The McGill Daily Vol. 109 Issue 5

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Global Climate Strike more photos on pages 4 & 5

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Content

September 30, 2019 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

Table of Contents 3

Culture 12 Creating into the Future

EDITORIAL

“It Takes All of Us” is Not Enough

4 NEWS

13 Sci+tech ImageNet Roulette and AI Bias

Activists Talk Climate Justice Buddle’s Rebuttal on Strike McGill Climate News Israel’s September Knesset Elections

14Culture In the Moment

9 Features Your Prejudice is Not Dark Humour

COMPENDIUM! 15 Wealth and Hellness Comic!

Explore Your

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EDITORIAL

Volume 109 Issue 5

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content warning: sexual violence

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s of September 23, all students have access to McGill’s new consent-focused sexual violence prevention program, “It Takes All of Us.” It is recommended that students go through the 45-minute program in one sitting.

The program stops playing if the viewer leaves the webpage, but this does not prevent students from leaving the page open while they do something else. Each page features a pause button allowing students to stop the program momentarily if overwhelmed. However, students have noticed that all of the sections are skippable, allowing them to complete the program in mere minutes. Furthermore, the consequences for not completing the program – placing a hold on add-drop functions – do not affect students who have already registered for their winter courses or are graduating at the end of this semester.

The program presents valuable statistics and a generally healthy and realistic understanding of sex and consent. For students whose backgrounds do not include sex education, or who have a less comprehensive understanding of consent, “It Takes All of Us” could serve as a valuable introduction to respectful sexual interactions. But it is just that – an introduction. In order to be truly effective, McGill must follow up with the tangible support that it is not currently providing.

A 45-minute online program cannot, and will not, solve McGill’s sexual violence problem. The program’s stated goal is to “increase awareness of social violence in order to shift campus culture to one of respect and consent.” Sexual violence is not a secret epidemic – certainly not on a university campus, and assuredly not at McGill. The Campus Climate Survey Validation Study showed that an average of one in ten (and up to one in five) undergraduate women experience sexual assault in just one academic year. However, this estimate is conservative; these numbers are higher for LGBTQ+ people and people of colour, with Indigenous people facing almost triple the amount of sexual violence as non-Indigenous people. We are past the stage of raising awareness. We need meaningful action now.

“It Takes All of Us” is mandatory for teaching staff and administrators as well, but the consequences of failing to complete the program are unclear, and multiple professors report that they have not yet been notified of these requirements. According to the program’s FAQ, the module for teaching staff and administrators will not be available until January 2020, over six months after its initial release.

Over the past several years, McGill has shown repeated disrespect for students’ calls for a safer and better-informed campus environment, and has consistently failed to implement effective plans to combat sexual violence. The University’s first Sexual Violence Policy (SVP), which was only adopted

in 2016, was not well-received by student groups, namely for not being pro-survivor and not providing adequate resources to report sexual violence. Prior to this, the University did not have an official policy and referred only to the Student Code of Conduct. On January 1, 2019, McGill missed the deadline to adopt an updated policy in compliance with Bill 151, a provincewide requirement on post-secondary sexual violence policies.

By not providing compulsory training for all university officials, among other failures, McGill’s current SVP still does not comply with Bill 151 – which also needs improvement.

Prior to and during its implementation, students and student groups, including the Sexual Assault Centre of McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS), have expressed their issues with the updated SVP. Their concerns have been “consistently met with hostility and disparagement” by the administration, according to multiple open letters. These examples, which are by no means exhaustive, are indicative of McGill’s complete disregard for students and their needs, and for creating the community of “consent and respect” the administration claims to support.

Before McGill proclaims that “it takes all of us,” and that it’s our “communal” responsibility, the institution must do its part to address systemic imbalances of power that perpetuate sexual violence. As it stands, the burden of care falls on students who are forced to rely on whisper networks to protect themselves. McGill must provide adequate support for survivors of sexual violence, it must believe and encourage belief of survivors, and it absolutely must provide non-traumatic services for those who come forward. McGill’s administration gains social capital from student-run services such as SACOMSS, and from incredibly sensitive and effective in-person workshops like those run by Our Shared Spaces, despite having no active role in creating or running these programs. Real people leading workshops are able to accommodate survivors and their comfort zones, and to directly confront potential abusers and their internalized violent ideas.

As a student body, we must pressure McGill to provide adequate resources. A revamped “It Takes All of Us” could potentially serve as an introduction to the topic, but inperson follow-up sessions are necessary. We can pressure the administration to do better: send your criticisms and opinions to Angela Campbell, Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies) or to sv-education@mcgill.ca.

Call or write to provincial representatives, specifically Hélène David (sponsor of Bill 151), and encourage them to push for more comprehensive sexual violence programs on university campuses, and to improve the content and enforcement of Bill 151. If you or anyone you know is struggling due to sexual violence, consider reaching out to SACOMSS.

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NEWS

September 30, 2019 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

Activists Talk Climate Justice

Yasna Khademian News Editor cw: colonial violence

Derek Nystrom Nystrom formerly sat on the university’s Board of Governors before resigning in protest alongside Professor Darin Barney due to the Board’s failure to act on divestment.

At the march, he spoke on this, saying, “By investing in fossil fuels, we are quite literally giving money to the people who are pouring gasoline and fossil fuels on that fire.”

Yasna Khademian| The McGill Daily

Marina Nysten| Photographer

Daisy Sprenger| The McGill Daily

Jacqueline Lee-Tam Lee-Tam, a writer, youth activist, and McGill student who has spoken extensively against the Kinder Morgan pipeline in British Columbia, was also present at the event.

During the march, she stated, “We’re going to need all of you to tell our Board of Governors that it is reckless to remain invested in fossil fuels,” reminding students that the Governors will vote on divestment in December. “We will win with everyone, or we will not win at all.”

Yasna Khademian| The McGill Daily

NEWS

September 30, 2019 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

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Tomas Jirousek Jirousek,a leader of the movement to change McGill’s varsity football name and a member of the Kainai First Nation, of the Blackfoot Confederacy, spoke on Indigenous activism in the movement for climate justice.

“We know this territory, we know and love all of the creations Napi has blessed us with, who are just as important and necessary as we are.

We know what it takes to protect our territory, and it will be with our knowledge that we fight for climate justice.”

Yasna Khademian| The McGill Daily

Daisy Sprenger| The McGill Daily

Marina Nysten| Photographer

Marcelle Partouche Gutierrez Gutierrez, a local organizer and youth advocate, is deeply engaged with the Montreal community and recently graduated from McGill.

At the march, she spoke on the intersectionality of climate justice.

“Indigenous sovereignty is climate justice.

Accessibility for all bodies is climate justice,“ she told the protestors.“Centering Black and Brown youth in the movement is climate justice.”

Yasna Khademian| The McGill Daily

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NEWS

September 30, 2019 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

McGill

Buddle’s Rebuttal on Strike

Senate Reconvenes For The First Meeting of the Year Daisy Sprenger and Yasna Khademian The McGill Daily content warning: mention of sexual violence n September 18, the first McGill Senate meeting of the year began with a question posed by Senators Madeline Wilson and Bryan Buraga regarding student concerns in light of Bill 21. This provincial legislation restricts public workers in positions of authority – including teachers and principals – from wearing religious symbols.

Specifically, Senators Wilson and Buraga raised concerns about how students in the Faculty of Education who wear religious symbols will be affected when they complete their internships at primary school institutions.

Further, they asked what McGill was doing to protect these students.

Dilson Rassier, Dean of the Faculty of Education, explained that McGill is responding on a case-bycase basis, dealing directly with the institutions where affected students are interning.

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A Francophone school board in Montreal refused to hire two teachers because they were wearing religious symbols.

“We have a few cases of students that showed some concerns,” Dean Rassier added that they “have contacted some specific schools” to ensure a safe environment for students in their placements. Just recently, a Francophone school board in Montreal refused to hire two teachers because they were wearing religious symbols.

Senate then addressed a motion to cancel classes on September 27 from 11:35 a.m. - 3:55 p.m., put forth in order to accommodate any students who planned to participate in the climate strike. Senator Wilson advocated in favour of the motion, saying that “to cancel classes would symbolize a clear stance on behalf of McGill with regards to the matter of climate justice.” Out of the four post-secondary institutions in

Montreal – Concordia University, UQÀM, Université de Montreal, and McGill University – McGill is the only to not have canceled classes.

However, Dean of Students Christopher Buddle disagreed with the motion to cancel classes, contending that “the decision is not simple despite the magnitude of the problem of climate change.”

In response to Senator Wilson’s statement that numerous other Quebec universities have canceled classes, Dean Buddle went on to add that McGill is “ by no means [...] obliged to follow other institutions; we do what is right for us and we lead by our example.”

With regards to the University’s moral stance, he stated that McGill “lead[s] by the principles that actually Greta Thunberg put forward which says strikes, by their very nature, are rebellious, and you have to give up something for impact.” However, Dean Buddle failed to mention whether McGill would be giving up something of its own – perhaps its $1.3-billion endowment fund of fossil-fuel investments.

“I will say that this has nothing to do with my commitment to climate action,” Dean Buddle stated, noting the personal decisions he makes with regards to environmental justice. He then added that he did not believe Senate to be the right place to bring up matters of class cancellations. Buddle seemed to imply that students needed to sacrifice their grades and studies, in order to make their point. “I actually don’t love the fact that we’re seeing widespread cancellation, because that’s not giving up something,” he stated.

“I’ve been involved in many social justice movements in my life.”

In response, Senator Nystrom told the Senate he agreed “this kind of activism requires a sacrifice,” but disagreed with Dean Buddle’s sentiments.

“I just don’t think we should just be asking young people to make that sacrifice, whereas we do not,” he stated, adding that climate change was mostly the fault of their generation as well as previous generations. “I think to turn to the young people and say ‘this is all on you’ – well, it’s already all on them. They’re the ones who are going to have to live with the consequences,” Senator Nystrom told the Senate.

“I think we have to make a decision as an institution – are

we on the side of the people who are rebelling against this, or are we aligning ourselves with the institutions that are maintaining the status quo and asking the young people to do the heavy lifting of rebelling?”

As the debate ended, the motion was called to a vote. Out of the 111 eligible voting members of the Senate, only 21 voted in favour of canceling classes. The 21 votes in favour of the motion mostly consisted of student members; the motion failed with the majority voting against it.

Next, Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies) Angela Campbell presented the annual report on McGill’s Policy on Harassment & Discrimination Prohibited by Law. The report outlines the procedures for reporting harassment, as well as the official definitions of “harassment” and “discrimination prohibited by law.” The report also includes details about workshops and training that happened in the last year, which aim to prevent and address these issues.

Dean Buddle failed to mention whether McGill would be giving up something of its own – perhaps its $1.3-billion endowment fund of fossil-fuel investments.

Phoebe Pannier | The McGill Daily

harassment), none were deemed to be founded in the past year. In response, Senator Buraga asked Associate Provost Campbell why she thought there was an increase.

Senator Campbell expressed her hopes that the increase in reporting could be attributed to an increase in awareness about reporting channels and the procedures available.

Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Fabrice Labeau also discussed the state of student mental health services, under the Associate Provost Campbell purview of the Committee on started by quoting some of the Student Services. He emphasized statistical details from last year’s the impact of academic stress report, specifically noting the on student mental health and significant increase in harassment the need to revise McGill’s Policy.

Senator complaints. However, 89 per Assessment cent of all cases of harassment Eperjesi asked for an elaboration stopped at the inquiry stage. on these efforts to address mental Specifically regarding cases of health, to which Deputy Provost sexual harassment, she noted that Labeau reiterated the issue of they all involved the harassment academic stress, and pointed to of women, perpetrated by men. the Wellness Hub as a way to Out of these five specific cases help manage it. Characterized as a of sexual harassment, four were means for “healthy living training,” deemed to be founded. However, he described the Hub’s role as out of the 12 cases investigated providing “early intervention (not under the category of sexual and prevention of mental health

issues.” Deputy Provost Labeau told the Senate, “resilience is a skill you can learn.” Any mention of what’s being done to help students with existing mental illnesses and health issues remained sparse.

Finally, Associate Provost Campbell presented the annual report of the Joint Board Senate Committee on Equity. SSMU Arts Senator Chloe Kemeni posed the question of whether the budget of $1000 for the Senate Sub-Committee on Racialized and Ethnic Persons would be increased in the future. In the report, the subcommittee stated that the current funding “is not a sustainable situation, and more funding should be provided to finance activities that support the McGill community, such as is done for other groups like Management Forum.” To name a few of these projects that are underfunded, they include inviting guest speakers to campus and developing a program for racialized student support. In response, Associate Provost Campbell stated that future increases in funding were unclear.

September 30, 2019 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

news

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McGill Unanimous Vote for Climate Strike AUS Meets Quorum for General Assembly

Pandora Wotton News Contributor

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n September 26, approximately 900 Arts students filed into Leacock 132, filling every seat, sitting on the floor, stairs, or leaning on any wall space available. For the first time in years, the 500 Arts students needed to meet quorum were present, and the General Assembly (GA) was called to order. Earlier this month, Climate Justice Action McGill (C-JAM) sent a petition to the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) to call a GA, responding to the McGill Senate’s rejection of the student-led motion to cancel classes for the climate strike.

Ayo Ogunremi, political coordinator for the Black Students’ Network (BSN), co-founder of C-JAM, and an organizer of the AUS strike, opened the GA, calling out the University’s inaction in the movement for

climate justice. Drawing attention to the fact that McGill is the only university in Montreal not to declare a climate emergency, as well as the sole university in Montreal not to cancel classes for the demonstration on September 27, Ogunremi argued that these decisions show a “total contempt for both the escalating environmental crisis that threatens the future of humanity, and the urgent demands of universal emancipation from oppression.” The room clearly agreed with Ogunremi’s ideas, which were met with clapping and cheering.

During question period, students requested clarification of the motion, including what the effect of a strike would be on students and the greater Montreal community; in response, organizers explained that students’ graduation would not be affected by a one day strike, but C-JAM spoke to the possible detriment on the

province’s revenue, as well as the potential loss of skilled labour in Quebec’s economy, should McGill students undertake an extended strike. Another student asked how the soft picket lines would be enforced, to which organizers stated people would not be physically barred from Arts classes, but that they would be informed of the strike.

Ahead of voting, the motion’s official demands were stated. In their demands, AUS called on McGill to acknowledge the climate crisis and its disproportionate effect on “traditionally marginalized and oppressed populations that have also contributed least to the climate crisis.” They also press McGill to divest from its investments in fossil fuels, and to use its platform to pressure the Quebec and Canadian governments to recognize Indigenous peoples’ rights to the conservation and protection of the environment and their land, as stated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights

of Indigenous Peoples Article 29.

The meeting was concluded with a unanimous vote in favour of the motion.

The Faculty of Law, McGill’s MacDonald Campus Students’ Society, the McGill Environment Students’ Society, the Earth and Planetary Sciences Graduate Student Society, the Faculty of Nursing, and the Medical Students’ Society have

Fighting Extinction

XR Recruits at McGill Kelsey McKeon News Writer

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n September 20, Extinction Rebellion (XR) gave a presentation at McGill entitled “Heading to Extinction,” introducing XR’s mission and strategies to students, with the ultimate goal of forming an autonomous XR cell at McGill. Also present were two professors, Derek Nystrom and Darin Barney, who stepped down from the Board of Governors earlier this year in protest of the Board’s likely decision not to divest from fossil fuels.

While XR is a group that centres itself around the issue of climate change, this presentation went far beyond the environmental impacts of climate change. Specifically, it recognized how the environmental aspect of the climate crisis is a product of a greater system unsuitable to humanity’s longevity.

XR is a movement that began in the United Kingdom but has since spread internationally, likely due to their strategy of autonomy and

decentralisation. They offer groups the tools and guidance to join the movement and then encourage groups to plan direct action, offering to support them with legal aid. This method is part of what they call “creating a regenerative culture.”

Their activism is based upon the principle of non-violent civil disobedience.

Ultimately, they imagine a future where civil disobedience – resulting in widespread arrests – disrupts the economic and political systems enough to the point where those in positions of authority are forced to submit to change. In July of this year, 25 XR climate activists were arrested outside of McGill’s Roddick Gates after staging a sit-in in front of Premier François Legault’s office.

This action is just one of many that they have carried out and plan to execute in the future, including a two week-long international rebellion event beginning on October 7.

XR’s presentation at McGill invited students to join their movement. At one point, the

presenter asked audience members to raise their hands if they were willing to be arrested, to which a few of the audience members did so. The presenter told them to “remember who you are,” and later told the audience members to write an “A” next to their name on the sign-in sheet if they are willing to be arrested for their cause.

The attentive audience asked XR a series of tough questions, raising concerns regarding the place of marginalized groups within this style of activism. By default, encouraging mass arrests is a strategy that lends itself to be undertaken by the white majority, since marginalised groups face far greater risks when interacting with the police.

The presenter validated the importance of the question, and admitted that XR is still figuring things out as they go. Ultimately, they said, the issue of climate change and how to create a just transition for all is quite possibly the largest issue in human history, simply by the sheer number of individuals impacted.

all committed to striking as well.

The Science Undergraduate Society has issued a statement in support of the climate strike, urging professors in the Faculty of Science to cancel classes and encouraging students to participate, but not officially striking.

On Friday morning, the vote was ratified with a 35.9 per cent voter turnout: 2887 students voted yes, 82 voted no, and 53 abstained their vote.

Leg. Council Motion on Climate Justice

Yasna Khademian News Editor

T

he second SSMU Legislative Council of the year took place on September 26, at which SSMU President Bryan Buraga spoke on the Motion Regarding Policy on Moratorium on McGill Fees Until Fossil Fuel Divestment.

If passed, the motion would, per Buraga, “establish a moratorium on all new ancillary fees, or other fees that require a referendum to our student body” and not affect bursaries, scholarships for students in need, or funding that faculties receive from McGill.

“We must demonstrate our resolve in the face of continued inaction on fossil fuel divestment by McGill University,” he told Council.

“I trust that you will find that [your constituencies] will be

willing to use our financial power to demonstrate just how important fossil fuel divestment is to our student body.”

The motion will be voted on at the next Council, which will take place on October 10.

An extended article on the past SSMU Legislative Council

by Alex Karasick will also be available online.

Karasick contributed significant reporting to this update.

“We must demonstrate our resolve in the face of continued inaction.”

—Bryan Buraga

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September 30, 2019 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

NEWS

Montreal

“Nothing To Celebrate”

Parc-Ex Activists Oppose UDeM’s New Campus

Athina Khalid News Writer

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ver 50 people assembled outside of Acadie Metro at 4:00 p.m. on September 21 to protest Université de Montréal’s (UdeM) new MIL Campus. Opened on September 20, the campus is located on former railway yards in Outremont. In 2016, UdeM received $84 million from the federal government, in addition to $116 million from the provincial government. Overall, the project cost $350 million. Initially, due to pressure from activists and municipal governments, UdeM had promised to build 1,300 units of student housing in the new campus, but they have since decided to sell the apartments as condos.

Given that the former Outremont railway yard lies between Parc-Ex and Outremont, community activists have argued that the MIL Campus in Parc-Ex will significantly contribute to the forces that are already pushing people out of the area.

According to Centraide’s Territorial Analysis for 20152016, Parc-Ex is the poorest neighbourhood in Montreal, with a poverty rate of 44 per cent. 61 per cent of residents are immigrants, and 63 per cent are racialized. Rents in Parc-Ex are some of the cheapest in Montreal, but even so, 44 per cent of tenants

Beyond

spend at least 30 per cent of their income on rent. In the last few years, the neighbourhood has been undergoing what some describe as hypergentrification. According to a report from LaPresse, some landlords are forcing evictions and tripling rent, while others keep their rents low but provide no maintenance, thereby rendering the remaining cheap apartments in Parc-Ex unsanitary. As a result, many low-income tenants have been, or are being, displaced.

Comité d’action Parc-Extension (CAPE) Community Organizer Amy Darwish told the Daily, “people are scattered to the far ends of the city, far from their support networks.” She emphasized that Parc-Ex has a thriving community system, which risks being lost as more residents are being displaced.

Though gentrification has been occurring in the neighbourhood for some years, community activists point to the MIL Campus and to the AI firms opening in a former industrial area west of Little Italy (now marketed as the “Mile-Ex”) as major contributors to this new round of hypergentrification.

UdeM’s inauguration of the campus took place on September 20, which was attended by many elected officials including Quebec premier François Legault and Montreal mayor Valérie

Plante. CAPE members and Parc-Ex residents attended the inauguration as well. According to the Daily’s sources, they dropped a banner that read “le campus MIL gentrifie Parc-Ex” [“the MIL campus gentrifies ParcEx”] during the rector of UdeM’s speech, while chanting slogans and dropping flyers onto the crowd below. The banner drop, carried out around 10:30 a.m by 10 people, was organized by members of CAPE and the ParcExtension Tenants Association.

They were quickly escorted out by campus security, but reconvened outside the building and continued chanting. Saturday’s action was orchestrated by CAPE alone, but received support from front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU) in its organization.

The following day during UdeM’s “citizen’s party” to “celebrate the birth of the Quartier MIL,” protestors gathered at Acadie metro. Residents and organizers – members of the CAPE and FRAPPU – spoke from 4 p.m. until 4:45 p.m. At 4:45 p.m., the protestors commenced a “tour” of the new campus. They walked across the new pedestrian bridge and through the MIL campus to the Outremont side, where the “citizen’s party” was taking place. The protestors chanted

Athina Khalid | News Photographer slogans, such as “Park Ex is not for sale” and “ni campus, ni condos / on veut des logements sociaux” [“no campuses, no condos / we want social housing”], interrupting kiosk transactions and DJ sets.

After walking through the kiosks and back, the protestors returned to Acadie metro. Final speeches were made thanking protestors for coming and encouraging residents to continue organizing against gentrification in Park Ex. Darwish said that these two actions were important because they challenge the narrative that

the MIL Campus will revitalize Parc-Ex, as put forward by the university and by mainstream media. Darwish told the Daily that “for many, revitalization means displacement.

Gentrification doesn’t improve quality of life. It creates more poverty as rents rise, as evictions increase, and as local businesses close.” Furthermore, she said that “Parc-Ex doesn’t need to be revitalized because Parc-Ex isn’t dead. We don’t need luxury restaurants or expensive condos and businesses. We need rent control and more social housing.”

Israel’s September Knesset Election

Willa Holt Sci+Tech Editor

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n September 17th, Israel held snap elections to elect the 22nd Knesset, with Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud) and Benny Gantz (Blue and White) competing to form a coalition government. The vast majority of Palestinians were, as usual, deprived of the right to vote.

Netanyahu has been given 42 days to create a coalition government by negotiating with the other parties that form the Knesset. His last attempt, in April of 2019, was the first failure to form a coalition government in Israeli history. If he succeeds this time, Netanyahu will enter his fifth term, becoming Israel’s longest-reigning prime minister.

Netanyahu ran his campaign on violent colonial promises and racist,

hypernationalist anti-Arab statements, including a promise to annex the Jordan Valley. In a segment for the BBC World News, human rights attorney and Jadaliyya co-editor Noura Erakat discussed this promise and the election as a whole. Erakat explained that there is “very little difference between [the two parties] except in rhetoric,” clarifying that the Blue and White claimed that “[Netanyahu] stole the idea [of annexation] from them.”

Both parties in question are advancing further violence on Palestinians in the Jordan Valley, which is already under a de facto annexation, which stands in violation of international law.

The Joint List, an alliance of ArabIsraeli parties, was the third largest coalition in this election cycle something Erakat finds encouraging.

The Blue and White party is opposed

to allying itself with the Joint List, directly due to Gantz’s refusal to align with non-Zionist parties. The head of the Joint List, Ayman Odeh, expressed that he would be interested in working with the Blue and White only if they shared common direction, and stated that the Joint List is “not in his [Gantz’s] pocket. He will have to come to us.”

For Palestinians already living under a violent occupation, the election has no positive outcomes. The international community’s inaction in the face of illegal occupation is itself a violation of human rights. Responding to the threat of further, explicit annexation of the Jordan Valley, Erakat asks, “Why are we leaving it to an election and to an Israeli leader to decide what international law has already prohibited?”

Phoebe Pannier | The McGill Daily

September 30, 2019 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

features

Your Prejudice is Not Dark Humour

“Cancel Culture” in Comedy

by Claudine Loop

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September 30, 2019 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

Claudine Loop Features Contributor content warning: misogyny, racism, sexual violence, homophobia

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n Thursday, September 12, Saturday Night Live (SNL) announced that it would be hiring three new cast members for the show’s 45th season. The comedians in question were Bowen Yang, one of the first Asian cast members and one of very few openly gay men on the show; skilled impressionist and Just for Laughs veteran Chloe Fineman; and Shane Gillis. Shortly after the announcement, a video, which has since been deleted, began circulating from a 2018 podcast in which Gillis made derogatory comments directed towards Chinese people, using a mocking accent and racist slurs. While this video gained the most attention, Gillis also has a history of sexist, Islamophobic, and homophobic comments, including the use of homophobic slurs. After immense public pressure, Gillis proceeded to issue a non-apology, in which he calls himself “a comedian who pushes boundaries,” and plays off the video in question as a comedic risk that didn’t work out. A couple days later, an SNL spokesperson announced that Gillis would no longer be joining Yang and Fineman on the show, stating that SNL had not known about Gillis’ past comments and apologizing that the “vetting process was not up to our standard.”

This decision sparked controversy, with many highprofile public figures such as Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang and comedian Rob Schneider coming to Gillis’ defense. This event fueled the fire of those who claim that political correctness is killing comedy.

These individuals claim that we are in an age of censorship in which no one is allowed to make jokes anymore. Often, this accusation is accompanied by nostalgia for what these people perceive to be the “golden age” of comedy, when people could get away with making openly prejudiced comments with no backlash.

Comedians often get away with more explicit bigotry than the rest of the population because their statements are written off as jokes, and are therefore seen as exempt from criticism.

The stage is used as an excuse to explore violent and hateful sentiments under the guise of dark or edgy humour, and the audience is supposed to suspend their disbelief for the sake of the “joke.” However, the occupation of the transgressor is irrelevant; it is not automatically a joke just because a comedian said it.

In reviewing the now infamous

podcast segment, it is difficult to find any jokes at all. There is no punchline, no witty wordplay, and no clever analogies; it is simply a racist rant which relies on lazy stereotypes and archaic language to ridicule minorities.

By this standard of comedy, your racist uncle or the bully from a 90s movie are apparently all just tortured comics trying to preserve the sanctity of humor in an age of political correctness.

This also raises the question of which “boundaries” Gillis claims to be pushing. There is nothing cutting-edge or revolutionary about white people making fun of people of color, straight people mocking queer people, men ridiculing women, or any person with privilege mocking marginalized communities. This behaviour, rather than breaking boundaries, simply reinforces the pre-existing boundaries, the boundaries which have historically limited the social and economic opportunities of various minority groups and which still continue to play a pervasive role in society today.

The act of targeting marginalized groups, which is often referred to as “punching down,” is an expression of dominant hierarchies and power structures such as white supremacy and patriarchy, and there is nothing brave about comedy which is in line with these norms.

There is nothing cutting-edge or revolutionary about white people making fun of people of colour, straight people mocking queer people, men ridiculing women, or any person with privilege mocking marginalized communities.

Pushing back against these oppressive forces, or “punching up,” is one way that marginalized groups attempt to challenge these power structures. As a woman who dabbles in stand-up comedy, I have personally experienced the backlash that doing so can produce.

I have sat through blatantly misogynistic sets in which women are degraded, reduced to objects, and otherwise mocked in a variety

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Nelly Wat | The McGill Daily of ways. I’ve heard middle-aged men talk about their attraction to their young female relatives or their hobby of spying on women in the shower. “Jokes” like these are all too real for those of us who are constantly being subjected to and exploited by the male gaze, and those of us who have been followed down the street or groped in a club.

The mentality of male entitlement revealed by these statements has contributed to a culture of violence towards women, and represents a tangible danger.

Despite this, I have been warned against making lighthearted jokes about cisgender heterosexual men on the grounds that I might come across as hostile, or run the risk of alienating my audience. Coming from a position of less power and privilege, I do not pose a threat to cishet men. My jokes do not perpetuate harmful narratives with real consequences. And yet while I would be deemed too sensitive for criticizing some of the disturbing and frankly terrifying “jokes” I have been exposed to, I also have to walk on eggshells so as not to offend, or worse, be perceived as bitter or “bitchy,” a word often used to describe women who stick up for themselves.

Returning to the topic of Shane Gillis, an important point is that all of this is taking place within the larger controversy surrounding so-called “cancel culture.” A narrative has developed describing an angry liberal mob who spend their days digging up dirt on innocent people, destroying lives

and careers on the basis of minor mistakes made in the distant past.

However, this is not the reality of the situation. “Cancel culture” is a myth. The power of these concerned individuals has been deeply overexaggerated; those who are “cancelled” rarely face any serious long-term consequences.

The offenders have managed to paint themselves as the victims, despite the fact that they may even profit professionally or economically from being publicly exposed. A variety of examples exist to prove that trial by the court of public opinion does not limit opportunities or damage livelihoods in any substantial way, from Supreme Court justices to YouTubers. However, even within the scope of comedy there is ample evidence of this phenomenon.

“Cancel culture” is a myth [...] those who are “cancelled” rarely face any serious long-term consequences.

In the case of Louis C.K., widespread public backlash ensued in 2017 after details of C.K.’s habit of coercing or forcing women to watch him masturbate reached the mainstream,

although allegations of his predatory behaviour have been floating around comedy circles since the early 2000s. Initially, Netflix deals were lost and movie premieres were cancelled, but after less than a year, C.K. made his surprise return to comedy at New York’s Comedy Cellar, receiving a standing ovation. He has since gone on to joke about school shooting survivors and non-binary people, essentially leaning in to his newfound infamy instead of attempting to learn from the experience, and capitalizing off of an audience that seems to support C.K. not despite his past, but because of it. He will be performing three sold-out shows beginning on September 25. He has become a kind of poster child for anti-PC comedy and has gained a fervent base of largely right-wing fans.

His accusers, on the other hand, have been heavily stunted by their interactions with C.K., and have faced intense backlash for daring to tell the truth. Julia Wolov and Dana Min Goodman, who have been spreading the word about C.K.’s predatory behaviour since their initial interactions with him in 2002, have described how their opportunities in the comedic sphere were limited due to C.K.’s powerful connections in Hollywood.

Comedian Kevin Hart also came under fire for homophobic tweets from several years ago, such as one stating that if he found his son play

September 30, 2019 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

features with a dollhouse he would “break it over his head” and say, “stop that’s gay.” The backlash intensified when it was announced that Hart would be hosting the 91st Oscar Awards.

Shortly after, it was announced that Hart would no longer be hosting.

However, an important part of this story is that Hart was given the option of apologizing, but instead he opted to simply give up the job. The “liberal mob” did not take away his Oscars gig; he made the choice to step down. In April, just months after the Oscars debacle, Hart’s Netflix special was released, and he continues to enjoy mainstream success.

The complaints against cancel culture often ignore the fact that people constantly get fired from their jobs for a variety of reasons. Members of the working class may be punished for things entirely outside of their control, such as a car breaking down. In some US states, an individual can still be fired on the basis of sexual orientation.

People face consequences for matters unrelated to their own behaviour all the time. All things considered, those targeted by cancel culture are getting off pretty easy compared to the rest of society. They face public outrage as a result of their own actions, endure minor, shortterm setbacks, take a short hiatus, and move on with their careers. Those excluded by the dominant culture such as women, queer people, and certain racial minorities do not experience this level of forgiveness. In 2009, for example, Jenny Slate was fired from SNL for swearing on

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television. While she has still managed to distinguish herself as a successful comedian, due in part to her viral series Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, the point stands that she suffered the same consequences as Gillis despite her transgressions being relatively trivial in comparison.

Cancel culture is simply operating as a kind of human resources department, performing a vetting process which should have been undertaken by the hiring institution.

All this is not to say that there is no value in bringing up past wrongs. Just because “cancelling” someone is not a permanently damaging act, it is still important to bring attention to these issues. For one, while problematic comedians are still able to find new audiences and venues, at the very least, they can be better avoided by those who don’t want to be subject to that behaviour. Bowen Yang should not have to work with someone who openly mocks his identity both as an Asian-American and a gay man. Additionally, Gillis claimed that “white chicks are literally the

Nelly Wat | The McGill Daily bottom,” in his ranking of who is and isn’t funny; it is impossible to imagine that Gillis would have respected Fineman as a co-worker.

If anything, cancel culture is simply operating as a kind of human resources department, performing a vetting process which should

have been undertaken by the hiring institution.

Additionally, it can bring attention to the ongoing prevalence of prejudiced actions and sentiments which are sometimes regarded as obsolete. Modern bigotry may be less visible, but it is certainly present.

Nelly Wat | The McGill Daily

Shane Gillis was publicly making bigoted statements regarding Asians, women, Muslims, and gay people in 2018, and that says a lot about the work that still needs to be done. It re-affirms the need for antiracist and queer activism, feminism, and other minority movements.

Ultimately, PC culture does not lead to a society devoid of comedy, but to a society with better comedy. Within the mainstream, there are a plethora of comedians who work to provide original material that doesn’t rely on boring tropes. Recently Hannah Gadsby’s Netflix special Nanette, which focuses on her identity as a queer woman received national recognition. Ali Wong continues to break boundaries as an Asian woman in comedy. Some personal favourites of mine include the brilliant Joel Kim Booster and comedy duo Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer. Within Montreal comedy, there are shows dedicated to providing a platform for marginalized groups, such as Colour Outside the Lines, a show focused on comedians of colour, and Lady Fest, which is an “annual celebration of Montreal’s dynamic femme and non-binary comedians and performers.” Even if you choose to go to a show which doesn’t necessarily cater towards a marginalized minority, you will likely find comedians who aren’t members of the dominant group.

Support them!

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September 30, 2019 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

culture

Creating into the Future

Dr. Jen Rae Examines Artists’ Role in Climate Crisis Pandora Wotton Culture Contributor content warning: colonial violence

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r. Jen Rae, Métis artist and researcher, began her lecture, Creating into the Future: The Role of Artists in the Climate Crisis, with the message that we must grieve for our planet.

Even if individuals reduce their consumption and attempt to live more sustainably, governments and corporations must also be held accountable for the majority of emissions and environmental destruction. These institutions must massively change their behaviours on a global scale to become more efficient.

However, regardless of what strides are made in the next decade, we will still feel the intense effects of environmental destruction due to the over 1°C rise in global temperature, including what we are already experiencing: increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters, water contamination, air contamination, habitat and species loss, and displacement of communities.

Climate change has and will undoubtedly end everyday life as we know it. Her presentation encouraged the audience to treat this loss like we would any other: by moving past our denial, feeling and understanding our emotions, and accepting the reality upon us.

But Dr. Rae’s approach is not one of hopelessness or defeat. She believes that society can make great strides to combat climate change and adapt to our new reality.

Dr. Rae continued on to explain the various climate and art festivals, installations, and organizations she has helped found or has contributed to in her home of Melbourne, Australia. Although the primarily Canadian audience may have felt disconnected from these localized events that happen across the world, audience members asked Dr. Rae for advice to start their own initiatives at the end of the seminar, proving that the case studies inspired others, fulfilling the goal of this event.

One of Dr. Rae’s arguments in support of environmental art is that art connects and engages with people more so than scientific reports or intimidating statistics.

Additionally, there is an elitism in only publishing dense scientific studies and research that limits their audience to the highly educated, creating a class barrier between the informed and the uninformed. The people who will be most affected by climate change are those who are excluded from the relevant information. Many don’t want to listen to the experts, for example, because they would rather learn in a more approachable way or experiment for themselves in a non-hierarchical space where everyone can contribute their personal knowledge and where there are no barriers. Artists can create that space.

Climarte, an art and climate festival in Melbourne, tasks artists with making pieces that can act as educational tools. The poster program is a particularly popular

Pandora Wotton | Illustrator

aspect of the festival. A handful of artists are commissioned by the event runners to create posters on their choice of environmental commentary. The posters are then hung around the city for maximum exposure to promote thought and discussion, as well as to remove the idea of privilege and exclusivity from art. Dr. Rae notes the accessibility and utilitarian nature of posters as an art form, and therefore their value in the space of environmental art and education.

The people who will be most affected by climate change are those who are excluded from the relevant information.

The artist Amy Spiers notably created the poster Our Future, which features a statement in Woi Wurrung and Boon Wurrung, two Indigenous languages originating from the land that is known to settlers as Melbourne, to remind the viewer of the land that has been stolen and the cultural practices and languages that have been lost due to genocide. The poster subverts colonial control of communication and language by isolating settlers from access to information.

Indigenous peoples have been excluded from the conversation of environmental issues despite their traditional ecological knowledge, especially through classist educational barriers and racism within political institutions. As well, many experience trauma and distrust of colonial institutions, and therefore do not wish to engage with the governments that have repeatedly betrayed Indigenous communities throughout history (see the Daily’s editorial on the continuous issue of boil water advisories in Canada).

Another poster, The Coal Face (ScoMo) by Eugenia Lim, is a political commentary on the newly elected Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrisson, and his bold statement to bring a piece of coal into the House of Representatives back in 2017.

Morrisson used the coal as a symbol of the importance of the fossil fuel industry, and is quoted as saying, “This is coal. Don’t be afraid, don’t be scared.”

Morrisson’s Liberal Party believes a reinvestment in fossil fuels is key in order to grow the Australian economy.

The focus of Dr. Rae’s studies is the connection between art and

Pandora Wotton | Illustrator environmental knowledge. She and her collaboratives combine the creation of contemporary, interactive art spaces with education on how to tackle issues that humanity will face in the climate crisis, ranging from food insecurity to natural disasters.

The project REFUGE: Art Meets Emergency takes place annually at the Arts House in Melbourne.

Every year, the project simulates a different emergency; so far, flood, heatwave, pandemic, and displacement have been displayed.

The concept of immersive experiences that help prepare for the problems facing humanity is extremely useful for an inarguably ill-prepared population. However, it feels inaccurate to call much of the work done “art” in a traditional sense. Rather than creating physical art, the artists have created an environment conducive to creative thinking and problem solving, whether it be a safe space to discuss concerns for the future or a workshop on building rafts that were later used in an immersive art piece. Sometimes these fall into the category of installation, but the bulk of the activities and experience itself are not unimportantly preparative workshops and experiences that teach participants the skills that will be necessary in these situations.

The main idea of these immersive workshops is the importance of community. By valuing the knowledge of others, and creating a sense of unity between neighbours, a framework of connection is built that is invaluable to our survival as a species.

As a Métis environmental advocate, Dr. Rae is reclaiming her position as a voice for environmental protection. She is creating a space for marginalized voices to be heard and for teaching in a collaborative, antioppressive environment.

Dr. Rae used an example of casualties during a heatwave in Australia to illustrate her point, and the importance of bond building

during REFUGE events. In two city blocks immediately next to each other, one had multiple casualties, and the other had none. The first was a new development, where none of the neighbours knew one another.

The other, with no deaths, had a sense of community, and neighbours checked on each others safety.

This enforces Dr. Rae’s emphasis on fostering relationships as an integral component to the safety and preservation of humanity in the age of the climate crisis.

It is not what was built that mattered; it was the practice of working together and creating connections between people.

Again, the focus of these events is not the finished product. It is not what was built that mattered; it was the practice of working together and creating connections between people.

In this case, the art created is the human connection.

Dr. Rae argues the mindset that we must establish in the climate crisis is one of an artist: one that accepts risk and is unafraid of experimentation and utilizing imagination. The artist is willing to be vulnerable and open up to others.

The world is changing rapidly in ways that are impossible to accurately predict. Being prepared for these events is a way for the average person to have control over an uncontrollable future. Dr. Rae believes the best way to be prepared for the climate crisis to come is to think like an artist.

Art as a medium for change, both societal and personal, is what we need in the age of the climate crisis.

September 30, 2019 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

Alt. IntelLigence

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ImageNet Roulette and AI Bias Man-made Systems with Man-made Issues

Willa Holt Sci+Tech Editor content warning: racism, gendered slur

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ver the past few weeks, a link made its way around the internet. A minimalist webpage, black text, white background, with a brief description and a button to upload and label your own picture. Once uploaded, the picture was displayed with an inset green box and a label: “fighter pilot,” “chief executive officer,” “alcoholic,” “bitch.” With its quotable hit-or-miss labels, ImageNet Roulette was taken idly as an ironic personality test, an edgy filter – at least, for those fortunate enough to receive benign labels. Some users were designated as members of demographic groups and cultures, some as gendered slurs. Most concerningly, some users (almost always people of colour) were labeled with racial slurs. ImageNet Roulette became disturbing, inscrutable.

What kind of artificial intelligence (AI) would label someone an alcoholic?

What kind of computer – objective software, right? – would call someone a slur? The kind of AI, it seems, that was trained on biased data: and this is precisely the point.

In order to understand ImageNet Roulette, we have to first understand its foundations.

The application relies on a set of categories from the “Person” subsection of ImageNet, a database of categorized images.

ImageNet in turn draws its category labels from WordNet, a dataset composed of “synonym sets,” or “synsets,” which are made of words and word phrases with similar meanings. WordNet maps semantic connections, arranging words according to their meaning and their relationships to other words and meanings. This lexical database, developed by researchers at Princeton University, is linked to a wide

*Neural Network A type of machine learning software inspired by the function of the human brain. Each neuron in the brain handles a small part of any individual problem. Neural networks are composed of cells that each handle small pieces of information. The more examples a neural network is given, the better it performs.

Phoebe Pannier | Illustrations Editor array of programs and projects, including ImageNet. The database was manually constructed in 1986, meaning that WordNet’s vocabulary and organization are based on its creators’ judgments and “intuitions.” The creators of WordNet, native English speakers and trained linguists, constructed a database according, theoretically, to their best knowledge and understanding. The decisions they made in terms of the connections between words are baked into the database, and their implicit biases and subconscious associations are as well.

WordNet is the basis for ImageNet, which associates an average of 1,000 images to each of WordNet’s synsets. ImageNet’s stated goal is to create “a useful resource” for “anyone whose research and education would benefit from using a large image database.” ImageNet’s pictures are examined and annotated by people, who make decisions and choose labels based on their own interpretations, leaving their fingerprints, and a layer of inherent bias, on the database.

Then, there is ImageNet Roulette. ImageNet Roulette is a neural network* which uses more than 2,500 labels sourced from ImageNet’s “Person” categories to

sort user-submitted images. It was created by Dr. Trevor Paglen and Dr. Kate Crawford, with software developed by Leif Ryge. They describe it as a “provocation,” intended to expose the ripple effects of bias in the datasets we use to train artificial intelligence.

According to the ImageNet Roulette site, the application uses a deep learning framework to associate each image with its label.

Some of the labels, as many users quickly learned, are distressing.

There are racial slurs; there are cultural groups; some labels are misogynistic. By opening ImageNet (and, by extension, WordNet) to the public in this way, Paglen and Crawford shone a light on these issues, and, by extension, the issue of bias in AI. It can be easy to forget that artificial intelligence and computer programs are created by fallible people. ImageNet Roulette forces us to confront this reality: that researchers are biased, that human beings specifically associate images, traits, words, and meanings with racial groups and, to a lesser extent, genders. ImageNet Roulette can only draw from the base it was given, and it was given a base that had consciouslyincorporated racist terminology.

Had Paglen and Crawford not

developed their application, and had it not gone semi-viral, would the general public be aware of this? The statement accompanying the application explains that “AI classifications of people are rarely made visible to the people being classified.” Since ImageNet Roulette’s publication, the “Person” categories within ImageNet have been taken down for maintenance. Without ImageNet Roulette, would new AI have continued to be trained on these data? Would neural networks be learning to identify racialized faces as slurs, as criminals?

The particular experience of ImageNet Roulette is, in many ways, the least of our concerns; it is a sign of a larger issue. Artificial intelligence and neural networks are being used, designed, and developed continuously, using datasets that may or may not be carefully curated.

Computer science is overwhelmingly white, and the number of women earning computer science degrees has been in decline. If marginalized people are not represented within the groups creating and examining artificial intelligence and neural networks, this issue will not improve.

When largely white, largely male development teams are in charge of establishing category parameters, those parameters are far more likely

to have negative biases, simply due to the limited worldviews and experiences of a more homogenous – and dominant – group.

When we teach computers using our ways of seeing the world, how are we shaping that lens? Are we shaping it to be inclusive, or are we shaping it to extend harmful social structures?

There are other ways and better ways to do AI. Paglen and Crawford’s work can be encouraging: someone is paying attention. And now, thanks to them, we are all paying attention.

This article serves as an introduction to Sci+Tech’s new AI column, Alternative Intelligence.

Across the world, there are people working on alternative, inclusive understandings of artificial intelligence. These efforts are often, if not always, groundbreaking – and the Daily would like to shed light on the people doing that work. Through this focused lens, we will explore new and different understandings of AI and deep learning which feature new ethical stances, cultural frameworks, and decolonization within AI research and development. If you are interested in contributing to this column, please send an email to scitech@mcgilldaily.com.

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September 30, 2019 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

commentary

In the Moment

An Unambiguous Understanding of Consent’s Necessity

Nelly Wat | The McGill Daily Michaela Keil Staff Writer content warning: sexual violence, abuse, panic attacks few weeks ago I was asked for consent. I can’t begin to describe what passed through my mind at that moment.

I flashed through my past traumas, all the times I’ve been denied that question. I finally squeaked out an answer, and he asked me one more time, “do you want to do this?” Confused, my only thought was, who is this person asking me for consent? Little did he know the impact that those few words might have on me.

I never explained my past to him. Undeniably, it’s a hard conversation to start, especially with someone new. I just hoped I wouldn’t have to explain that I might suddenly get a panic attack or completely break down.

How do you convey years of past history to someone in the heat of the moment? Thankfully, I didn’t have to, because being asked for consent allowed me to question for myself if I was ready to try again.

Three years ago I was in an abusive relationship. The words “undesirable,” “hard to love,” and “you’re too much” became indelibly rooted in my brain. So entrenched were those words that I began to believe them. I was isolated from my friends and it became hard to remember who I was. I was simply an extension of my “partner.” Manipulated into believing that there was no one

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for me in this world except him, it was all too easy for him to push me into situations that my inner self abhorrently hated. With this subservient mindset, I couldn’t fathom pushing back, thinking that if I lost him I would be truly alone, throwing away the only person who cared for me. That worked to his advantage all too well, and my body became something that was no longer mine.

Can one question really solve years of abuse and trauma? No, but the moment I was asked for consent gave me faith that I could heal.

When I showed up to school with a scar forming on my head, my friend cautiously pointed out that this was possibly an unhealthy situation. She recognized the signs of abuse and thankfully acted upon it. Over the course of several secretive conversations with her, I eventually came to the same conclusion: I could no longer be passive, my relationship was one-sided, and not the mutual partnership it should have been.

My master, as he no longer could

be considered a partner, resented this new opinion, and told me how I was “too much.” I was too smart, I was too friendly, too optimistic, I cared too greatly, I loved too strongly, and I was too independent. At the culmination of that argument, he threw a fit so violent that someone had to come downstairs to diffuse the tension. I left so afraid and so in shock that I couldn’t drive home.

I finally ended that relationship, hating myself, and wracked with guilt, wondering if I would ever be desired again.

A year later, and 10,000 miles away from the locale of my pain, I decided to wander back into the dating pool. Someone reciprocated, and I was thrilled!

To me, this was good, this was growth, and I saw it as a step towards being okay again. I was upfront about my abuse, about how I was still healing and how I needed to trust someone before I could be in a situation so vulnerable again. I described, to the best of my ability, my leftover anxieties and extreme disinterest in engaging in anything other than a platonic first meeting. It felt like a good place to begin.

Although, in my eagerness to restore my faith in humanity, I ignored my own struggles and led myself to someone who wasn’t worth trusting. My new suitor called me, claiming his friends had abandoned him near my neighborhood. He asked if he could stay with me until he charged his phone and figured out a way home. Unwittingly, I

allowed him into my apartment, my safe space. I thought I was doing a good deed, being a caring person, helping him out. His story ended up being a lie. Before there was time to process, I was suddenly squeezed, grabbed, pushed, and told to stay quiet.

With the little emotional strength I had left, I ran out of my room as fast as I could. I found shelter in the bathroom, locked the door, had a panic attack, and cried until 4 am. This stranger took over my whole bed and fell asleep the second I left. I didn’t sleep until I washed the sheets and the bed was mine again.

On that night a few weeks ago, I was briefly paralyzed with this history when the question of consent arrived. While I’m still struggling to be comfortable in my own skin, it’s even harder to imagine being comfortable with another person. The dialogue around consent with my momentary partner allowed me to bathe in the warmth of his earnestness. The consent was constant. When I said no, my concerns were addressed, and immediately we stopped. I never realized how much more comfortable I could be with him and myself after experiencing the sincerity behind his words. Our night exponentially grew in trust, in warmth, in pleasure, as checkin after check-in, he was happy because he knew I was okay. I can call him a partner because in that moment we prioritized each other, relishing in the togetherness of that brief “us.”

I am grateful. While it seems silly to thank someone for being a good person, I am incredibly grateful. He had no idea what his question did to me, the context of that situation was completely foreign to him. Could asking for consent have ruined the “mood?”

Society frequently seems to think so, but it made me even more attracted to him. I was heard, I was understood, I was listened to, and I was respected. People are not mind readers, but his willingness to have an open dialogue about his own fears and insecurities was exactly what I needed. The concerns he expressed during that conversation are as valid as my traumas are; consent was necessary for both of us. Our conversation was enough for me to feel that, in this most simple way, he cared about me.

Can one question really solve years of abuse and trauma? No, but the moment I was asked for consent gave me faith that I could heal. For once I was an equal partner: I was able to see my body as mine, if only for that night.

The choice I was given should be commonplace, I should expect it and not be shocked by its sudden appearance. I should not be going on 22 years of my life without being asked for consent. Although this may never happen between us again, I am thankful for him, not for being a decent human being, but for showing me that decent human beings do exist. For that moment, for that night, it finally was okay. It was okay because for the first time in my life, we both agreed it was.

September 30, 2019 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

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Lies, half-truths, and hooliganism.

Wealth and Hellness

A Guide to McGill’s Brain Services

Shmilla Shmolt | The McDill Gaily

iaiaiaiaiai Services Offered Through the Glossy Hellness Wub!!!

1.) Mindfulness space 2.) Meditation cushion 3.) Presence couch 4.) Stationary bike 5.) Awareness table 6.) Self-reflection sofa 7.) Three 10-minute counselling sessions!* 8.) Waiting bench 9.) Stationary bike 10.) 1.5 psychiatrists (to book an appointment, please suffer)** 11.) Mental health flyers 12.)Deep breathing center 13.) Introspection chamber 14.) Fun positivity zone!*** 15.) Stationary bike

Comic!

Daisy Sprenger Cartoonist

compendium

If You Are Experiencing Study Stress****: Follow these simple steps!

1.) Read faster!

2.) Sleep more!

3.) Attend school!

4.) Read in your sleep!

5.) Read at school!

Follow these simple steps!

Follow these simple steps!

1.) Read faster!

2.) Sleep more!

3.) Attend school!

4.) Read in your sleep!

5.) Read at school!

6.) Listen to lectures two at a time!

7.) Teach yourself to write with both hands simultaneously!

8.) Make friends!

9.) Make your friends read faster!

10.) Read faster with your friends!

11.) you’re welcome :)

If You Feel Bad In Your Brain:

Z

15

1.) Tell your brain: hey! Feel better!

2.) :) 3.) Don’t ask for real help oh my god please we just and I mean JUST bought a new stationary bike and we spent so much on fossil fuel investments we just don’t have the funding right now to deal with actual real human problems please just go sit on a bench and think about yourself and maybe if that’s not enough go sit on a bike and think about yourself and listen worst case if you just can’t do anything and can’t get out of bed and can’t go to class then you’ll fail and we can kick you out and we wouldn’t have to think about it or feel bad ever again and wouldn’t that be nice?

4.) Drink water!

abcd abcd abcd abcd abcd

*sessions must be at least 4 weeks apart **suffering does not guarantee you an appointment slot. our psychiatrists are very busy shredding prescriptions and misgendering “at-risk” students. ***the Fun positivity zone! is not available for those with preexisting mental health conditions. ****study stress is the only stress recognized

by McGill’s house-made DSM-6 (Don’t Stress: Mindfulness 6)