The Queen's Journal, Volume 152, Issue 2

Former staff member speaks out about employee treatment

Aaniqa Karmali Features Editor

A generous gift from Alfred Bader, LLD’86, deteriorated. For a former staff member at Bader College, Jessica*, it’s time Queen’s take the blame.

Herstmonceux Castle, the home of Bader College, was donated to Queen’s University by alumnus Alfred Bader and his wife, Isabel Bader in 1993. Bader College closed after an inspection revealed significant damage to Herstmonceux Castle in November 2023. Students were quickly sent home and forced to adjust to life in Kingston. In April, 50 staff members were laid off and told to pack up their offices.

Jessica was among the laid off staff, where she worked for several years. While Queen’s students and faculty were shocked when they learned Herstmonceux Castle was crumbling, Jessica wasn’t surprised.

The castle hadn’t been inspected for structural damages in 25 years, Jessica said in an interview with The Journal Bader College’s Board of Trustees—which includes Provost Matthew Evans and three non-university trustees—made the deliberate decision to hold-off on inspections, Jessica alleged.

“There’s always been issues. We’ve always had to have the roof fixed. They [couldn’t] have been shocked,” Jessica said.

It was only when Bader College’s leadership pushed for a survey of the castle, that damage was discovered. Since the castle is considered heritage property in the United Kingdom, the University is required to fix any structural damages to the building.

In a statement to The Journal, Queen’s claimed the Executive Director of Bader College conducted a regular inspection of the castle in accordance with requirements in the UK, resulting in the discovery of structural issues. The University didn’t respond to the allegation that inspections had not occurred for 25 years.

According to UK law, owners of heritage properties don’t have a specific duty to keep their buildings in a good state of repair, but local authorities may intervene in urgent cases, such as when a building is at risk of collapse.

Bader College lacked structural inspections for 25 years

Jessica was critical of Queen’s treatment of staff following the castle’s closure and subsequent layoffs. She described the job actions as leaving the staff out on the curb.

The Bader College Board of Trustees hired a part-time human resources consultant to facilitate a 30-day consultation period with remaining Bader College staff. Jessica said this consultation period was aimed at minimizing employee redundancies, whereby employees were laid off because their positions were no longer necessary. Remaining staff prepared several proposals on restructuring the workforce to prevent further layoffs.

Many staff felt the Board was unwilling to consider their restructuring proposals, as they failed to review them until after the 30-day period ended, Jessica explained. Staff had no choice but to find new jobs, they were all made redundant, with no job responsibilities for the foreseeable future.

Jessica shared staff members felt abandoned by Principal Patrick Deane, whom they haven’t heard from since Feb. 5. Nor did Queen’s administration acknowledge staff’s contributions to Bader College following the layoffs.

“Patrick Deane left us in the dark,” Jessica said. “[This]

$25 million donation gives hope to Kingston cancer patients

was disappointing to many because a lot of us put our trust into Patrick Deane who has been a champion of the castle for the last few years.”

The University claims Deane supported staff and communicated with them regularly leading up to staff layoffs in September.

“Regarding outreach to Bader staff and faculty, the Principal held two community town hall meetings in late 2023 after the concerns with the castle were raised. He spoke with faculty and staff at Bader in February,” the University said.

Staff met with only Matthew Evans virtually, but Jessica felt this was insufficient.

“We could have had meetings with Matthew Evans in person,” she suggested. “[Queen’s was] very quick to fly out six people while the students were here, and those six people left after three days and left us with the shambles. There was no support from them afterwards.”

Bader staff and faculty created a transition guide to support students transitioning from Bader College to Queen’s main campus, but, to Jessica’s knowledge, it was never used.

When asked if she would consider returning to Bader College if it reopened, Jessica declined.

“The administration has shown us what they’re willing

to play for and how, and I’m not interested in engaging with that anymore,” Jessica said.

While Jessica was disappointed with Queen’s conduct following the Castles’ closure, others were satisfied with the University’s response and communication.

“People did the best they could with the information they had at the time,” said Anna Taylor, former director of academic affairs and psychology professor at Bader College in an interview with The Journal. “Hindsight is always 20-20.”

Taylor left Bader College in February, prior to the 30-day consultation period, along with all other senior faculty members. She is now the Director of Animal Studies at Plumpton College.

While Taylor’s upset Bader College’s closed, she’s grateful for the new opportunities brought by the change.

“Although it wasn’t a choice I would have made then, what happened, happened,” Taylor said. “It’s always sad to lose something you love, but it opens up so many opportunities.”

Bader College will remain closed to students for the 2024-25 year.

*Name changed to protect current employment

From dare to drag

Meghrig Milkon & Madison Taylor Arts & Culture Editors

Queen’s alumni, Ian Burns, ArtSci ’14, went from trying drag on a Halloween dare, to making waves as Rowena Whey, a star of the Kingston drag scene since 2018. After graduating from Queen’s in 2014, Burns is not one to do anything by halves, as seen through his commitment to drag.

Burns as Whey is not only a drag entertainer, but an activist. In 2021, Rowena Whey partnered with Spearhead Brewing Company to create the beer ‘Queen of Wheat.’ Whey is the first Drag Queen to be pictured on a drink sold in the LCBO. A portion of the sales go towards The Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity (CCGSD). In its first year, the collaboration raised over $30,000 for charity.

Though Whey started as a separate character with a backstory, she’s developed to become an important part of Burns’ identity.

“As I’ve kind of evolved, I realized that I don’t really have a drag character,” said Burns in an interview with The Journal.

“I don’t identify as female, but I do identify as queer, and I feel like Rowena is a part of that gender identity that I have now,” Burns said.

Though Rowena is a bigger, louder and more “outlandish” presence, Burns maintains he’s the same person.

With anti-drag sentiment on the rise worldwide, Burns has noticed a negative shift in Kingston as well. Until recently, the performer had never experienced anti-drag hate in Kingston.

“I’ve always found Kingston to be a very safe, very welcoming place,” said Burns. “People who would want to speak out against drag didn’t do it very vocally.”

In recent years, anti-LGBTQ+, and anti-drag hate has become much louder. While performing, Burns’ has been shouted at, and has received hateful messages and threats online. Burns’ response is to take the high road, facing the negativity with kindness, and composure.

“My policy is to take the high road because I know that what I’m doing is harmless and educational. What we should be preaching is love and acceptance and equality,” Burns said. To him, education is a far stronger tool than hate.

See Drag on page13

Bader College will be closed to students for the 2024-25 year.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

$25 million donation gives hope to Kingston cancer patients

Sofia Tosello Senior News Editor

From furthering patient centred care to delivering lifesaving CAR T-cell therapy treatment, the $25 million donation from Cara and Murray Sinclair, Comm ’84, to the recently renamed Sinclair Cancer Research Institute (SCRI) is transforming lives touched by cancer.

One of the new treatments at SCRI, CAR T-cell therapy requires a patient’s immune cells to be manufactured in a laboratory so they can attack and kill cancerous cells. It takes weeks for T-cells to be sent away to the laboratory and altered, time cancer patients don’t have.

With the Sinclair’s donation, cancer patients in Kingston no longer have to endure the waiting game.

Cathy Tidman thought her back pain was symptomatic of her years spent as a runner.

Pounding the pavement regularly had finally caught up to Tidman, requiring her to undergo physiotherapy in the winter of 2018.

But as aches and pains continued to impact Tidman’s daily function, her physiotherapist suggested an X-ray of her pelvis. From the X-ray, doctors found some peculiar artifacts in Tidman’s lungs, leading to another X-ray and CT scan.

What started as typical back pain turned into a life changing diagnosis. In March 2018, Tidman was told she had Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer impacting the lymph system and the body’s ability to fight infections.

It was treatable, Tidman’s doctors told her. She underwent six rounds of chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant under the care of Dr. Annette Hay, hematologist and clinical scientist at Queen’s University, who Tidman described as a force.

“Even in the darkest days I never lost hope because of the extraordinary care I was given,” Tidman said in an interview with The Journal

Focusing on the life lived within cancer patient’s days

The treatment put Tidman into remission for six month, after which the cancer came back. Tidman described feeling devastated, which was compounded by the fact she had to travel to Cleveland, Ohio to receive CAR T-cell therapy–a treatment for patients with cancers irresponsive to other therapies.

“I remember lying in Kingston General Hospital thinking, ‘I don’t want to go to Cleveland. There’s no way I’m going to leave,’” Tidman said.

She was in tears driving across the border to America where she spent six weeks receiving CAR T-cell therapy with her husband, Dave Tidman by her side. Getting their passports together, arranging travel plans, organizing which family members would check in on their children—it was a massively stressful ordeal, Dave explained in an interview with The Journal Cancer patients don’t have the luxury of time, Dave said. They don’t have time to traverse borders to receive CAR T-cell therapy.

The $25 million dollar donation to SCRI will allow

doctors and scientists to individually treat patients using CAR T-cell therapy, the treatment that saved Cathy’s life.

“With the donation, Cathy could have gone into a clinical trial in Kingston,” Dave said.

With the new imaging facility at SCRI, doctors will be able to study the real time effectiveness of CAR T-cell therapy in their patient’s bodies.

Reflecting on her own journey with cancer, Tidman is intimately aware of the impact the donation will have on cancer patients, their children, spouses, and caregivers. Doctors and researchers at SCRI—who saved Tidman’s life—can continue the lifesaving work they’ve already been doing.

“The researchers, the doctors, the radiologist—thank God there are people out there who know this stuff. Now there are going to be more [because of the donation],” Tidman said.

Since the summer of 2020 Tidman has been cancer free.

***

There are moments in your life you’ll never forget, Rachel Koven

explainedinaninterviewThe Journal Weddings, university graduations, having children, the list goes on.

For Koven, it was the day her late husband, Kenneth Koven, was diagnosed with cancer.

“My kids were at school where they had fall break, and we’d gone out to the 1000 Islands to close the cottage. It was a beautiful sunny day. We thought it was going to be the best ever,” Koven said.

Kenneth fell and injured his shoulder, he went to the doctor to pick up a prescription for anti-inflammatory pills. When the pills didn’t have their intended effect, his physiotherapist suggested something was wrong with his liver. Kenneth went in for an ultrasound and shortly after received a call from his doctor telling him to come to their office immediately.

Koven had an inkling they were about to receive devastating news. Kenneth was diagnosed with terminal metastatic gastroesophageal cancer.

“There are few conversations in this world that are excruciating for both the oncologist and

Future of student-funded AMS project remains dubious

Sofia Tosello Senior News Editor

AMS pushes back launch of Dayforce recruitment model

An attempt to improve the AMS onboarding experience for new staff and management in time for June hiring failed.

The AMS announced its switch from AMS Apply—an online portal students used to apply to positions in the AMS—to Dayforce in March. While Dayforce was set to go live on June 24, all Senior and Assistant

Managers at the AMS received an email on June 14 from Ian Trew, AMS human resources officer, that the launch was delayed.

The project’s costs, partially funded by undergraduate student’s mandatory $65 AMS membership fee, are in line with approved spending, AMS executive team ORA said in a statement to The Journal

ORA claimed the service needed to be fine-tuned to suit the needs of the organization,

resulting in its push back.

As they search for a solution, the AMS will revert to using AMS Apply to hire 500 student employees.

“We felt that moving ahead [with Dayforce] would not be in the best interest for both our new staff and administrative procedures,” ORA said.

The change comes after hiring was delayed for services, offices, and commissions, due to an extended AMS election

period, and adjustments to the recruitment calendar of service staff to aide in the transition to the Dayforce platform.

While team ORA said the AMS didn’t implement Dayforce recruitment, The Queen’s Journal was the first and only AMS service which used the platform to hire its full slate of staff in April.

“Using Dayforce was extremely difficult, especially since we were the first and only service to use it for hiring,”

the family as a terminal cancer diagnosis because nobody ever wants to hear they have cancer,” Koven said.

Kenneth received care under Dr. Chris Booth, director of cancer care and the epidemiology division at SCRI, who the Koven’s developed a deep connection with. Not only did Booth provide Kenneth with life-extending cancer care, but he cared deeply about the wishes for the time he had left, Koven explained.

Before his passing in 2016, Kenneth made a speech about Booth’s impact on cancer patients’ lives and even raised a considerable amount of money for his research. He cherished the relationship he had with ooth, Koven said.

Koven kept in touch with Booth after her husband’s passing and, with her background in epidemiology, began helping him with his research. She eventually became an advisor for cancer patients’ families.

From her own experience caring for her husband, Koven understands the exhaustion that comes with scans, bloodwork, treatments, and surgeries.

Rather than looking at the number of days cancer patients have left in their lives, doctors must focus on the life lived within those days, something made easier with the Sinclair’s donation, Koven said. Researchers at SCRI will use the donation to study the patient experience so those with incurable cancer are given the best life possible with the time they have left.

“All patients and families that are facing incurable cancer have unique goals, needs, and preferences. The donation the Sinclair’s [have] given will allow [Booth] to delve into that and learn about people facing terminal cancer,” Koven said.

For Koven, her husband’s passion for patient centred care lives on in Booth and SCRI’s work.

said Allie Moustakis, editor in chief of The Queen’s Journal in an interview.

“[In] February, when we were in the midst of transitioning into our new roles, we were getting email after email [from candidates] some were saying they couldn’t create an account or log into Dayforce.”

It got to the point where Moustakis had to manually schedule interviews via email for over 30 candidates.

“It definitely turned people off and impacted the overall accessibility of applying to an AMS position,” Moustakis added.

With hiring season officcal on its way, students can apply to AMS positions on AMS Apply staring June 24.

The $25 million was revealed on June 10.

PHOTO BY ALLIE MOUSTAKIS

RankIng falls fRom

pRevIous yeaR

University 1st in Zero Hunger

Jonathan Reilly Assistant News Editor

Following a 26 per cent increase in the number of universities participating in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, Queen’s managed to maintain a top 10 spot.

Queen’s secured the eighth spot this year, a drop from its third-place position last year. THE Impact Rankings assess universities based on their contributions to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

“The University’s continued success in the Impact Rankings reinforces Queen’s position as a leader in global sustainability and societal progress. The visibility the rankings have provided Queen’s has opened doors for collaboration and opportunities to have even more impact,” the University said in a statement to The Journal

The University achieved their top 10 spot by placing first in SDG 2—”Zero Hunger” or addressing food insecurity. Several programs and organizations, many of which are student-led, contributed to this effort.

The Swipe It Forward program allows students with dining hall meal swipes to donate one meal per day to another student facing short term food insecurity.

Additionally, Soul Food is a student-run organization that delivers extra food from campus dining halls to four local homeless shelters every night Soul Food raises public awareness about food insecurity, waste alleviation, and responsible food consumption.

The AMS Food Bank, a student-run service, runs every weekday for one hour to distribute food to those facing food insecurity in the Queen’s community. The AMS Food Bank collaborates with other Kingston entities to help alleviate food insecurity on campus.

In addition to addressing food insecurity, Queen’s placed third in SDG 16—Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions or fostering a peaceful and inclusive society that encourages principles of justice, accountability, and inclusivity. Queen’s ranked seventh in SDG 11—Sustainable Cities and Communities, highlighting the City of Kingston’s strong performance in public transportation, green spaces, and environmental sustainability.

“For the fourth consecutive year, Queen’s has demonstrated how research, teaching, and outreach initiatives are helping to shape a better future and address the world’s most pressing challenges,” the University said.

Job insecurity causes stress and anxiety among FAS staff

Ella Arnold Assistant News Editor

Staff fear replacement with temporary workers

Anxiety runs high amongst staff in the Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS) as they grapple with job uncertainty.

United Steelworkers (USW) Locals 2010, the Union representing staff at Queen’s, and the University met to discuss workload changes and potential layoffs for staff in the FAS Interim Associate Vice-Principal (Human Resources) Lisa Walsh, Queen’s Legal Counsel Melissa Seal, and FAS Human Resources Director David Mignault participated in discussions on behalf of the University. USW President Kelly Orser advocated for Queen’s staff during the conversations.

The meetings came after the applicants accepted into

the Voluntary Exit Initiative (VEI) vacated their roles on May 31. The program allowed FAS staff members to exit their roles for a lump sum payment, impacting staffing levels across the University.

“Right now, for steelworkers, there’s a lot of anxiety, stress, and concern,” Orser said in an interview with The Journal. “We’re getting high levels of inquiries from steelworkers who are asking questions.”

Many questions from USW members were concerns about the possibility of casual workers–employees hired on a need-be basis who cannot work for more than 90 days and are paid a fraction of the price compared to permanent workers—replacing their jobs at the University, Orser said. It’s happened

before, she added.

In January, four union members were laid off as the University navigates its financial woes, Global News reported.

The University made it clear to USW during conversations that if a position is no longer needed by the employer, the workload will no longer exist and therefore won’t be replaced by a casual worker, Orser said.

Information shared in meetings between the University and USW remain confidential.

However, to quell staff’s concerns, Orser hosted multiple town hall meetings where steelworkers asked questions about managing increased workload, entitlements, and how layoffs work. Orser’s warned staffing issues, such as concerns about their workload will extend

AMS hires two permanent staff ahead of Queen’s Pub

Students pay unknown sum for incoming Restaurant Manager and Head Chef’s salaries

Allie Moustakis Editor in Chief

With the Queen’s Pub

Despite inquiries from The Journal regarding who will have the final say in operations and who is fully in charge

the only AMS service to have fully dedicated permanent staff members, departing from the AMS’s traditional model of

(QP) set to reopen this fall in the revitalized JDUC, the AMS is increasing the total number of permanent staff from 12 to 15.

Jordan East joins the AMS as the new QP Restaurant Manager, bringing experience from his previous role as Manager of Guest Experience at Montana’s BBQ & Bar in Kingston. Rick Doucett is coming on as QP’s Head Chef, previously serving as the Executive Chef at All Seniors Care Living Centres. Both started their positions on June 3.

East and Doucett will work alongside QP Head Manager Samantha Barton, ConEd ’25, who steps into the role on Aug. 1. Barton will oversee a team of approximately 80 student staff.

of the QP under the new management model, the AMS declined to comment.

Additionally, it remains unclear whether the cost of the two permanent staff members will come out of the QP’s budget or if they will be paid from the AMS central budget. Student input remains central to organizational decision-making, AMS executives team ORA emphasized.

“Their [permanent staff’s] role is to provide mentorship, guidance, and develop standard practices, to students who are getting hands-on experience working in either offices, commissions, or services,” ORA said in a statement to The Journal.

The QP’s reopening marks a significant shift as it becomes

beyond the initial January layoffs.

“When the layoffs happen, that’s not going to be the end of it. It’s almost always the beginning,” Orser said.

Despite uncertainty surrounding their future employment, Orser encourages staff to remain strong.

“Steelworkers will weather this storm, but we know it won’t be easy,” Orser said.

In a statement to The Journal, the University said they’re not publicly discussing specific labour relations and employment issues out of respect for their employees and USW.

“We very much respect our relationship with our employees and, where applicable, their bargaining agents,” the University said.

Bye, Bye Aberdeen Student concerned Homecoming celebrations will look different

Lauen Nicol Assistant News Editor

Construction on a former party house and street has left one student uncertain about their Homecoming plans.

Construction to create an apartment and upgrade the main water system is set to begin in July on Aberdeen St., the home of unsanctioned street parties during Homecoming and St. Patrick’s Day. Construction will extend over Homecoming taking place between October 18 and 20.

entirely student-run operations.

Prior to COVID-19, The AMS Pub Services (TAPS)— consisting of The Underground nightclub and the QP—was entirely student run with one student Head Manager. Other AMS services such as Common Ground Coffeehouse and Tricolour Outlet are entirely student-run with permanent staff serving as support.

“Permanent Staff have the work experience and professional qualifications to develop and maintain the financial and operating systems infrastructure the AMS requires to execute upon its [SIC] Mission and corporate and statutory responsibilities,” ORA said.

Contiuned online at queensjournal.ca/news

As the water pipes, sidewalk, and roads are restructured over the next few months, students are concerned that typical Homecoming celebrations will be altered by the construction.

“Aberdeen street has always been a central location for Homecoming social gatherings. This being taken away for so many students, regardless of the origin, feels like we’re missing a piece of history,” Claire Golding, ArtSci ’27, said in a statement to The Journal

Although the construction is set to interrupt student’s plans, Golding hopes the new apartment building will be able to house more students as the University district reaches its capacity.

One of the keychanges is the demolition of a student house colloquially known as “The Mansion.”

Contiuned online at queensjournal.ca/news

Pro-Palestine protests occur during convocation

Protesting students wear Palestinian flags and keffiyehs around necks

Lauen Nicol Assistant News Editor

Walking across the convocation stage, some student’s opted not to shake Principal Patrick Deane’s hand this year.

Pro-Palestinian protesters demanded Queen’s divestment from companies with ties to Israel stood in front of Ontario Hall, a popular photo spot for graduating students. Protestors also gathered outside the Slush Puppie Place where the class of 2024 was set to walk the stage and receive their diplomas between June 18 to 24.

During convocation, some graduating students held up signs claiming Queen’s was investing in genocide and opted not to shake Principal Deane or Provost Matthew Evans hands. Others wore keffiyehs around their necks. One student laid down on the stage in front of Queen’s senior administration after shaking their hands with red paint during the June 20 ceremony.

The protests were met with mixed reaction from students.

Hanna Pringle, ArtSci ’24, stands in solidarity with protesting students. Pringle appreciates the

For Pringle, Queen’s staff and faculty who support the Palestinian cause are the reason she’s

community she’s formed during her time at Queen’s but knows Palestinian students can’t say the same.

“There are no remaining universities in Gaza, so although we can celebrate graduation here, Palestinian communities don’t have that same luxury,” Pringle said in a statement to The Journal

returning to Queen’s in the fall for her Master’s program.

Other students, including Kiana Brown, HealthSci ’24, believe convocation isn’t an appropriate time to express opinions on “sensitive subjects.” She described the protests as misguided and disruptive.

“This was disheartening to

witness, as graduation should be a time to celebrate academic achievements, not a platform for political protest,” Brown said in a statement to The Journal

Brown disagreed with the protests in the comments of an Instagram post by Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) on June 17.The post encouraged students to show solidarity with Palestinian people by wearing keffiyehs or handing a pin or Palestinian flag to Patrick Deane instead of shaking his hand.

Brown acknowledges both Palestinians and Israelis have suffered because of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and continues to advocate for peace.

“I remain committed to advocating for a balanced understanding of the conflict, reorganizing the legitimate concerns and aspirations of both sides,” Brown said.

Kingston businesses spread inclusivity through Rainbow Registry

Rainbow Registered businesses provide safe space for LGBTQ+ community

Jonathan Reilly Assistant News Editor

Walking into Pan Chanco Bakery and Kingston Gaming Nexus, a heart shaped pride flag greets patrons, symbolizing LGBTQ+ acceptence.

The Rainbow Registry is an accreditation program run by Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC) that ensures participating businesses are following certain standards in their day-to-day procedures. The program runs year-round and is tasked with ensuring 2SLGBTQI+ customers feel safe, welcome, and accepted by advertising pride friendly businesses.

Four main criteria must be met by a business to obtain accreditation: the policies and practices of the business must be non-discriminatory, diversity and inclusion training is provided to staff, leadership in the business is committed to being inclusive, and the leadership is passed down through the business to foster a culture of inclusivity among staff.

After an interview process with CGLCC ensuring applicants are following this assessment criteria, businesses are provided with a window decal, a spot on a list of fellow Rainbow Registered businesses, as well as a pin on the Rainbow Registry guide

map. These benefits are contingent on the payment of an annual fee.

Pan Chanco Bakery, a European-style bakery in downtown Kingston, is aproud Rainbow Registered business.

“You’re affirming as a business that you’re a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community, and your practices and policies are keeping with being a safe, friendly, welcoming, and inclusive space,” Zoe Yanovsky, owner of Pan Chanco Bakery, in an interview with The Journal said.

“Pan Chanco Bakery has always been a safe space for LGBTQ+ folks,” Yanovsky said. The practices and policies of Pan Chanco didn’t change

simply because they got accredited, she added.

Michael Nexus, owner of Kingston Gaming Nexus, is a fellow Rainbow Registered business leader. His business specializes in selling role play games, trading card games, board games, and other non-electronic games.

By becoming Rainbow Registered, Nexus emphasized to all customers the safe space Kingston Gaming Nexus provides LGBTQ+ individuals.

“We have a general philosophy that people are people. The only thing we don’t tolerate is intolerance,” Nexus said in an interview with The Journal.

Every June, Kingston Gaming

From Queen’s to Indonesia

Siallagan explores relationship between tourism and neo-colonialism in Indonesia

Ella Arnold Assistant News Editor

Damai Siallagan, ArtSci ’24, is moving away from the traditional classroom.

Siallagan received the Pathy Foundation Fellowship, a year-long post-grad program creating sustainable impact in communities. Recipients of the fellowship receive up to $40,000 to help fund their chosen initiative, as well as living and travel expenses.

His fellowship will take place in Indonesia, the country his father grew up in. His initiative is centred around aiding local Indigenous communities in Lake Toba, Indonesia. He will use digital landscaping to increase tourism in the area and work with local entrepreneurs, offering training on market research, and providing them with feedback on their products.

The initiative builds off his undergraduate thesis which explored the relationship between tourism and neo-colonialism. For Siallagan, analyzing the relationship between tourism and neo-colonialism is vital in understanding the experiences of the Toba Batak, the Indigenous peoples living in the Lake Toba region.

Siallagan’s thesis critiques the way in which tourists view the countries they are visiting. Their gaze is problematic because it often uses stereotypical and exotic images that were historically used to dehumanize Indigenous peoples and justify colonial rule, Siallagan said.

Rather than simply talking about inequity, Siallagan wants to use the knowledge he garnered during his undergraduate degree to address the root cause of the issues impacting marginalized groups.

Nexus runs a Pride board game night. They hosted a rock concert on June 8 in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

“We had four heavy metal bands come down and put on a concert in our venue to raise money for pride and they managed to raise around $500,” Nexus said.

Along with the 353 other Rainbow Registered businesses across all of Canada, Yanovsky and Nexus’ registration serves as a small part of a larger effort towards spreading LGBTQ+ acceptance.

“It feels almost superficial, unless you’re engaging that knowledge and your understanding of it with the people who are impacted by it,” Siallagan said in an interview with The Journal

Siallagan is using the fellowship as an opportunity to learn more about his Indonesian heritage.

“I wanted to connect with that side of myself,” Siallagan said.

Siallagan’s interest in equity work was reinforced at Queen’s where he majored in History and Global Development Studies. at Queen’s. Working at The Yellow House Student Center for Equity and Inclusion, a community space that provides programming and resources for equity-deserving groups, was a highlight of Siallagan’s time at Queen’s.

Graduates walk the stage.

PHOTO BY SOFIA TOSELLO

Two Kingston business owners explain why they’re Rainbow Registered.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Queen’s Hospitality Services wins Human Rights Initiative Award

Ella Arnold Assistant News Editor

Awarded for inclusive and sustainable dining practices on campus

Inclusivity and sustainability are at the top of the Queen’s Hospitality Service’s (QHS) agenda.

QHS received the Human Rights Initiative Award for their commitment to sustainability, and representation of equity-deserving groups’ dietary restrictions at the University. They received the award at the Employment Equity Forum hosted by the Queen’s Human Rights and Equity Office, and the Office of the Vice-Principal (Culture, Equity, and Inclusion) on May 6.

This year, providing sustainable food options to students from various cultural backgrounds was a priority for Theresa Couto, Queen’s wellness and sustainability manager.

Couto aims to support students who follow a kosher diet through direct communication with them. Students who follow a kosher diet abstain from consuming pork and shellfish, and don’t eat meat and dairy products in the same meal.

The first step for Couto was learning what accommodations Kosher students need. She did this by speaking to individual students to learn what type of accommodations they’d

with Kosher certification available at dining halls across campus, students must call in advance so the kitchen can prepare them.

“When I came to Queen’s in 2021, I tried to follow the

require. There are varying degrees of keeping kosher and therefore varying degrees of support students need, Couto said in an interview with The Journal.

Jon Moyal, Sci ’26, had trouble maintaining his Kosher diet due to limited options available on campus. While there are select proteins

same [Kosher] diet and I found myself falling off of it,” Moyal said in a statement to The Journal.

Last year during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, students echoed Moyal’s sentiments and had to find kosher foods off-campus due to the limited availability on campus. Since then, QHS has

been forthcoming about their kitchen’s limitations and will work collaboratively with Jewish students to find kosher food accommodations, Couto explained.

To accommodate those who observe Ramadan—an Islamic month that involves fasting and prayers—QHS worked with the Muslim Student Association this year to develop a pick-and-pack model so students could choose their own food to pack and bring back to their rooms.

Next year, QHS will offer food items for Persian New Year, following a request made by a residence don. Couto’s team is always looking for new opportunities to support students.

The Providing Equal Access, Changing Hunger (PEACH) Market and Swipe it Forward (SIF) program helped provide affordable food options to Queen’s students this year.

The SIF program allows students to donate meal swipes they aren’t using to students facing food insecurity. Couto looks for this type of peer-to-peer engagement

wherever possible.

The PEACH Market brings leftover untouched food from Queen’s dining halls and provides it to students who may be facing food insecurity.

Another sustainability initiative that won QHS the award was the Good to Go Reusable Container Initiative. The initiative encourages students to reduce their waste by charging $0.75 fee for single-use containers, increasing sustainability. The initiative expanded to include a $0.35 single-use cup on May 1.

Continuing their sustainable initiatives, QHS will continue to bring an inclusive and sustainable perspective to dining and hospitality and are grateful their initiatives were awarded.

“This [the award] was recognition that our actions and our words are aligned and that the services we are providing are really serving a need in the [Queen’s] community,” Couto said.

Gender diverse students celebrate their identities on wilderness retreat

Students travel to Elbow Lake for 15 days supported by The Yellow House

Lauen Nicol Assistant News Editor

While traversing Alberta’s scenic lakes and forests, gender diverse students celebrated their identities proudly.

The Yellow House, a campus centre providing support to equity-deserving groups, and Student Wellness Services (SWS) hosted its first annual Gender Diverse Wellness Retreat to Elbow Lake on April 27 to 28.

Fifteen transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, and agender students attended the retreat with the goal of honouring their identities by participating in song circles under the stars, meditations on the grass, and discussions of poetry. Attendees hiked, fished, canoed in the lake, and made art amongst the oak trees.

“When we were younger, we were busy explaining ourselves and looking out for our safety while other kids got to enjoy camp games, so this experience was really healing,” a student who went on the trip said in a statement to The Journal.

“The retreat was designed by gender diverse individuals who understand the experiences of student attendees,” Kel Martin, sexual and gender diversity advisor at The

Yellow House, said in a statement to The Journal.

Martin said the gathering was much needed in the community and emphasized the importance of encouraging gender diverse students to come together to support one another.

The support staff guiding

students through the retreat were also gender diverse, making for an affirming experience, Danny McLaren, EDI coordinator at The Yellow House, explained in a statement to The Journal. It was a unique time where people were not hyper-aware of their gender identity and aspects of themselves that differ from

cisgender students at Queen’s, McLaren added.

“It’s so rare that trans people get to serve our own communities, and it was empowering for students to be able to see this and to interact with trans adults and elders, be fed by trans chefs, be taught by trans facilitators, be cared for

by trans wellness practitioners,” McLaren said.

The retreat was supported by gender diverse members of Kingston community organizations including TransFamily Kingston, Beyond the Binary, Knifey Spooney, and Hope Green Collective.

The award was given out on May 6. SUPPLIED BY QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY

A retreat took place on April 27 to 28.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Queer liberation in Kingston requires modern nightlife

From past to present: Kingston’s queer nightlife scene

Aaniqa Karmali Features Editor

Kingston has a long legacy of queer spaces, but much of this history is hidden, not unlike the queer community itself. With Kingston’s LGBTQ+ community experiencing a shortage of queer nightlife spaces today, history serves as a reminder that queer people have always found ways to exist, whether out in the open or in the shadows.

Drag queen Tyffanie Morgan moved to Kingston in 1999 as an incoming Queen’s student. Though she hadn’t yet started her career in drag, it wasn’t long until she found a community in Club 477, a local gay bar located at 477 Princess St.

Previously known as Robert’s Club Vogue, Club 477 is where Tyffanie met her drag mother, Jas Morgan. Tyffanie started performing in March 2000. Club 477 was a vibrant hub for drag at the time, with performers like Crystal Cage and Jas Morgan for Tyffanie to look up to as a “second gen drag queen.”

Club 477 was a safe haven for Tyffanie and other queer students to express themselves without fear of being ostracized or attacked because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

“It was quite the little community,” Tyffanie said in an interview with The Journal. “I was accepted very quickly.”

Despite the homophobia and hecklers outside the club, Tyffanie felt protected—something queer students continue to desire in Kingston.

“The staff were just amazing there […] sometimes you’d be outside and there would be some car stopped that would roll the window down and you’d be like, ‘I know what’s gonna happen here,’” she said.

“But then the bouncers would jump out and chase after them. It was just kind of nice to know that it was a safe space. It was definitely a safe space,” she shared.

Club 477 was the centre of Kingston’s LGBTQ+ community, Tyffanie said. It brought together queer people from all walks of life and helped birth new safe spaces in people’s homes.

“It was quite the community hub because you’d always bump into people you knew there. But also, people tended to live fairly close to it,” she added.

When Tyffanie first got into drag, she and her friends would get dressed up and do their makeup at a friend’s house that was conveniently located right behind Club 477 on Colborne St.

“My first apartment was on Johnson St., like two blocks away. Sometimes coming home in drag, the neighbours would say, ‘be careful of that house because people come in one gender and come out a different gender,’” she joked.

Club 477 closed for good in the early ’00s. According to The Journal, an influx of hate crimes and heckling drove away many patrons, and Kingston lost an iconic part of its queer nightlife scene. It wasn’t the only safe space in Kingston at the time. There was still Wally’s, a gay bar on Bath Rd., and Shay Foo Foo’s, a martini lounge on Princess St.

Eventually, these places closed too, with Shay Foo Foo, the last standing gay bar, shutting its doors in 2009. This left Kingston without much of a queer nightlife scene, and Kingston’s queer community went back into hiding.

Hiding wasn’t a foreign concept for Kingston’s queer community. This is something historian Marney McDiarmid discovered in her Master’s thesis, From Mouth to Mouth: An Oral History of Lesbians and Gays in Kingston from World War II to 1980s.

As a queer history student at Queen’s in the late 90s, McDiarmid realized LGBTQ+ stories were completely excluded from the historical records of Kingston and other small cities in Canada.

“I was queer, living in Kingston at the time, and I noticed when I was reading more about queer history, there wasn’t anything written about people living in smaller urban centres. The narrative was that people from smaller towns and rural areas—because it was too hard to be queer there—all left and went to bigger cities,” McDiarmid said in an interview with The Journal.

But McDiarmid knew that this wasn’t the case. Having been part of the queer community as a student, she knew several older gays and lesbians who had lived in Kingston for decades. She wanted to share their stories.

“By looking at old microfilms of The Kingston Whig Standard and the engineering paper and The Queen’s Journal, whenever I saw a name of anybody in the paper who identified as gay, I tried to contact them through alumni affairs. The other thing I did was I put posters everywhere and mainly was able to reach people through word of mouth because at that point, I was already quite active in the community,”

she explained.

It took McDiarmid years to gather all the stories she used in her Master’s thesis. Many queer people in Kingston were closeted, and others were hesitant to become part of Kingston’s documented history. McDiarmid spoke with one participant for three years until he became comfortable enough to have his story shared.

“We have this idea that history is about people who have fought wars or been political leaders, so some people didn’t understand why their story was important,” McDiarmid said. “Their stories are as important as these other understandings of the past that we have.”

Through her research, McDiarmid discovered many of the creative ways gays and lesbians formed a community in Kingston up until the ’80s, despite the rampant homophobia at the time. Before the early 1980s, openly queer nightlife spaces didn’t exist in Kingston. Queer people found a way to blend into “straight” drinking establishments, while still being able to identify each other.

One of these establishments was the Cat’s Meow. The Cat’s Meow was one of the most popular nightlife spaces for gay men between the ’60s and ’70s. Before it became the Cat’s Meow, this bar was called the Elbow Room. Both as the Elbow Room and as the Cat’s Meow, this space was a covert meeting place for gay men in Kingston.

According to a piece McDiarmid wrote for Stones Kingston, what made the Cat’s Meow a relatively safe space for gay men at the time was, somewhat ironically, the fact that it also had a large clientele of straight men. Many gay men were closeted at the time and didn’t want to be outed by their presence in such spaces. Since straight men frequented the Cat’s Meow as well, this concern was partially mitigated.

Revealing this part of Kingston’s history was especially important to McDiarmid because of her experience not feeling entirely welcome at Queen’s because of her queer identity.

“I think BIPOC students and queer students can end up feeling really estranged from their environment, and that takes its toll psychically and spiritually on people,” McDiarmid explained. “It’s changing and it’s changed a lot, but not enough.”

Throughout history, queer people have had to fight for

their right to exist in Kingston, McDiarmid said. Spaces like the Cat’s Meow and Club 477 prove they won that fight.

McDiarmid believes it’s important for queer people today, particularly queer students, to learn about the roots of the local pride movement and acts of queer resistance.

“Despite everything, they still managed to find space and community and a way to see themselves in community with other people that counters negative discourses. That kind of resistance is powerful, I think collectively and on an individual level, it matters. We come from a history where people have been doing that in this town for a long time, so knowing that helps people feel a sense of pride and connection to the movement,” McDiarmid said.

Without any gay bars or clubs downtown today, Kingston’s queer nightlife scene is practically non-existent. Although Kingston now celebrates pride every year, with several businesses being Rainbow Registered yearround, many queer students still long for designated queer spaces.

“For me, queer spaces are a celebration of an identity that isn’t always kindly looked upon,” Ella East, ArtSci ’27, said in an interview with The Journal. “I think it’s essential to have a queer nightlife space to go to, especially in a fairly big university town such as Kingston.”

For many queer students, including East, the need for a queer nightlife space is a matter of safety and comfort.

“When I visit straight nightlife places, I am always slightly on edge and careful of how I present and act. In straight clubs, I’ve felt uncomfortable as men try to push themselves onto me despite my disinterest,” East said.

“In my experience, queer spaces have always upheld stronger values of respect and consent, and I strongly believe Kingston needs that alternative,” East said.

This sentiment isn’t unique. It’s echoed by several other queer students at Queen’s, who feel dissatisfied with the current nightlife scene in Kingston.

“Kingston’s nightlife is for cis, straight, and often older people,” Brianna Karley, ArtSci ’27, said in an interview with The Journal. “Clubs are rare and difficult to get into, and their target audience consists of cis, straight, popular students. This is not at all a welcoming place for LGBTQ+ youth,

and it absolutely doesn’t feel safe for a minute as a queer woman out partying.”

Despite a clear demand for queer nightlife spaces with more people living out of the closet, it’s been difficult to get a gay bar or club off the ground in downtown Kingston.

Club 338 was supposed to be Kingston’s first gay bar in over a decade, inspired by Club 477 of the ’80s and ’90s. Located at 338 Princess St., the club was initially set to open in 2023. However, in a statement to The Journal, drag queen Tyffanie Morgan, a friend of drag queen Bekka Blake, the visionary behind Club 338, revealed that city planning issues prevented the club’s opening.

“That, unfortunately, is dead in the water,” Tyffanie said. “They’re not opening up.”

Just as gay men carved out a space for themselves at the Cat’s Meow, queer students say they want to take up space in queer-friendly nightlife establishments in an effort to prove Kingston’s LGBTQ+ community isn’t invisible.

Having been part of Kingston’s queer community since 1999, Tyffanie has found spaces that despite not being designated queer spaces are inclusive. At the top of her list is the Grad Club, where she’s done several drag performances in the past.

Next is Tavern 2.0, a former hotspot for biker gangs that today is a welcoming space, Tyffanie said. She also recommends Tir Nan Og for their recurring Beers for Queers event. The University Tavern is another great spot that is in fact gay-owned and operated. Finally, Tyffanie recommends Something in the Water, another queer-friendly space where Tyffanie has done many drag shows.

Despite the lack of designated queer spaces, queer students should take advantage of these spaces and stay hopeful for new queer spaces in the future, Tyffanie said.

McDiarmid believes it’s important for queer students today to help change Kingston’s reputation. As a Queen’s student in the ’90s, McDiarmid felt the University wasn’t particularly welcoming to queer students. However, she chose to stay in Kingston and bolster awareness of local queer history through her research.

The history behind Kingston’s queer nighlife scene.

ILLUSTRATION BY ELLA THOMAS

EDITORIALS The Journal’s Perspective

Despite their efforts, the Colorado Republican Party cannot burn out the spirit of Pride this June.

Freedom and safety should be promoted during Pride, not compromised. Nonetheless, the homophobic and violent rhetoric the Party incites does damage to the LGBTQ+ community that must be combatted.

In early June, explicit anti-Pride posts a by Colorado’s official Republican Party circulated in the media. Notably, among these posts was an email with the subject line “God Hates Pride” and a Tweet directing people to “Burn all the #pride flags this June.”

Our current radicalized media age has given rise to the dissemination of harmful discourse, especially on a large scale. What once were civil debates have escalated into statements of outright hatred and violence, which, more often than not, are backed with misinformation or religious beliefs.

Often used as a fear-mongering tactic the grooming narrative frames queerness as a social contagion that children must be protected from. This is done by weaponizing religious beliefs. These teachings wrongfully associate LGBTQ+ folk with the notion of being morally perverted or unholy—which is not at all the case.

Not only does this harmful portrayal undermine serious issues like grooming and sexual abuse, but it also shields children from crucial lessons about respect, inclusivity, and diversity.

In reality, one cannot be conditioned to

Shield community from hate speech, not Pride

a certain sexual orientation or gender identity. That’s for one to experience and discover on their own. And, despite having the power to represent a whole community, one’s exposure to a Pride flag raised high certainly cannot do more harm than witnessing its destruction.

While it’s unsurprising the Republican Party enacts such views, it’s hard to comprehend the fact trusted government officials can, and will use their influential leadership to incite violence towards innocent

AI will never replace artists

Arden Mason-Ourique Graphics Editor

AI (Artificial Intelligence) will never replace artists because art isn’t valued purely on aesthetics and innovation but rather its human qualities.

Despite artists’ anxieties, Artificial Intelligence can never replace them. Unlike AI artwork—which is valued for the way it appears—traditional pieces are valued by virtue of their human creation.

AI art programs are generative algorithms that take inputted data and export data which corresponds statistically to the original. AI image generation was popularized with the launch of DALL-E in 2021 . Since DALL-E’s launch in 2021, AI art continues to improve at an expeditious pace. With constant updates and improvements, AI’s unprecedented progression caused uncertainty the future and career of many artists.

Artists are already often for undervalued and underpaid so it makes sense to just replace them altogether. When AI can output a detailed image in seconds, why would someone pay for an artist to complete a piece in hours for a living wage?

Traditional art is valued for its composition and aesthetic beauty. However, we don’t just appreciate the beauty in itself, but also its creation by the human hand.

Artists are typically met with compliments like “That’s amazing. You’re

so talented” or “You drew that?” Such instances show art is valued by virtue of it being created by a human. A person who requires immense training, time, and energy to refine their skill.

The value of artwork is also contingent upon its creator’s personal experience. Society has and will always love a tortured artist. This is why we love Vincent Van Gogh, who endured mental illness and poverty, never fully witnessing his success.

People value Van Gogh’s paintings because his use of colour and brushstrokes create a window. This window enables onlookers to witness his melancholic view of the world.

AI art is praised for its skill and innovation within a certain historical period. However, the value of AI production will never equate to human work. AI just takes in data and exports something similar without harnessing creativity or innovative artistic material.

In reference to personal experience, AI is worthless. AI does not live a life or have complex emotions, nor does it experience heartbreak, discrimination, or frustration. What makes traditional art invaluable are humans who channel their life experiences into creating something beautiful.

AI may be pretty, but it completely lacks the factors which give an artwork value. Without a human touch, art is just a pretty picture with no real substance.

This is why traditional art will never die, art requires humanity to provide people value, and no amount of AI generated art will change that.

Arden Mason-Ourique is a fourth year Sociology student and The Journal’s Graphics Editor.

individuals. The Party’s unapologetic response to opposing Pride is more reason for us to question where their interests in community-making lie.

Posts like this cannot go without legal repercussions, let alone be made in the first place. While the celebration’s on-going persistence is proof existing solidarity is strong enough to combat anti-Pride ideologies, it’s time that energy is channeled into some policy changes.

—Journal Editorial Board

Billionaires aren’t fit to critique workplace equity

Elon Musk is unsurprisingly out of touch with struggles of the working world.

With a reply reading “Is this legal in Canada?”, the CEO of Tesla Motors and X, Elon Musk, gives his two cents on a job posting by the University of British Columbia (UBC) that was specifically oriented toward applicants from minority or discriminated groups that face discrimination.

In an instance of preferential hiring, the posting calls for applicants from designated groups to conduct oral cancer research under the University’s Faculty of Dentistry. These groups include Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, racialized people, women, and those from minoritized gender identities.

Given that the enforced guidelines align with B.C.’s Human Rights Code, Musk’s reply to the thread on X boils down to a rhetorical question that prods at the legitimacy of preferential hiring. If anything, his question suggests there’s something inherently wrong with giving preference to certain people over others, that is, historically privileged folks.

Musk seems to be missing the point of this practice. The purpose and design of affirmative action is to eliminate present and future discrimination among a pool of applicants. Therefore, a crucial part of this goal includes combatting systemic injustices and unfair conditions set by historical hiring practices that disproportionally benefitted men, heterosexual individuals, white, and able-bodied workers.

In fact, directly disclosing the applicants that are encouraged to apply is an efficient way to achieve an equitable playing field. Continued online

ILLUSTRATION BY ELLA THOMAS

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

We’ve lost the true meaning of Pride

Pride may look like a street party, but we should be focusing on building community

Cole Olidis Contributor

Every June, the LGBTQ+ community and allies come together to celebrate Pride month. The month is dedicated to celebrating love, being who you are, and being around an accepting community.

While strong strides have been made in the progression and rights of the LGBTQ+ community, people cannot lose sight of the key focus of what Pride month and the celebrations are meant to emphasize: community.

Pride celebrations now look like a giant street party. Take for example Toronto Pride. During the day, people walk down Church St. during the Street Fair and are handed shot after shot of new drinks and full-size samples of food and makeup. At night, Church St. looks like Aberdeen St. during Homecoming, packed with tons of people.

While this builds community in the moment, long term community—which involves a secure group of people around an individual—is missing, despite being critically important to the Pride movement. These celebrations are great, but if connections aren’t long lasting, they

defeat the purpose of Pride.

Some individuals are lucky to be afforded the privilege of being accepted for their identity in the LGBTQ+ community but this isn’t the case for everyone. In a report on youth homelessness, identity-based family conflict resulting from coming out is the number one reason LGBTQ+ individuals experience homelessness. Having to leave your home after coming out removes you from your family—the same family who should be your constant community in life.

This is what Pride works to build for all individuals. Many members of the LGBTQ+ community have lost community when opening up about their identity to friends and family. This is where Pride should step in.

Research shows LGBTQ+ youth report significantly lower rates of suicide attempts when they're part of an accepting community.

However, people are forgetting the important history and reasons why Pride was created. It’s much more than just a street party, it’s to build a much needed community.

In 1970, Pride was created as a one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, also known as the Stonewall Riots. The Stonewall Riots served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world. The goal was to form a community of people unafraid to openly live their authentic lives.

The LGBTQ+ community

can seem daunting. Just like trying to fit in with any group, it can be challenging to find where a person fits in relation to others.

In the gay male community, it can be challenging to find a place with others if you don’t present masculine enough to be considered ‘masc’ and equally challenging when you don’t feel feminine enough to be considered ‘fem.’ This creates an awkward void where people struggle to find community with others, especially in a group where community must be at the forefront.

The toxicity found in the LGBTQ+ community is alarming. People look towards the community to find others like them and are met with nothing more than a brick wall. This wall stands on the idea that if people aren't how others expect them to openly live their life, they’re not afforded the right to be included in the community.

To the credit of open members of the gay male community, internalized homophobia can build this wall. Being gay comes with heightened anxiety and stress to accept yourself. It's hard to welcome someone into a community while struggling yourself to accept your relationship with others in the same community. It creates a cycle of trying to accept others, even though you still haven’t accepted yourself.

Pride should foster a sense of community for all individuals. This is one of the main pillars of Pride celebrations each year.

Being within a large group of people who feel comfortable being who they are and sharing their identity with the world isn't only incredibly empowering, but also necessary for acceptance.

Seeing a Pride flag raised is more than just another flag on a pole—it signals to people that the community they’re a part of supports them. It shows people want to uplift others and see everyone for their authentic selves—the most important aspect in the Pride community.

Throughout the month, many individuals are proud to show off who they are. They hold hands with their same sex partner, they go shirtless after a gender confirmation surgery, and they live their authentic lives around others.

Celebrations looking like street parties are great in the moment, but they miss the mark on what Pride should be focusing on with community creation and building. It’s easy to look at a Pride parade as just another street festival with people attending to have a good time but for some, it may be their first time feeling a sense of community.

As an openly gay man, I feel myself and others have an obligation to start to work to dismantle this wall and ensure all members of the LGBTQ+ community can find their place. This is what community building during Pride month should look like.

Looking back at getting comfortable in my own sexuality, it was encouraging to see other gay men openly living

their lives. Something as simple as hearing someone use the same phrases, having similar pop culture interests, and having a similar voice are all things others can find comfort in. Being authentically yourself is just a start. Breaking down the toxicity of the LGBTQ+ community also involves putting yourself in the shoes of someone else. Thinking back to what I wanted as a queer person in the closet, I just wanted to be accepted by others who were like me.

This Pride month, it’s important to work to build community with others. Community must continue to be built at Queen’s by accepting everyone who identifies as LGBTQ+. Even if they’re not up to your expectations of how ‘masc’ or ‘fem’ they should be, they’re authentically living their life.

To me, Pride reinforces that I’m accepted, but for some, it may start that journey of acceptance. Acceptance is a lifelong struggle, but it can be made easier by others making conscious efforts to build uplifting and accepting communities.

Cole is a fourth year Psychology and Health Studies student and the President of ASUS.

Want to write an op-ed? Email journal_letters@ams.queensu.ca for more details.

Cole reminds us all of the true meaning of Pride.

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY COLE OLIDIS

Q+ breaks social stigmas across campus

Allie Moustakis Editor in Chief

Q+ is breaking out of the ‘Commerce bubble,’ empowering students across Queen’s with inclusive professional development.

Founded in 2016 under the Commerce Society (ComSoc), Q+ is a club geared towards professional development, community, and allyship for LGBTQ+ students. Over the years, the club has grown to become a vital resource for many students, in and outside of Commerce.

After coming across the Q+ booth during a club fair in her first year, Co-Chair Misha Chopra, Comm ’25, knew instantly it was something she wanted to be a part of.

“I heard about them and what they do, and I was so impressed I applied that March,” Chopra said in an interview with The Journal.

Anran Wang, Comm ’25, and the other co-chair, initially didn’t envision a business career

LGBTQ+ student find a home at Q+

path. However, her search for a campus club that resonated with her personal and academic interests led her to Q+ in her third year.

“I applied because I never meant to take the business route. It was super nerve wracking for me to join other clubs. I thought this would be a good mix of who I was and business. My two worlds collided right there into a perfect club for me. And that was Q+,”

Wang said.

With an emphasis on community, Q+ has expanded beyond the confines of Smith, welcoming students from a diverse range of programs across Queen’s. Opening the club up to include Arts and Science students was especially important this year for Chopra and Wang, especially since they realized the lack of engagement from Commerce students—a gap they were eager to fill to create a more inclusive campus environment.

Both Co-Chairs acknowledged

the reluctance among Commerce students to engage with Q+, attributing it to societal stigmas surrounding LGBTQ+ identities and concerns that openness could hinder career aspirations in business.

“There’s such a lack of queer identities in Smith Commerce, not because I don’t think they’re there. I think it’s because people are afraid to come out, or afraid to put it on their sleeve because of what people might think, or the kind of stigma around it. That’s what Q+ is trying to shut down,” Wang added.

Through initiatives like resume building workshops, mentorship programs, and a dedicated professional development tailored to the LGBTQ+ community, Q+ has made it their mission to enhance career prospects while simultaneously promoting inclusivity on campus.

Q+’s mentorship program pairs mentees with industry professionals who guide them through the career challenges

What does the interest rate cut means for student rentals?

Macroeconomics explained in simple terms

Jayden

Jeong

Business, Science, & Technology Editor

Low interest rates may impact the student rental market with revitalization of the real estate industry, but Kingston still has issues with housing supply.

On June 5, the Bank of Canada (BoC) announced a decrease in the policy interest rate to 4.75 per cent from five per cent. The five per cent interest rate was the highest rate for the last two decades, which remained since

July 2023, according to BoC.

The central bank cut interest rates to 0.5 per cent in response to the pandemic, which remained until March 2022. In June 2022, inflation, measured by the consumer price index, reached an all-time high at 8.1 per cent. To combat the high inflation, the BoC hiked interest rates 10 times until it reached five per cent in July 2023.

When announcing the rate cut, the Governor of Bank of Canada Tiff Macklem said it’s reasonable to expect further cuts to our policy interest rate if inflation continues to ease.

The high interest rates help reduce inflation, Macklem explained.

Huw Lloyd-Ellis, an economics professor who researches housing

markets, told The Journal this cut alone isn’t going to have a significant effect on the housing market, but what’s important is that more cuts may come.

“These are pretty small changes at the moment, and it seems unlikely to have major effects compared to the other kind of forces that really drive the market,” Lloyd-Ellis said.

Lloyd-Ellis said prospective home buyers couldn’t qualify for mortgages due to high interest rates before, but lower borrowing costs could allow more people to buy homes.

According to the City of Kingston, 44 per cent of Kingston homes are occupied by renters rather than owners.

specific to the LGBTQ+ community, while fostering connections that extend beyond academic years. Wang emphasized the importance of these connections, noting her own ongoing mentorship has significantly aided her navigation of professional spaces as a queer individual.

The organization’s end of year conference serves as a pinnacle event for networking and skill development within the LGBTQ+ professional sphere. Each year, the conference embraces a different theme—this year, it celebrated queer excellence.

This event is particularly special for attendees like Chopra, who emphasized its role in affirming LGBTQ+ identities within professional settings.

“With having a queer identity, there is this embedded fear, ‘like should I put that on

“[If interest rates keep falling,], then what you might see is housing units that are currently being rented being shifted into the owned market, which you could say, well, that that’s a problem for the rental market,” Lloyd-Ellis said.

According to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Kingston’s vacancy rate was 0.8 per cent in October 2023—one of the lowest in Canada. A healthy vacancy rate hovers between three to five per cent.

The low vacancy rate is reflective of high demand relative to the supply of housing, Lloyd-Ellis said. He explained you need a certain amount of housing, whether it’s owned or rented, to improve the vacancy rate.

“The adjustment in the interest rate, as long as it doesn’t affect the overall supply of housing, it’s not going to have much effect,” Lloyd-Ellis said.

Kingston exceeded its housing target of 587 homes in 2023, launching 1,465 new projects.

my resume? Should I say that in the interview? It’s kind of nice, just having someone who’s, made it in the industry look at you and say, ‘you can, and you can be yourself.’ Whenever I go to conferences like that, or we have our own conference, I feel so reaffirmed in my own identity,” Chopra said.

For Chopra, Q+ has been more than just a club—it’s been a transformative force in her life, bolstering her confidence and leadership skills.

“It’s not just a club,” she said. “It’s been my biggest supporter in many ways. It’s changed my life and helped me become who I am.”

Looking ahead, both Co-Chairs are enthusiastic about the future of Q+ and the opportunity to give back to those who gave so much to them.

It’s unclear when these projects will be finished since launching new homes doesn’t mean those houses will be available on the market instantly.

It also isn’t clear how the federal government’s restrictions on international student visas will impact the student housing market.

In 2019-20, 668 first-year undergraduate international students were enrolled at Queen’s. In 2020-21, Queen’s intake decreased to 571 students. This figure dipped again in 2021-22 when it dropped to 371 students out of 12,041 applications.

There was a slight increase in 2022-2023 with 414 enrollments, although there was an overall decrease in the number of applicants to 10,132.

Starting in September, both domestic and international students accepted after April aren’t guaranteed residence to live on campus. It’s unclear how this unprecedented policy will impact the student housing market.

Q+ holds an annual conference in January.

PHOTO

Gaels Soccer sign Kasy Kiarash as new Head Coach

Profiling the new mastermind behind the Men’s Soccer team

Aidan Michaelov Senior Sports Editor

After one of the best seasons Queen’s Men’s Soccer has ever seen, they’ve made a coaching change in hopes of continuing their upwards trajectory and fostering further growth within their student-athletes.

On June 14, the Gaels announced they’d be signing Kasy Kiarash as their new Head Coach.

Kiarash just wrapped up a season as an Assistant Coach of the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks, where he

won the OUA East Division in 2022, finishing second with an 8-1-3 record this past season.

Prior to his time as a Ridgeback, Kiarash served the TMU Bold as an Assistant Coach and with Graceland University of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in the United States.

Kiarash brings with him a deep well of experience and knowledge, he’s coached at the national and professional level, working alongside the Orlando City Soccer Club, Toronto Football Club, and

both Guyanese and Canadian U20 National Teams.

Kiarash noted that his approach to coaching has taken time to find its form, sculpted by all of the coaches he himself had been coached by, and those he was able to work alongside.

“Through the last 10 years I would say, a decade of coaching in OUA sport and being involved in the national team and working with MLS teams in Orlando City, CPL teams like Halifax, and having an opportunity to work with fantastic coaches and leaders, one

Analysing the Gaels’ Soccer and Basketball regular season schedules

‘The

Journal’ predicts how we might see our Gaels perform during these upcoming seasons

Aidan Michaelov Senior Sports Editor

With the release of the regular season schedules for both the Men’s and Women’s Basketball and Soccer teams, it’s time to review the timeline for the 2024-25 campaign, predicting where our Gaels might find themselves entering a rough patch, and proposing a hypothesized regular season record.

Basketball

After historic seasons from both the Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams, the Gaels will look to continue dominating their respective divisions during the 2024-25 season.

The first tip-off of the 2024-25 season is just around the corner, with the Gaels taking on the

Guelph Gryphons on Oct. 26.

For the entirety of their seasons, the Men’s and Women’s teams will be playing consecutively, with the Men’s game typically taking place about an hour after the Women’s game ends.

The excitement continues as the Gaels return home for a thrilling back-to-back showdown against the Windsor Lancers and their long-time rivals, the Western Mustangs, on the weekend of Nov. 1 and 2.

With the way games have lined up for the Gaels this upcoming season, we should expect to see a strong road record because they never play rivals or powerhouses like Western, or Brock, on their home courts.

The Gaels will face other OUA powerhouses, such as the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees and Carleton Ravens, during the weekend

thing that sticks out to me is the idea of servant leadership,” Kirarash said in an interview with The Journal

Kiarash continued to emphasize that his focus has been, and always will be, his players—not just fostering their development on the pitch but also their growth as leaders, scholars, and professionals away from the field, hence his dedication to his servant style of leadership.

Working as an assistant coach, scout, and support staff has proved beneficial towards Kiarash’s development as a head coach, his goal was always to command a team of his own, and he’s extremely excited to impact the Gaels in a positive manner.

Kiarash emphasized his excitement towards working with numerous Gaels players, continuing to joke about the relief of not having to kick off against star midfielder, Jadon Lashley, ArtSci ’25.

“It’s exciting to come over on this side and, you know, not be scouting against them and prepping against them. Now I don’t have to game plan for a Jadon in the midfield, giving me a headache for 90 minutes,” Kiarash said.

In terms of looking to add to the Gaels roster, Kiarash disclosed a bit about what makes an attractive prospect.

“We’re shooting for not just winning games, but to win important things, to win a conference, to win a national championship. In order to do great things, you need great people, and it starts with character. That character has to match the ingredients of being a Gael, not just being a good player, but

Soccer

It’s going to be a while until we see our Gaels play at home, as their first three games will be played on the road at Toronto Metropolitan University, Ontario Tech University, and Carleton University.

being a good person on and off the field, being a good teammate, having grit, perseverance, and living above the line is what I like to say.”

Kiarash isn’t just looking to take the Gaels to new heights on the pitch, also aiming to open up opportunities for his student-athletes off the pitch as well.

“No specific goals, but if I would say something it is to get the absolute best out of these players and help them reach the next level, whatever that means for them, whether it’s connections to help them play abroad, whether it’s to help them with non-soccer related things like getting an internship or helping them to start their own business by getting them connected with our alumni, because I always go back to this, it’s much bigger than winning games,” Kiarash said.

Before refocusing on his U20 Canadian National team, which is currently competing in Chile, Kiarash had this to say to the members of the Queen’s community.

“I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity, the city looks beautiful. I’m looking forward to meeting the community, getting involved, and if there’s anyway the Men’s Soccer team can be involved or help in anyway, reach out, I love connecting with the community.”

The Gaels will be kicking off at home against the Laurentian Voyageurs on Sunday, Sept. 8, make sure to come out and give Coach Kiarash the warm welcome he deserves!

by the Naihin twins.

of Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 which may prove itself to be a very difficult double-header.

The deparrture of numerous pillars of the Gaels’ offence on both the Men’s and Women’s teams will surely leave a plethora of holes to be filled, but there’s no doubt players like Michael Kelvin II, ArtSci ’25, and Mikayla McFarlane, Kin’25, are ready to explode and fulfill their roles as legitimate threats on the court.

With the identity of the Men’s and Women’s teams seeing significant changes in their respective starting fives, it would be foolish to expect anything other than a slight decline in both team’s regular season records.

Final Prediction:

Men’s Basketball 17-5. Women’s Basketball 15-7.

The Men’s team started off notoriously slow last season, tying their first two matches, and then losing their next three. However, after that they continued to finish the season undefeated. If they can get off on the right foot, under new Head Coach Kasy Kiarash, it could be an extremely dominant season for the Gaels.

On the Women’s side, they faced relatively little pushback throughout their season, closing the season off with an outstanding 10-1-1 finish.

Last season, the Women’s team managed to make it to the OUA championship, where they lost in a shocking 1-5 match against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees. With the departure of twin rookie stars, Leda and Vita Naihin, who signed National Letters of Intent to play for the University of Syracuse Orange next season, the Gaels must rely on the depth of their prospect pool to fill the gaps left behind

The Orange are a Division 1 program competing in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). There’s no suprise such a well-funded, and renowned program went for the dynamic duo. The twins combined for 20 points in just 12 games, and Leda earned OUA Rookie of the Year honours.

The Men’s team is also in a very opportunistic position. Players like Pablo Hempelmann-Perez, Comm ’26, and Diadie Traore, ArtSci ’25, will be returning, and if they can continue their upwards trajectory of dominance on the pitch, there’s little doubt they should be able to grow alongside their new coach and bring the Men’s team to new heights.

Final Prediction:

Men’s Soccer 9-1-2. Women’s Soccer 9-2-1.

Interested in contributing to The Journal? Email journal_sports@ams.queensu.ca for more details.

Kiarash joined the team on June 14.

PHOTO CREDIT ATHLETICS & RECREATION

Have you ever thought about sword fighting at Queen’s?

Fencing Head Coach

Rodney Carter speaks on program’s recent success

Aidan Michaelov Senior Sports Editor

There was a time when fencing was near the forefront of sport at Queen’s and after a pair of bronze medals at this summer’s Provincial Championships, we might see fencing reclaim it’s title as one of the most intriguing and inclusive sports on campus.

Recently, at the Senior Men’s Provincial Championships, Queen’s Fencing Head Coach, Rodney Carter, Nurs ’02, finished third place in the Veteran Men’s Epee, with Queen’s student Tia Gayowsky also finishing third in Senior Women’s Sabre.

Fencing at Queen’s is a sport less followed by the general student body, however, the opportunities for both competitive and recreational engagement with this historic and interesting sport should be recognized for the potential benefits it provides students.

Carter has been coaching fencing himself for the past five years, after fencing at Queen’s from 2000 to 2002. Prior to fencing at Queen’s, Carter had no experience with the sport but his athleticism and desire to compete was enough

for the Head Coach, Henk Pardoel, to bring him on board.

Carter went on to grow alongside the fencing program at Queen’s, eventually competing at the OUA championships and earning bronze.

Since then, Queen’s has grown as a destination for fencing in Canada, hosting an annual invitational tournament, named Hugh Munby Queen’s Fencing Tournament, named after former Queen’s fencing coach.

The Queen’s team offers 48 varsity roster spots, divided equally amongst men’s and women’s teams.

The teams practice, compete, and travel together aside from the OUA championships.

“We do have people who have never fenced before, you don’t know a whole lot about fencing, well, not many people do. It is a fairly niche sport, but everyone’s sort of familiar with fencing. You know, sword fighting in general, whether it was Princess Bride, Star Wars, or whatever, everyone likes the swashbuckling kind of thing.”

Carter said in an interview with The Journal

Fencing at Queen’s is an opportunity for students of all levels of skill and athleticism to try something new, aiming to find a new hobby or passion.

“We show them what fencing is all about, and we let them try it. We teach them the basics and then we pick our varsity team from that, and over the past two years, we’ve started a recreational program again, we lost that before COVID, but recreation has been great, we’ve had some excellent learn-to-fence sessions, and some people who tried that ended up making the varsity team,” Carter said.

Carter also opened up about an incoming student-athlete from British Columbia, who competed as a sabrist on the Canadian junior national team, Florella Peng.

The addition of young fencing prospects is not only a testament to the attractiveness of the fencing program here at Queen’s but a direct communication of the excellent opportunity posed towards all students as a suitable destination for anybody to pick up a new hobby and develop some serious skills.

While the official season won’t start until the fall, Carter disclosed the presence of Q Camps available during the summer in which kids can learn fencing skills in an entirely recreational setting.

Carter’s story, from unassuming Queen’s student, to varsity fencing athlete, to OUA medalist, and then to community member, where he volunteered for the program while living in Kingston, eventually making his way up the ladder to Head Coach, serves as a strong testament to the obsession and connections that can come from picking up a new sport.

This year, Queen’s has been selected to host the Women’s OUA Championships from Feb. 8 to 9 at the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC). A testament to both the excellent facilities Queen’s has, and the strong fencing program that’s beginning to regain its momentum.

Gaels compete at FISU National Sailing Championship

Two Gaels placed fourth at the FISU Championship

Aidan Michaelov Senior Sports Editor

This past month, from June 6 to 10, in Desenzano, Italy, on Lake Garda, four Queen’s student-athletes, Mansell Styles, Sci ’25, Tate Howell, Kin ’25, Rachel Green, Kin ’24, and Rose Sbrolla ArtSci ’25, were selected to sail for Team Canada at the FISU University Championship.

The four Gaels were divided into two separate Canadian teams, one for the West, and one for the East, with Styles and Howell representing Team West, Styles as the Jib Trimmer, and Howell on Pit.

Sbrolla was on Pit for Team East, with Green was the Jib Trimmer.

Mansell Styles reflected on the opportunity to represent Canada and Queen’s on an international scale.

“It was pretty surreal, especially at the opening and closing ceremonies, they ran a sort of marching band parading through the town with all of our flags, playing our music. It was really special,” Styles said in an interview with The Journal

While Styles mentioned for the most part “sailing is sailing,” wherever you are in the world, he noted that wild winds posed

AIDAN’S ANGLE

State of Pride in Queen’s sports

How does Queen’s voice its support for pride initiatives, and what could they do better?

Aidan Michaelov Senior Sports Editor

With June comes heat and Pride parades across the globe, so I thought it might be productive to compare and contrast Queen’s attempts at engaging with Pride, and promoting itself as an inviting and accepting place for students and athletes of all identities to study and compete under the Gael brand.

As it currently stands, there are a number of events Queen’s hosts during the month of June to commemorate and support Pride initiatives on campus. The only one related to sport are cycle classes hosted at the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC) every Monday of June.

During the academic school year, the ARC hosts solidarity swims to support LGTBQ+ identities who are looking for a safe, comfortable space to swim, and serving as a space to meet other members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Although June is Pride month, it would be nice if Queen’s showed their acceptance and empowerment of LGBTQ+ members of the community year-round, at games, and events.

Professional sports leagues such as the National Hockey League (NHL) and Canadian Football League (CFL) have their own Pride events held throughout the year.

Styles also noted Canadian teams have historically struggled under the international spotlight but going into the championships with an underdog mentality only sweetened their success.

a significant challenge throughout the competition.

By the end of the weekend, Canada West, with Styles and Howell, finished in fourth place overall, only one point out of second place. However, Team East struggled to find the same success.

“The final eight boats in the fleet were super, super close. Every race could’ve gone to a different boat, it was very exciting,” Styles said.

Although competing against fellow Gaels and Canadian student-athletes, placing the two Canadian boats in separate fleets equivalent to heats if you were running in a track meet, shaped a more indirect form of competition between the four Gaels.

Team France finished in first place, followed by Italy in second, and Singapore in third.

Teamwork is a central value towards succeeding on the water, after emphasizing the importance of communication, Styles reflected on the importance of stamina when racing.

“In Italy I was the Trimmer, usually on big boats you’ll have a primary and secondary Trimmer. This boat was a little bit smaller, so they only had one, which was me. Trimmers are responsible for trimming the sails on the front of the boat, it was probably the most physically demanding position, every maneuver you’re yanking on the line to switch a sail or to hoist a

The CFL has a number of works published regarding Pride as part of their Diversity Is Strength (DIS) initiative aimed at deconstructing homophobic stereotypes that serve as barriers keeping members of the LGBTQIA+ community away from sport.

Whether it be designing jerseys, t-shirts, or towels, small acts of support go a long way in transforming Queen’s into a destination where LGBTQ+ students and athletes can commit to, and be assured their identity is not just acknowledged but appreciated.

The York University Lions hosted a Pride Game on Nov. 9 and 10 during OUA Pride Week this past year led by Bayne Pettinger, the first openly gay NHL agent and a long-time member of Hockey Canada. The Lions hosted a keynote session prior to their game against the Toronto Varsity Blues.

The University of British Columbia also hosted a Pride Night this past Feb. 2 where students and community members of all backgrounds gathered as allies of the LGBTQ+ community to support their Men’s and Women’s volleyball teams.

Continued online at queensjournal.ca/sports

sail. The races lasted about 35 minutes, and with the force of the wind, it can get really exhausting,” Styles said.

Styles began sailing around the age of nine in Georgian Bay, ON., he said he recognized sailing at Queen’s is on an upward trajectory and implored upon current and prospective Queen’s students to get involved with the club.

“If you’re interested in sailing and you’re at Queen’s, or coming to Queen’s, come to our tryouts, or, we run a recreational program for students just to get into the water and experience it. The focus of the team is very much like we’re all here, to improve our academic career at Queen’s by sailing because it’s fun and it’s something that we’ve enjoyed for a lot of our lives. Just reach out if you’re interested, we’re happy to take anyone on the water,” Styles said.

Queen’s must show their support year round.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Queen’s Fencing is a sport to watch!

LoveHoroscopes: is in the air this summer

How the stars will align for each sign this summer

The Psychic Scholar Staff Writer

Aries (March 21 – April 19)

I know you have your eye on a special someone, Aries, but don’t fly too close to the sun or you might get burnt! They may seem like the whole package, but so are YOU! Don’t lose yourself in the process of manifesting your dream romance.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

June is all about facing the past, Taurus. It might be time to make up (or make out) with your ex and face the miscommunications that went between you two. You never know, maybe a second chance is what you both deserve.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

Summer lovin’ hasn’t been a blast for you, Gemini, but it’s not too late to turn it around. I get you just got your heart broken, but you’re way too good for them—isn’t that what your ex said when they were breaking up with you anyways? At least they were right about one thing.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

You can finally put those tissues away, Cancer! Time to turn off the sappy romance flix because Cupid is about to strike you with their arrow—bring out the chocolates

and get ready for beach dates and lots of Netflix ‘n’ Chilling! Buy yourself a cute summer fit because you will be going on plenty of hot dates!

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22)

Ouch Leo, this summer you’re hot! I know everyone keeps fanning the flames with all this attention, but don’t let your ego explode in the process. It may be fun to be the brightest flame, but watch out who you might burn along the way. Love might be fun, but it’s not worth scorching friendships for.

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22)

Virgo, this month love is in the air—and possibly the cubicle next to you. It’s time to turn your coffee breaks into the meet-cute you’ve always dreamed of and make a move on that hot co-worker. I’d caution against using the office printer for love notes, but by all means, don’t be afraid to mix business with pleasure.

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22)

If you’re worried about summer long-distance, Libra, don’t fret. Your charm will shine through the glitchy FaceTime screen, and after all, distance makes the heart grow fonder. Keep the romance alive by planning virtual dates, surprise care packages, or even a mid-summer visit.

Remember, love knows no bounds—or bandwidths.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21)

This summer is all about you, Scorpio. Forget swiping left or right and let your heart (and thumbs) take a vacation. Embrace your freedom and soak up that single sun. Romance can wait—spend the month flirting with solo adventures and new hobbies.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21)

Lay off the heart-breaking PLEASE, Sagittarius. We get it, you’re a man eater! But do us all a favour and pick up some summer reading or a new hobby. People aren’t your playthings! Maybe take

up running, it’s better for your heart (and everyone else’s).

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19)

On these warm summer nights, Capricorn, make sure you layer on the repellent or you might end up with a few bites! It’s not just the mosquitoes you have to look out for this time around. Be careful of the people that come buzzing too close this summer, or you might end up hurt. Have the swatter at the ready to protect your skin, and your heart.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18)

It’s time to stop playing with other people’s feelings and focus on self-love, Aquarius. A day at the rage room could help you release the hurt from your past. Consider dedicating this month to self-love and healing.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20)

Pisces, Pisces, Pisces. It’s time to hang up the apps and cast your line out into the real world. There’s plenty of fish in the sea, but you won’t find your catch on Hinge this summer. Try asking someone out IRL. It might seem scary, but you never know who might be waiting for you in the deep.

Witness Blanket brings stories of Indigenous resilience to Stauffer Library

Made with over 800 items, the Witness Blanket symbolizes ongoing efforts towards truth and reconciliation

Meghrig Milkon Senior Arts & Culture editor

A symbol of resilience and reconciliation, the Witness Blanket invites everyone to bear witness and learn the historical importance it holds to ensure it is not forgotten.

Queen’s University hosted the Witness Blanket, a significant large-scale art piece on loan from Canada’s Museum of Human Rights. Representing Indigenous resilience and ongoing reconciliation efforts, the Witness Blanket was displayed in the Fireplace Reading Room on the second floor of Stauffer Library from early April to early June.

“We initiated this process several years ago, as there is a lengthy wait list to host the Witness Blanket. We were extremely lucky that there was an unexpected opportunity for us to host this year, and we jumped at the chance,” Vice-Provost and University Librarian, Mark Asberg said in a statement to The Journal.

The Witness Blanket, created by Carey Newman (Hayalthkin’geme), was built from letters, photos, books, clothing, and building fragments collected from sites across every province and territory in Canada. The project included travelling 200,000 kilometres, visiting 77 communities, and meeting over 10,000 people.

“Each object comprising the Witness Blanket represents a story from a specific time and place, and together they tell a sweeping history of residential schools and Indigenous experiences,” Asberg said.

Inspired by a traditional woven blanket, the Witness Blanket is made from over 800 items reclaimed from residential

ARTS & CULTURE

schools, churches, government buildings, and cultural structures across Canada. The exhibition honours more than 150,000 Indigenous children forced into residential schools between 1870 and 1996, seeking to foster a better understanding of Canada’s past.

Each piece on the Witness Blanket vividly portrays the history of Canada’s Residential Schools, which spanned for centuries. These patches carry profound historical and emotional weight, representing the experiences of Indigenous children who faced institutional and systemic injustices, and the lasting impact on their families and communities across generations.

Housing the Blanket in the library was particularly significant, as “libraries are places that connect people with diverse forms of knowledge and, perhaps

FRom daRe to dRag, Queen’s alumnus Paves the way i n Kingston’s dRag cultuRe

Rowena Whey leads the way with kindness and compassion

Continued from the front page.

Burns spoke to The Journal about the difficulty of being a drag performer in a city without a designated LGBTQ+ bar. Though there are many venues around Kingston supportive of the drag scene, and regularly host performances, there’s a lack of a central hub.

Venues such as The Grad Club, The Broom Factory, Daft Brewing, and Spearhead Brewing Company, among others, regularly host drag events. Website dragshow.ca run by local drag performer Tyffanie Morgan lists

upcoming drag shows in Kingston.

“Drag in Kingston is only visible because drag performers are pushing to have shows at bars,”Burns said. “But what we really need as performers is consistent spaces so that people know where to look for us.”

This reassurance of community is something Burns’ hopes to extend to the Queen’s—which is evident in his involvement in the Queen’s community as a group fitness instructor, teaching a spin class at the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC) in drag as Rowena.

Hosting Drag Trivia at Clark Hall Pub was also a success.

Realizing that student turnout was low at drag events out in Kingston, Burns instead brought the drag onto campus. The student reception is often extremely positive, with many students

more importantly, each other,” Asberg said. The Witness Blanket acts as a bridge by creating a safe space to learn about Canada’s history with Indigenous Peoples and unite in the journey toward truth and reconciliation.

“Universities, and particularly libraries, have a responsibility to share the true history of what happened at Residential Schools and the ongoing, intergenerational trauma they caused. Art pieces like the Witness Blanket provide an opportunity for us to learn and further our journey of Truth and Reconciliation,” Asberg said in a statement to The Journal.

Having these stories shared and allowing Indigenous voices and history to reclaim spaces and institutions such as Queen’s University is of utmost importance to Acting Associate Director, Office of Indigenous Initiatives, Mika Henry. “While the history

of Canada’s residential school system is a story of cultural genocide and colonialism, this art exhibit is highlighting more narratives—sharing stories from far and wide as an act of reclamation and resurgence”

The blanket invites each one of us to bear witness by not just looking backward at the past but showing by our actions something is true. ‘Art pieces like the Witness Blanket provide an opportunity for us to learn and further our journey of Truth and Reconciliation’ Asberg said in astatement to The Journal.

“My role as an artist is to bear witness. The pieces themselves are witnesses.

The people giving us the pieces are witnesses, and, at some level, we are all—or we all should be—witnesses,” Newman (Hayalthkin’geme) said.

wondering why they’d never known about the drag scene in their city before.

Burns hopes drag will become more visible to the student community, through drag being a major event at Queen’s to let the LGBTQ+ community be highlighted and LGBTQ+ students know they’re not alone.

“Having representation from the queer community at orientation to show that queer students have a community outside of Queen’s as well if they want it. To show that there is a queer

Rain oR shine, Kingston’s sKeleton PaRK aRts Festival was a RoaRing success

JUNO award winning band, Kobo Town makes returns to Kingston

Madison Taylor & Eva Sheahan

Assistant Arts & Culture Editors

Kingston locals embraced the Skeleton Park Arts Festival (SPAF) with open arms, despite the inclement weather.

Founded in 2008, SPAF is a free, multi-disciplinary festival that transforms McBurney Park (Skeleton Park) each weekend on June 22 and 23 through its morning yoga, local food vendors, and heartily performances by artists from all over the world celebrating the Cataraqui and Kingston community.

The family-friendly festival saw children and adults enjoying the day’s festivities under the pouring rain with folks able to both dance to the music or enjoy it from the comfort of their chairs and picnic blankets.

Saturday evening headliners, Undertow Brass Band brought an electric energy with their performance. Often dispersing into the crowd while playing their instruments, Undertow encouraged audience participation and crowd engagement.

The band came from Rhode Island, U.S.A. and brought a not-seen-before high energy to Kingston, full of infectious happiness. They performed on the grass in front of the stage, inviting the audience to be one with the band.

“I am most excited for the music,” an enthusiastic festival attendee said, “I really enjoy that aspect of the festival,” This sentiment seems to capture the essence of the attendees, who were eagerly singing, smiling, and whirling to the music. Another festivalgoer described making an effort to attend SPAF every year. They described their enthusiasm for Saturday morning’s square dancing which occurs at the main stage.

community in Kingston, because oftentimes you don’t see your people,” Burns said in an interview with The Journal.

To support Kingston drag, students are encouraged to buy tickets as they would for a Taylor Swift concert. Buying tickets in advance, following performers on social media, and showing up to the events are key to drag shows’ success and one Burns encourages students to do.

Drag is only continuing to grow in Kingston, and it’s certainly here to stay.

The Kingston community’s appreciation for arts and music enriched the festival and made the weekend incredibly memorable for performers and audience members alike. The crowd was full of individuals, families, and couples, dancing freely, and frequently barefoot in the mud.

Everybody was seemingly unfazed by the rain that fell progressively harder over the course of Saturday night.

Continued online at queensjournal.ca/arts&culture

GRAPHIC BY ARDEN MASON - OURIQUE

Finding solace in shared stories of heartbreaQ

‘The HearbroQen Project’ creates a safe space for LGBTQ+ people to find community in their grief

Meghrig Milkon & Eva Sheahan Journal Staff

Amid isolation and grief, community and empathy can be found and shared through The HeartbroQen Project. Kingston artist and figurative painter, Meenakashi Ghadial, BFA’24, is the creative force behind the Heartbroken in the Driver’s Seat: Stories of Queer Heartbreak and The HeartbroQen project.

Drawing inspiration from her personal experiences and difficulties navigating her queer identity as a second-generation immigrant in her family. Her work delves into themes of love, intimacy, grief, and sexuality. Her current project The HeartbroQen Project, was born out of Ghadial’s own experiences with gried and heartbreak following the end of her five-year-long relationship just over a year ago. Unable to share her grief with her mother, Ghadial felt an intense lonliness.In search of comfort she often retreated to the driver’s seat of her car

which became her solace amid lonliness.

“This project really stemmed from not having that family and community to tell and rely on. So, I started the project just out of wanting the queer community to have a place to kind of share their stories and to not feel alone,” Ghadial said in an interview with The Journal.

The intersection of her identity as a queer-Punjabi Canadian woman creates cultural barriers that complicate and hinder her relationship with her mother. For Ghadial, this is a heartbreak she vows that her

children will never feel the bitter pain that once consumed her heart.

From heartbreak, a yearning for community was born, and she set out to create it.

The isolation Ghadial felt after her breakup inspired her to start The HeartbroQen Project in October 2023, here queer people can submit their stories through an online portal, an avenue in which they can see they are not alone in their experiences. The experience of reading other people’s stories allowed Ghadial to heal from her experiences.

“I read these stories and I’m

Artists’ innovative imaginations came to life, raising questions about the future of creativity FOLDA 2024: Smartphones, books, AI, oh my!

Madison Taylor & eva sheahan

Assistant Arts & Culture Editors

From Artificial Intelligence (AI) infused performances to bench marking accessibility standards, the Festival of Live Digital Art (FOLDA) 2024 pushes boundaries in the arts.

FOLDA is a captivating series of artistic performances that push the boundaries of various mediums and delve into the intersection between art and technology, showcasing Kingston’s finest talents. The annual celebration, held from June 13 to 15, featured a rich tapestry of performances, panels, and installations that were future - focused and connected through creativity.

FOLDA began in 2018, with 2024 marking its eighth year. This year, the festival was co-curated by Adrienne Wong, Michael Wheeler, and Marcel Stewart. The curators seek out artists who exemplify innovative uses

of technology to engage audiences, share their narratives, and tell their stories.

PLAY: A book launch

This event gave the audiences an insider look at Jenn Stephenson and Mariah Horner’s new book, PLAY: Dramaturgies of Participation, with illustrations by Jeff McGilton. The book contains a series of mini-essays that analyze different performances, examining the inner workings of participation. Its innovative approach to academic analysis aligns with FOLDA’s values of creativity, inclusivity, exploration, leadership, and fun

“The big message of the book is that participation matters ,” Stephenson said in an interview with The Journal. She went on to speak about how agency and engagement have the potential to be “really politically powerful.”

Though deeply scholarly, PLAY: Dramaturgies of Participation challenges its audience to have fun. Through its blog-style entries, readers are prompted to tear pages out, choose their own adventure,

and even play a game of mad libs, learning all the while.

“It’s in the title, it’s called PLAY. And the play comes with participating in the puzzles in the book, but also the play is an invitation to follow your curiosity as you read, ” Horner said in an interview with The Journal.

Artificial intelligence in creative performance

The Artificial Intelligence in Creative Performance panel featured discussions with David Rokeby, director of the BMO lab for creative research in the arts, performance, emerging technologies and AI at the Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies at the University of Toronto, and Cole Lewis Co-Artistic Director of Guilty by Association— during which they discussed how they incorporate AI in their creative work.

The audience was encouraged to explore philosophical questions through language prompts for playwriting using ChatGPT while wearing motion capture suits

Thisallowedhertoseethatmany queer people are experiencing very similar struggles yet remain unaware of the vast number of people who share their experiences and grief.

“In that same way, I saw myself with these stories. And that’s what I was looking for; a mirrored experience; if someone else can get through this so can I,” Ghadial said in an interview with The Journal.

Not all stories submitted were that of heartbreak; some were filled with hope for their loved ones.

almost inserting myself in their shoes and thinking of someone else’s pain. Switching from pity for yourself to empathy for another is a lot more healing,”

Ghadial said in an interview with The Journal

As she kept reading the online submissions, Ghadial noticed recurring themes and similarities among the stories.

during rehearsals. Later, they were invited to interact with an AI recreation of Lewis’s late father.

“My father loved technology, memorializing him as technology is something that would’ve been right up his alley. He would’ve loved feeding himself into an AI machine to see what kind of version of himself it would create,” Lewis said in an interview with The Journal.

Lewis engaged with this intersection of art and tech by using AI to explore language structure and create an AI version of her father, Brian. Her extensive experiences in drama helped her to effectively prompt the AI to draw out her father’s voice.

Performances raised ethical dilemmas, prompting deep reflections on human nature and its trajectory.

SmartSmart

In the performance of SmartSmart, Wong amusingly explores the concept of smartphones, asking the audience to name their phones and make outfits for them using various craft materials.

Dressing up the phones in costumes brought a light and silly atmosphere whilst discussing modern technology, a topic that can often be quite daunting and anxietyinducing according to Wong.

Wong encourages the audience to reflect on our frequent, often unconscious use of smartphones.

The performance encouraged audience members to leave their phone notifications on, calling attention to the disruptive nature of the technology we carry with us every day.

“My intention initially when I started working on the project was I thought it would be funny to do a performance for smartphones

A mother shared her story on the portal about her daughter coming out and having a girlfriend, expressing only her hope it doesn’t end in heartbreak.Submissions like this give Ghadial hope the future is not as dark as it seems and that parents and guardians who’ve been unaccepting can one day change.

“I know parents can get there and like I would only hope that mine can one day, but it does give me a lot of hope for myself because since I don’t have that support from my family, I am finding it from other people and that’s hope in itself,” Ghadial said.

because whenever you’re in a movie theatre, people’s phones are always going off so what if the show was for the phones?” Wong said. Toward the end of the performance, Wong asked the audience to leave and performed a monologue directed to the audience’s cell phones to bring together the ancient practice of theatre that began around the 5th century BCE a nd modern technology like our iPhones.

Performing for the phones transcended typical theatre boundaries by prioritizing our technology that’s constantly attached to us while simultaneously calling attention to the constant evolutionofourpracticesashumans.

Mash Up: Explorations of creative acess in performance art

Mash Up, disability led collarboration, seamlessly integrated aerial arts technology, and music into a stunning show that emphasized the significance of accessibility for everyone. Featuring Erin Ball, Maxime Beauregard, Andrew Heule, Gaitrie Persaud-Killings, and Jaideep Goray, the evening spotlighted the need for accessibility within performing arts.

Mash Up established a new benchmark for accessibility in the arts with its deliberate pace, masked attendees, live stream options, scheduled breaks, ASL interpretation available both online and in-person, and relaxed environment for its audiences—with the hope that this becomes standard practice in the arts community.

Ghadial is completing her residency in June2024.

SUPPLIED BY MEENAKASHI GHADIAL

The truth behind corporate rainbow washing

Are corporations truly supporting LGBTQ+ rights?

Meghrig Milkon Senior Arts & Culture editor

When faced with a choice between prioritizing visibility and improving LGBTQ+ rights, visibility almost always takes precedence.

We’ve all seen it: as soon as the clock strikes midnight on May 31, big corporations swap out their logos and launch pride themed campaigns on social media just in time for Pride month. This sudden burst of support often leaves us questioning the authenticity of their actions.

By the time Pride month rolls around, the corporate world explodes in a colour carnival of pro-LGBTQ+ advertisements, campaigns and rebranding. These efforts allow companies to make their values clear, show support for their LGBTQ+ employees, and, in the best cases, use their platform to demand social change.

Yet many of these corporations have faced criticism for ‘rainbow washing’—the act of superficially supporting Pride while simultaneously funding anti-LGBTQ+ agendas and actively discriminating against LGBTQ+ individuals.

Put simply, ‘rainbow washing’ is the exploitation of rainbow-themed symbolism in branding, advertising, merchandise, or social media

to feign solidarity with LGBTQ+ people during Pride Month for profit and a deceptive air of allyship, without actively supporting LGBTQ+ identities or rights.

While public support for the LGBTQ+ community is crucial for increasing visibility and creating change through social pressure, such visibility must be genuine and extend beyond mere campaigns and PR stunts to be impactful.

Pride campaigns become inappropriate when they’re not followed by financial support for the LGBTQ+ community and activist organizations—especially when the profits made from any merchandise sold as part of the Pride campaign go to funding anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and agendas.

When rainbow branding is done without additional proactive support, it becomes a performative and manipulative tactic used to improve brand perception and increase monetary gains.

The use of the rainbow logo becomes nothing but an appropriation of its imagery and significance.

As LGBTQ+ visibility has grown, so too has the political backlash. Republican lawmakers have advanced a record number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills in state legislatures across the United States. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is currently tracking over 500 different bills targeting LGBTQ+ rights, which, even if not all become law, still cause harm to LGBTQ+ individuals around the world.

Data for progress rereleased

a list of companies in the United States that hypocritically launched Pride campaigns while donating to organizations that actively discriminate against LGBTQ+ people. Some of these companies include Toyota, AT&T, Amazon, FedEx, and Comcast, who have collectively donated over $1 million to anti-LGBTQ+ campaigns.

Authentic support for Pride goes beyond mere social media posts and branded merchandise. It includes corporations actively advocating for equal rights, fair treatment, and opportunities for LGBTQ+ individuals across society and on governmental levels.

One example of such authentic support is Levi Strauss & Co.. Levi’s has been a trailblazer in supporting LGBTQ+ rights since 1992 when they were the first company to offer equal benefits to domestic partners. Each year, Levi’s also donates a hundred thousand dollars to Outright International, an organization dedicated to advancing human rights for LGBTQ+ people worldwide.

Each organization can express this support uniquely by leverging their influence to push for legislative changes, donating to organizatons promoting LGBTQ+ rights, or fostering inclusive workplaces that empower LGBTQ+ individuals.

Continued online at queensjournal.ca/arts&culture

‘The Guncle Abroad’ is the feel-good novel the LGBTQ+ community deserves

Themes of loss, love, and laughter weave together into a heartfelt narrative

Madison Taylor Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

Everyone’s favourite Guncle is back for another round.

The Guncle Abroad has arrived—this time it’s international. The much-awaited sequel to Steven Rowley’s 2021 novel The Guncle is as irreverent as the original, following the dramatic yet heartfelt exploits of Patrick O’Hara, ‘Guncle’ (Gay Uncle) to his niece and nephew, Maisie and Grant.

Patrick, affectionately known as Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP) to his young charges, is faced with a challenging summer that takes the trio from California across Europe, plunging them into new territory when it comes to love, loss, family, and acceptance.

Following the death of the children’s mother, and Patrick’s best friend Sara five years

prior, Patrick has become a pivotal figure in their young lives. Armed with scathing commentary and witticisms that teach the children about the world around them, Patrick has become a mentor to his captivated audience of two.

Though the novel’s on-trend quips are delightfully current, with references to Duolingo, TikTok, and more that scream 2024, I worry they may age this novel rather quickly.

The novel’s grounding in classic musical theatre lore may grant it the longevity it needs, but only time will tell.

As the teen years loom in, Maisie and Grant are no longer adoring young kids they once were. Maisie is 14 and Grant is 11, facing the challenges of adolescence. Adding to their concern is something far scarier—the prospect of a new stepmother. They face Livia, an Italian Marquesa as wealthy as she is cold, as Greg, Patrick’s brother, prepares to remarry.

The Guncle Abroad is a fun foray that isn’t afraid to be silly yet is surprisingly full of tender moments that speak to familial love and loss, as well as issues the LGBTQ+ community faces.

‘i saw the tv glow’ RedeFines tRansgendeR naRRatives

New film examines the agonies of gender dysphoria

Eva Sheahan Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

I Saw the TV Glow has proven itself to be one of the most original films of the year, enriched using a complex allegory of gender dysphoria.

Jane Schoenbrun’s second film, I Saw the TV Glow was released on May 17 telling a story set in the 90s that follows two troubled teenagers, Owen and Maddy, who bond over their shared love for a TV show called The Pink Opaque. The show features a friendship of two girls, Isabel and Tara, who fight off a different monster each week.

Maddy claims The Pink Opaque feels more real than life and wants to run away, but Owen is too scared and stays behind in their small town. He continues his mundane life at the movie theatre where he works, feeling isolated.

media, especially around themes of presence and control. After Maddy’s second disappearance, Owen is left questioning his existence, with his constant doubt and lack of sense of self used as a metaphor for the unease caused by gender dysphoria.

As time moves 20 years forward, Owen is in worse shape, deteriorating due to his asthma while figuratively and literally suffocating in the life he was too afraid to leave behind as he immerses himself in the life that’s been assumed for him as a cisgender male.

I Saw the TV Glow features vibrant technicolor scenes with neon pinks, purples, and subtle trans flags with a soundtrack complementing the theme of disassociation employed throughout the film.

Patrick is staring down his 50th birthday and mourns that he doesn’t quite know how to act as an older gay man due to the devastating impact of the HIV/ AIDS epidemic on the LGBTQ+ community, and the lack of older role models .

Readers see Patrick grappling with his love life whilst mediating the changing lives of the children, his brother’s sobriety, and reflecting on his identity as a gay man and the privileges it grants him. Through conversation with Palmina, Livia’s sister, who’s a lesbian, Patrick becomes aware of the unique perspective his gender affords him within the LGBTQ+ community. He begins to understand that his experience as a man differs significantly. An eccentric, witty, theatre-loving, actor partial to the finer things in life, Patrick teeters on the verge of stereotype. But he’s saved by a sense of genuine heart, and a depth to his character not entirely visible from the novel’s bubble-gum cover and beach-read title.

Continued online at queensjournal.ca/arts&culture

Eight years later, Maddy returns home, insisting The Pink Opaque is real, saying she is Tara and Owen is Isabel. She believes they’re buried alive, suffocating inside the Midnight Realm living in false bodies where time moves quickly. Maddy urges Owen to bury himself alive to return to being Isabel.

Owen loses his nerve and doesn’t have the courage to find out if what Maddy is saying is true. He runs away from her and never sees her again. He continues to live his mundane suburban life, but he’s haunted by the possibility he is supposed to be Isabel—somebody different, beautiful, and great. Owen’s inability to feel himself within his own body and constant grappling with his identity speaks to the complex dissonance pre-transition causes.

Director, Jane Schoenbrun, began working on the film during their own transition. They wrote the film after experiencing a moment of un-repression that they called an ‘egg-crack’ moment, when they finally saw themselves so clearly in a way that couldn’t be undone. Schoenbrun has described transness and pre-transition dysphoria as something internal and intangible.

The film further explores these themes, revealing how humans find refuge in the

It’s a nuanced film exploring the universal quest for identity through a transgendered perspective. With its open ending, the audience is left questioning whether or not Owen will take the risk of embracing his fate. The film continues to be entertaining and occasionally humorous while simultaneously transcending the typical expectation of horror and coming-of-age films by proving itself to contain a much deeper and significant message.

I Saw the Tv Glow was very effective in creating a metaphor that would speak to those experiencing the complexities of gender dysphoria. However, in doing so, it opened up a broader conversation about how it feels to live a life that isn’t exactly right, successfully capturing the isolating experience of becoming trapped in one’s own life—whether that be through gender, relationships, career, or more—and the courage required to create change.

Maddy leaves Owen a lingering message written in chalk that says, “THERE IS STILL TIME” giving the audience a hopeful avenue that life is more than what we’re assumed to be and do. Life is what we make it out to be.

For those watching who might be experiencing a similar confinement to Owen within their own life, I Saw The TV Glow reminds us it’s never too late, there is still time.

The movie came out on May 17. GRAPHIC BY ARDEN MASON - OURIQUE

Attending Pride gave me the courage I needed to come out

How celebrating Pride with my best friend taught me the true meaning of acceptance and love

Angelina Liu

Contributor

Despite openly talking about and feeling comfortable with my bisexuality for two years, last June was the first time I’d ever been to Pride.

I’m not sure why I hadn’t attended before—perhaps I felt I wasn’t “gay enough,” or I struggled with too much internalized homophobia to celebrate. But, last year, when my best friend asked me to go with her to Toronto Pride, I decided it was finally time.

“I had no idea how to tell her something she should have already known

I was surprised by her invitation, as I didn’t think Pride was her kind of thing. For starters, she was straight, and I still wasn’t sure if she came from a place of acceptance or not. Pride month celebrations had never come up in our conversations before.

Despite being best friends

for eight years, I hadn’t told her about my own sexuality—a fact I had only started to share more liberally while at Queen’s, which was a six hour drive from where she was studying. The distance made it easier to hide this part of my life, and telling her was something I didn’t know how to do.

I felt a sort of disconnect between my university friends who knew about my sexuality, and my home friends who had no idea. It felt strange for her not to know about such an important aspect of my life.

We had grown up together, shared everything, and talked about everything. She knew all my fears, everything I liked and disliked, and everyone I liked and disliked. We’d talk about boys together, but I never shared that I wanted to talk about girls too.

I had no idea how to tell her something she should have already known.

On the day of the parade, I picked her up and we listened to music as we made our way downtown. The two of us followed groups of people all heading towards the same direction. There was an indistinguishable buzz ahead—a culmination of music, talking, and cheering. The streets were painted in an array of colours that were striking to look at, but beautiful all the same.

People from all walks of life cheered and chanted. I saw firefighters, kids wearing sparkly rainbow tutus, drag queens in full length ball gowns with hair that defied gravity, and parents. There were so many parents giving out hugs to queer children alienated by their own families, offering them the type of love that could only be given to a child from a parent.

“Love should always be celebrated, no matter what form it comes in, and who it happens between

There was music playing, and someone had a steel drum they were tapping with a pair of sticks as they walked. A drag queen started to dance in the middle of a circle of people, spinning in a red dress. She bowed to the raucous cheers as the tempo of the drums got faster. I glanced at my best friend, and saw her eyes brighten with awe, a smile spreading on her face.

I decided I would tell her about my bisexuality when we got back. There was no point holding myself back anymore.

If there was anything I learned at the parade, it was that it should never be a crime

to be yourself. Love should always be celebrated, no matter whatform it comes in, and who it happens between.

I could tell my fear of telling my best friend was pointless. This was a person who has known and loved me all my life. There was nothing she could say to stop me from trusting her, and I knew she felt the same towards me. I could always count on her.

I told her I was like them, like the people we saw at the parade who were proud of who they were. I told her I saw myself in them and I loved like they did. She hugged me and thanked me for telling her. I realized then I was still the same person as before, and so was she.

I wish I told her earlier.

For so long, I held onto this idea she would not want to be friends with me anymore, and that telling her would change our friendship. I was worried there would be a great divide between before she knew and after, and she would forget everything she previously knew about me.

I had held especially tight onto the idea she would think of me differently. There are so many people who would have thought of me differently—the same people who would rather tear down flags and see us hidden away, looking at Pride as not

a celebration of love, but instead, something that deserves hate. Unfortunately, there are still people who preach hatred with picket signs outside crowds of joy, hoping to destroy something beautiful.

“As this year’s Pride rolls around again, I’m reminded of the happiness and joy that comes with the celebrations. I remind myself there will always be love and community in place for those who need it

As this year’s Pride rolls around again, I’m reminded of the happiness and joy that comes with the celebrations. I remind myself there will always be love and community in place for those who need it. And maybe, sometimes, we should give people a little more credit, and trust they love us enough to love our love too.

Want to write a postscript? Email journal_postscript@ams. queensu.ca for more details.

Attending Toronto Pride empowered Angelina to come out to her closest friend.

ILLUSTRATION BY ELLA THOMAS