmaking

Birth Alerts

Housing Project Approved