Photos C/O Kamilla Flores Kameleon

By Adrian Salopek, Contributor

In light of COVID-19 prompting social gathering limitations, Pride Hamilton’s festival weekend was one such event that had been affected. Although not an ideal way to honour Pride and its roots, new ways of celebrating the 2SLGBTQIA+ community have emerged, bringing Hamiltonians together during these recent difficult and lonely times.

One of the most anticipated Pride events in Hamilton was “Pride in the Park”, originally planned for June 19. This was replaced by Digital Pride, which occurred on June 14, consisting of livestreamed Facebook and Youtube shows and featuring drag performers from the Hamilton drag scene. Heart, crown and even dollar bill emojis flooded the chats under the live performances along with the odd “yass” or “slay”.

Among the featured talents, McMaster alumna Kamilla Flores Kameleon, who also goes by the Spice of Hamilton, dazzled audiences with her virtual drag performance. Through a comically tragic love story and aggressive salsa dance, Kamilla starred in a mini telenovela reminiscent of the ones she watched growing up in Lima, Peru, and showed the world what it really means to be a Latina diva.

 

“I thought it would be a fun way to live out what I had always watched as a child [and] show a campier side of my drag,” said Kamilla Kameleon.

Behind the comedy, campiness and five pounds of makeup, Kamilla celebrates her background and culture with those who attend her shows. Many of the queen’s influences are of Latin descent, such as pop stars Shakira and Jennifer Lopez.

“My drag has always been about representing my culture and a way I have done that is by paying homage to the legendary Latina pop stars that came before me,” explained Kamilla. “I have always felt Shakira embodied what it meant to be empowered and an entertainer and that’s what drew me to her.”

“My drag has always been about representing my culture and a way I have done that is by paying homage to the legendary Latina pop stars that came before me,” explained Kamilla. “I have always felt Shakira embodied what it meant to be empowered and an entertainer and that’s what drew me to her.”

In the current political climate, this celebration of diversity and the artistic contributions of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour is needed now more than ever. Digital Pride not only celebrated the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, but also provided an opportunity for discussions surrounding racism and policing within Hamilton, and facilitated a platform for Black community leaders to speak. Moreover, the event showed that drag can offer artists an opportunity to advocate for issues they are passionate about.

For Kamilla, the art of drag plays an important role — especially in the current climate — in disseminating love and advocating for movements fighting for justice.

“Drag can play a huge role in the spread of information about these issues such as the Black Lives Matter movement and protests,” explained Kamilla, “I have experienced racism as a person of colour, and it is important, now more than ever, to not be silent when issues continue to persist.”

Behind the wigs and makeup, drag is a crucial part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community’s culture and history and plays a major role in catalyzing social change from within. Besides the laughter and enjoyment one usually finds when attending a drag show, attendees will surely find themselves learning something new and being inspired when watching the performances of drag queens like Kamilla.

In the queen’s own words, “Don’t stop fighting for what’s right and always wear your heart on your wig. Te amo McMaster!”

 

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Photos C/O Cindy Cui

By Nadia Business, Contributor

If you had told me five years ago that drag would become mainstream, I would have looked at you funny. Today, queer culture has permeated many aspects of society, from the way we apply our makeup to what we see on our TV screens. Like many others, I found drag during high school. It really let me understand myself in a myriad of ways, from my sense of gender to untapped aspects of my personality. But what even is drag?

Drag is the performance of gender often taken to its extreme. A typical show could include lip syncs, dancing, comedy and more. I would note that drag is different from being transgender, as one is a job or hobby, the other is an identity, respectively. Drag has been used as a tool to help many people discover that they are trans, nonbinary or fluid.

Growing up as a queer, closeted Arab kid was not particularly a fun experience. I was born in Hamilton but I grew up in Beirut, Lebanon where being soft-spoken, polite and sensitive was absolutely not the male norm. I got plenty of ribbing from male peers for being a little too effeminate and just as many tuts from my mother to stop crossing my legs or to “walk like a man”.

When I moved back to Canada near the end of middle school, I had barely accepted the fact that I was gay after years of trying to tell myself otherwise. Queer content did not exist within my own little bubble, which consisted of being bombarded with media idealizing hegemonic masculinity, which had no room for boys like me.

Meanwhile, I had always connected more with female characters — the ones getting wooed who looked beautiful and feminine. When I discovered “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in high school, my outlook on life and similarly, my own self perception, shifted into focus. These drag queens were everything I wanted to be but couldn’t express while living in a home that didn’t understand, during a time where the word “gay” was synonymous with “stupid”.

The queens were sassy, loud, beautiful and oozing with confidence. They had all the traits that I was trying to hide away, but somehow it all clicked. I realized that it’s okay for them to be like that and maybe I could be like that too.

I adapted accordingly, switching my wardrobe to a more colourful ensemble and (not so subtly) hinting to my classmates that I was gay. It was liberating. I finally let myself explore my identity as a gay person, not giving a damn about societal expectations. “Girly things” were not just for girls, I realized, they were just “things”.

I must acknowledge that I did not manage this alone. I was incredibly lucky and privileged to go to a high school that was tolerant and supportive of queer students. More importantly, my friend group consisted of other queer people. I finally wasn’t alone. My friends helped me thrive more than I ever could have on my own.

Finding your community as a queer person is paramount, as many of our biological families reject us for being anything but cisgendered and heterosexual. However, we do get to choose our non-biological families — whether they are friends, teachers, mentors, etc — the people who become your support system, who you get to celebrate your milestones with, like going on your first same-sex date, or finally getting a prescription for hormone replacement therapy. Many of us can’t tell our families this information, for a variety of reasons, be it fear of rejection or of being cut off financially or emotionally.

Until university, drag was always something I had witnessed through a screen, watching when I knew no one could catch me.

The first big change in my life was turning 19, finally giving me access to queer nightlife. A byproduct of homophobia was (and in some places, still is) queer culture going underground, hidden away in bars and nightclubs, inaccessible to questioning youth. As soon as one is of age, you are given access to a slew of new places and a community.

Then, Morgan McMichaels from “Drag Race” was booked to come to McMaster. I was ecstatic, and the day before the show was happening, Campus Events put out a call for students wanting to show off their drag skills. So naturally, without any experience whatsoever, I sent them a message stating my interest! In hindsight, I was truly delusional to think that I could go on stage without a wig or heel to my name. the show was eventually cancelled — but the silver lining was that I got hired by Campus Events through working on the show together!

September 2019 is when I got to see my very first in-person drag show at Supercrawl, featuring many talents that I’m friends with today, such as Karma Kameleon and Hexe Noire. I was giddy watching, and went hoarse cheering. I needed to see more, and as the Hamilton Queer Scene grew, I fell in love with it even more. These were my people — they were loud, they were proud, they were free.

An exciting opportunity was coming up: another queen from “Drag Race”, Jujubee, was booked by Campus Events to perform at McMaster and this time, Mother Nature was not going to intervene. More importantly, due to being part of the events team, I was asked to not only host but open the show. Keep in mind, I had never been in drag before and have only danced in heels and a wig a couple of times. So, I quickly got to work and spent a lot of money.

The fateful night arrived and Nadia Business was born.

I can confidently say that it was the highlight of my year. I met Jujubee and Karma Kameleon, who both chatted with me and made me feel comfortable. Karma in particular is a queen I greatly admire and has given me advice whenever I needed it. Not quite an official drag mother, but more like my kooky fun step-aunt who has a little too much wine at family gatherings. A drag mother is your mentor, teacher, and part of your chosen family, hence, “mother”. They typically put you in drag for the first time and help turn you from a baby queen to a seasoned performer.

As I did my last check in the mirror, I realized that Nadia was not just a character, but rather an extension of myself. She is the channelling of my “feminine energies” so to speak, and it is incredibly freeing to just be her. It’s not boy-me who’s on stage shaking their butt and making dirty commentary — that’s just Nadia doing what she does best.

I’m a people pleaser at heart, and getting to perform and have people enjoy this part of myself that a heteronormative society has tried to discourage makes me feel welcome and unafraid. Getting to express myself through Nadia has actually made me appreciate my masculinity in addition to my femininity. A long time ago, I used to constantly worry about how masculine I was because I didn’t want people to judge, but now? I’m just as happy in a fitted suit and tie as I am with wearing pounds of makeup and a wig.

I’m a people pleaser at heart, and getting to perform and have people enjoy this part of myself that a heteronormative society has tried to discourage makes me feel welcome and unafraid. Getting to express myself through Nadia has actually made me appreciate my masculinity in addition to my femininity. A long time ago, I used to constantly worry about how masculine I was because I didn’t want people to judge, but now? I’m just as happy in a fitted suit and tie as I am with wearing pounds of makeup and a wig.

Drag is a way to escape society’s, and even our own, expectations of gender — even if only for a night. Contrary to popular belief, drag is not just restricted to cisgendered gay men. As for myself, it has led to understanding and self-acceptance of all aspects that make me who I am today, and who I want to be in the future.  Trans women can be drag queens, some of the most talented queens I know are ciswomen. You can even be an androgynous performer. Drag is an art form and there are no rules. Go wild, put yourself out there and explore who you are and who you want to be. Good luck, and don’t fuck it up.

 

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Photos by Cindy Cui / Photo Editor 

By Ouss Badran, Contributor

cw: mentions of homophobia, transphobia, ableism

A concerning trend that I’ve noticed — especially in more socially aware places such as university — is people adopting the label of “ally” and not actually doing anything about being one. In other words, they’re reaping the positive status of the word without actively being an ally. 

What do I mean by this? There seems to be a misunderstanding when it comes to what being an ally actually entails. I can tell you that it isn’t like an article of clothing you can put on or take off at your convenience. Those who are actually marginalized can’t shed their identity at a moment’s notice, so neither should you.

So what actually is an ally? Well, for one, allies are people who are not part of the marginalized group for which they are advocating for. You don’t have to necessarily know what it feels like to be oppressed or experience the difficulties that marginalized groups go through. All being an ally means is that you are taking on and understanding their struggle with them.

If you’re new to the concept of allyship, being an advocate is a great start! This means, for example, not just claiming the title of ally because you watch RuPaul’s Drag Race, but actually fighting for better LGBTQ+ representation in the media. 

Additionally, this also includes defending said marginalized groups when they’re not in the room, and especially when they are. What do I mean by this? On a more subtle scale, calling out bigoted comments such as “that’s so gay” or the use of the r-word publicly challenges the status quo and reinforces that these sorts of comments are not okay in any shape or form. 

On the more extreme end, if you see a marginalized person disparaged in public or even private spaces, it’s your responsibility as an ally to stand up for them. Yes, that includes your racist grandparents and it also includes your parents who “just don’t understand all that transgender nonsense”.

While I don’t want to get too much into the intricacies of intersectionality (as it deserves its own article), I do want to touch on privilege. Most of us have it in some way, shape or form. Nowadays, the very word sets people on edge, and some people may even get defensive. Don’t worry straight, white dudes, I’m not going to attack you. For the sake of this article, privilege is an aspect of society or reality that you don’t have to worry about, but something that another marginalized group does. 

For example, I’m speaking mainly from my experiences as a gay, able-bodied and cisgender man of colour. I face certain issues that are relevant to me and other people of my background, but I also lack knowledge and perspective on what it’s like to be a woman, a person under the trans umbrella or someone who has a physical disability. Being aware of your own privilege as an ally can potentially help you understand the struggles of the groups you’re advocating for. 

Also, I mean this with all due respect, but if you are an ally, it isn’t about you. Bragging about how you support the Black Lives Matter movement, or about how you “only volunteer at camps for kids with special needs” makes you come off in a not-so-positive light. Specifically, it makes you look like you’re using these groups for your own social gain. Rein in the saviour complex and instead have some respect for those around you who fight for social justice out of a need to survive, not because it looks good on a resume.

So, if I’ve successfully convinced you to change your ways, there’s just one more thing for me to address with you. It’s that making mistakes is completely okay. Everyone has to learn somehow! Acknowledge it, accept responsibility, learn from it and move on equipped with the knowledge you have now.

 

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By: Anonymous

What’s the difference between an angry yellow vest and an angry queer or 2SLGBTQ+ person?

Everything.

There’s no question of that in my mind, or in the minds of most other like-minded people in the 2SLGBTQ+ community, especially when it comes to the recent yellow vest attacks at Hamilton Pride . The question we’re asking is: why are there still people that don’t think so?

People who insist “both sides” have done something wrong. People who insist that if the queer community stopped being so “unreasonable”, there could be a productive discussion in which everything would be resolved. People who sigh with a sort of martyred world-weariness as they ask: “why can’t we all just get along?”

Countless Twitter posts and opinion pieces have been made touting those views, particularly by heterosexual individuals who don’t have our community’s lived experience. People who don’t understand this struggle, who just want things to be “peaceful”.

Has anyone ever considered that we are the ones who would very much like “peaceful”?

I, for one, would love the peace to celebrate my bisexuality in the park, proudly wearing as much blue, pink and purple as I could possibly fit on my body. There is nothing I would have liked more than to go to Pride Hamilton without fearing attack by religious extremists. Or to go to the “Hamilton for who?” rally without feeling my stomach drop as I read the words “Yellow Vest meetup point” written in chalk on the pavement just outside the bounds of the event space.

I’d love to walk around downtown Hamilton now without worrying about the yellow vest demonstrations at City Hall. Without wondering if, somehow, this will be the day the wrong person will sense that I am a queer woman. Without tensing my entire body every time I see a flash of neon yellow out of the corner of my eye.

The ones who don’t want things to be “peaceful” are the right wing extremists who attacked Hamilton Pride unprovoked. I don’t approve at all of the word “protest” in this context; that connects this group far too closely with legitimate community organizers trying to raise awareness for LGBTQ+, feminist, and environmental issues, among others. No, it was an attack, and so it should always be called.

More specifically it was an attack by a group that is anti-Semitic, anti-2SLGBTQ+, and Islamophobic, among other things. An angry queer or 2SLGBTQ+ person is angry because their right to celebrate their identity has been violated, and public institutions have been incredibly insufficient in protecting it. An angry yellow vest is angry because members of marginalized communities they hate dare to exist in public spaces.

Equating these two groups in their anger, especially in Hamilton right now, is harmful beyond belief. And no, the 2SLGBTQ+ community will not be “getting along” with people that consider it their “right” to attack them at their own celebration.

Furthermore, opening oneself to “reasonable” diplomacy is not the way to go. Hate groups do not act in good faith. They cannot be “reasoned” with. And if the community has to take a hard stance when the alternative is politely standing still to be hit with helmets, so be it.

Many of those who use these “both sides” arguments do not, or do not choose to, understand the social context behind these two different types of anger. It’s easy to not understand when it poses no direct threat to one’s daily life or existence. It’s easy to think of this as a homogenous “disturbance” when one doesn’t understand the demands these two sides are making.

The extremists want the 2SLGBTQ+ and queer communities to stop existing publicly and to live in fear.

The queer/2SLGBGTQ+ community would very much like to hold a Pride event in the park (which quite a few children and teens were at, by the way) without wondering if they’re going to make it home safely. Something that they currently cannot do.

I, for one, think the difference is as clear as crystal.

By: Adrianna Michell and Hannah Walters-Vida

A month after far right demonstrators attacked Hamilton Pride, members of the queer community are working to come together, heal and fight to rid the city of hate groups.

PRIDE ATTACKS

Past Hamilton Pride events have been attended by conservative preachers and others who attempted to intimidate festival goers who annually come to Gage park to celebrate. Hamilton Pride has typically been a family and community-oriented arts event, despite Pride’s history as a protest event beginning with the violent activism at Stonewall 50 years ago.

In Hamilton on June 15, community members and allies gathered in Gage park. Leading up to the Pride events there had been tensions between the queer community and Hamilton Police Services over police presence at Pride. “No police at pride” campaigns have sparked discussion about police and state presence at Pride celebrations across Canada.

No uniformed officers were allowed at Victoria Pride this year and in 2016 Black Lives Matter shut down the Toronto parade for 30 minutes to protest police attendance. Hamilton Pride did not permit the police to have a recruitment booth at Pride this year.

Last month’s Hamilton Pride marked an escalation of violence. Anti-Pride demonstrators gathered during the event shouting religious, homophobic and white-nationalist rhetoric. The anti-Pride group is speculated to be in part members of the fascist Yellow Vests who moved from city hall to Gage Park on the day of Pride. According to witnesses, one person was punched in the face, while another was hit in the head with a motorcycle helmet, amongst other acts of violence.

Since January, hate groups associated with the yellow vests have been holding weekly demonstrations outside of Hamilton city hall. The groups hold signs displaying far right anti Muslim, anti immigrant messages, and known white supremacists have been present at rallies.

Witnesses accused HPS officers in attendance of not stepping in early enough to prevent the attacks, leaving people to defend themselves. Pride defenders countered the anti-Pride protestors with a “black hole” tactic, wherein a large black banner was used to visually block the fascist signs and protestors, while defenders donned pink masks and used physical presence, counter protest tactics and noise makers to block the hate speech.

When asked why officers did not respond right away, Chief of police Eric Girt said at a town hall last month that responses would have been different if police were welcomed at the Pride events.

Councillors Maureen Wilson and Nrinder Nann are calling for an independent investigation into the police response at Pride.

However, not all members of the queer community agree that strengthening police presence will ensure their safety. A June 2019 study surveying 900 members of Hamilton’s queer community found that approximately one third of respondents believed that they had been treated unjustly by the police. Transgender respondents were even more likely to recount unjust treatment.

For some, what happened at Pride was an example of the queer community coming together to defend one another without the need for police involvement.

“2STLGBQI+ folks can protect each other and we do not need the police or the carceral justice system to ensure the safety of our communities,” says a statement from the McMaster Students Union Pride Community Centre, “there is no Pride in policing.”

ARRESTS

The arrests that have occurred since Pride have further exacerbated tensions between the queer community and police. In the past month, five people have been arrested in connection to Pride. According to the Tower, a Hamilton anarchist social centre connected in the queer community, four of the people arrested were associated with the pink masked pride defenders. HPS has only announced the arrest of one far right protestor.

The most high profile arrest was that of Cedar Hopperton, the first person to be arrested in connection to Pride. Hopperton was arrested on June 22 for allegedly violating parole conditions from their involvement in the 2018 Locke Street vandalism.

On June 18 Hopperton made a speech at city hall in which they called on members of the queer community to defend themselves against violence and to not rely on police support. On July 8, the parole board voted to continue to revoke Hopperton’s parole, in large part because they ruled that Hopperton was inciting violence in their anti-police speech.

Hopperton’s arrest and parole hearing sparked massive backlash, leading to the “free Cedar” campaign, which condemns city hall and HPS and calls for HPS to drop the charges against Hopperton and other pride defenders.

Many community organizations have publicly supported the campaign. Scholars from 100 universities across Ontario, as well as McMaster faculty members, have submitted open letters expressing solidarity with the pride defenders.

In a statement released on July 12, the PCC stated that the pride defenders were acting in self defence and should not have been punished.

“The Canadian state frequently criminalizes the self defence that is often necessary for the survival of marginalized people,” says the PCC’s statement. “This is completely unacceptable and is a tactic of repression of social control.”

In the month following Pride, community members have repeatedly taken to the streets to demand that all charges against pride defenders be dropped. There has been a heavy police presence at many of the demonstrations, with some officers showing up on horseback.

This past Monday, the Tower released a video of 11 officers arresting a young woman who had allegedly written an anti-police slogan with sidewalk chalk during a rally on June 28. A crowd of bystanders intervened and the woman was eventually released. In the comments on the video, people were critical of the police for allegedly arresting the woman over sidewalk chalk, and questioned why it was necessary to have such a large number of officers present for the arrest.

CITY HALL RESPONSE

Representatives of the queer community have been critical of city hall in the months prior to the Pride attacks, and council’s response to the attacks have exacerbated much of the tension.

Last May, Hamilton’s LGBTQ2 advisory committee voted unanimously against the annual Pride flag raising outside city hall. This was in large part in protest of the city’s employment of Marc Lemire, the former head of a white supremacist organization.

Following the Pride attacks, on July 5 Mayor Fred Eisenberger released a statement naming two special advisors for Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ community initiatives, Cole Gately and Deirdre Pike, to help address the queer community’s concerns.

However, other members of the queer community responded by stating that the discussions should happen publicly and should be accessible to everybody. Cameron Kroetsch, who was invited to take part in the discussions, stated in a public Facebook post that the private meetings did not feel safe or productive.

“I won't attend private meetings with no shared list of invitees and no detailed agenda. It doesn't feel safe, for so many reasons, and won't until Fred Eisenberger, our City Council, and the Hamilton Police Service can demonstrate that they're willing to build trust with our community,” wrote Kroetsch.

As an additional response to the Pride attacks, city council proposed a “hate incident prevention policy” that aims to assist in the identification of, and response to, hate motivated crimes. The proposed policy calls for increased surveillance on city-owned properties.

Initially, the policy placed strict limitations on acceptable activities during protests on city grounds, prohibiting the use of sound amplifying equipment, swearing and writing with sidewalk chalk. The policy has received criticism for limiting the rights of all protestors, not just hate groups.

“We said ban hate speech, not ban all speech,” said a sign from a city hall protest this weekend.

In the past month the community has come together to support one another and demand justice.

This past weekend, two different queer community groups converged at city hall. The Tower organized a weekend long occupation at city hall called “Camp Chaos Gays.” They held a series of workshops and community building events, at the same time protesting police harassment and the hate incident prevention policy.

At the same time, the July 13 “Hamilton for Who?” event cosponsored by Pride Hamilton and other organizations, was a non political, family friendly rally against hate groups.

Following the backlash against the hate prevention policy, council has since amended the list to remove many of the previously banned activities. However, the security provisions remain. The policy will now go out for public consultation.

 

WHAT NOW? 

On July 16, the Tower announced that Hopperton was released from jail early. The announcement was met with a wave of relief from supporters. However, the fight is far from over.

The yellow vests have continued to demonstrate outside of city hall every week, drawing counter protests from the community. Furthermore, many members of the queer community feel that city council has not properly consulted them and addressed their concerns. Demonstrators have reported being harassed and intimidated by police officers at protests, and many queer people report feeling unsafe around police.

Members of the queer community are working to regroup, support one another and find a way forward.

Photo C/O MSU Pride Community Centre

By Miranda Clayton

I recently took a trip to the Canadian Museum of History. In the Modern Canada section there was a display on human rights progress where I found myself confronted by how recent the past is. LGBTQ+ rights became included in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1995. Same sex marriage became legalized in 2005. I would say most Canadians see these rights as a obvious and integral part of society now but the truth is I will die with rights I was not born with despite only being 25 years old.

Society is safer but not safe. Society is more accepting but LGBTQ+ people are not accepted. You can buy pride themed decorations at Party City but to love and exist as an LGBTQ+ person is still to risk marginalization, abandonment and death at the hands of a society that was never built to include you. We have come so far and we still have far to go. These are sobering thoughts but do not despair. We as LGBTQ+ people are still here and still fighting. Our fight became MSU sanctioned with the GLBT Centre in 1997 but the fight has transformed and so have we. We spent the past decade as the QSCC but again, things changed. Recent history has blessed the student body with identity-based peer support services so we are no longer alone in our struggle to provide space for marginalized students. With this change we critically evaluated our place in peer support and what we could do to be better. This is how we became the Pride Community Centre.

Last year we asked what we could to improve and 111 of you responded. You want a space where the diversity of our community is valued and appreciated. You want a space where your identity is seen and recognized. You want a place to relax, a place to learn, a place to meet and a place to grow. We heard you and we are adjusting to be this place. As a service we are older but here on out we will be bolder. A space renovation, support groups, more community events, updated volunteer training, more off campus connections, and intersection focused programming are all in various stages of happening.

We're open in MUSC 219/221! Pop by between 9:30 and 4:30 Monday to Friday to access our LGBTQ2SI+ safe(r) space. Grab some stickers, meet some new people, access support, and generally chill. We can't wait to meet you! #McSU pic.twitter.com/l3EAS2xhOm

— MSU Pride Community Centre (@msu_pride) September 17, 2018

This is a new era for the service and thankfully it is happening now and not a minute later. These are trying times for a lot of community members in the current political climate. Hate crimes haven’t gone anywhere and pride crosswalks will only get us so far. Remember you have a voice and can use it. Remember your voice is stronger with many others. Remember you are not alone in this and you have friends in MUSC 219-221 waiting for you.

We hope to see you there.

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Photo by Grant Holt

By Lilian Obeng

Over the course summer, city council voted in favour of paying public tribute to Hamilton’s LGBTQ+ community. The intersections in front of city hall and McMaster University, Summers Lane at Main Street West and Sterling Street respectively, now don brightly coloured trans and pride flags.

The decision was met with praise across the board. McMaster University specifically seized on the opportunity to integrate the new crosswalks into their overall public-relations strategy — tweets, Facebook posts and even an Instagram post. A bright, simple and public display of support for a marginalized community, such as this, is unlikely to encounter many challenges. But as a queer student who has been on this campus for upwards of three years, these crosswalks are only a bleak reminder of the actual priorities of the university’s administration.

Symbolic gestures, such as these crosswalks, can be important political statements. Given the current political climate, I would be remiss if I did not highlight the need to remain firm and resolute in our solidarity with the marginalized. However, what purpose do rainbow crosswalks serve when the university fails to ensure the safety of its LGBTQ+ community?

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl_XGqvnAcL/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

 

This was best illustrated by Jordan Peterson’s visit to our campus, and the university’s dismal response to staff, student and faculty outcry. In March 2017, a McMaster Students Union ratified club invited Peterson to campus to speak on ‘political correctness.’ Needless to say, the visit was marred with controversy from its planning stages all the way through to Peterson’s arrival.

Peterson rose to prominence for refusing to use his trans students correct pronouns at the University of Toronto, citing the mere act of respecting students as compelled speech and infringing on his own rights. He has since gone on to accrue a host of misogynistic and racist views. Peterson’s bigoted diatribes have earned him legions of right-wing and white supremacist support as well as personal wealth.

Needless to say, all of this information was presented multiple times to multiple levels of the university. The President’s Advisory Council on Building and Inclusive Community brought students, staff and faculty together to lucidly explain the potential threat Peterson’s visit could pose to already vulnerable people. Our concern was met with silence, and in these times, silence is complicity.

Peterson supporters — supporters that had absolutely no affiliation with McMaster or the broader Hamilton community, physically assaulted student protesters. Members of PACBIC faced weeks of harassment both in-person and online from Peterson’s fans. The university has made little to no attempt to ameliorate this situation. The only action that has been taken were the creation of guidelines for event planners — guidelines that demonstrate that the university’s understanding of the free speech debate is informed entirely by right-wing propaganda and not the social realities that are present on our campus.

The fact remains that if our struggles cannot be moulded or integrated into the existing public relations strategy of the university, our legitimate concerns fall by the wayside. Our pointed policy solutions, our calm consultations, and even our protests are either tokenized, such as with these crosswalks, or minimized and placed aside. The LGBTQ+ community deserves more than this spectacle.

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If you are on campus at all during Welcome Week, you might notice a wave of Welcome Week representatives out and about with flamingo patches on their suits. These patches symbolize the new Pride Representative Network at work, a pet project of Miranda Clayton, the McMaster Students Union Pride Community Centre coordinator.

“This year, when I took over the [PCC], we did this whole thing where we rebranded it, we completely overhauled it and how we conceptualize our LGBT community on campus,” she said.

If a representative has a flamingo patch on their suit, it means that they are knowledgeable about all the services and supports available to McMaster students. These representatives also serve as ambassadors for the PCC during Welcome Week, as they can offer information to any first-year students who may be interested in learning more.

According to Clayton, the LGBT community at McMaster has felt fractured for many years, partly due to the focus on cisgender, gay men in typically LGBT spaces.

“I started at Mac in 2011, and I've been a bisexual on this campus for about 8 years now… When I got here, and I knew the QSCC existed, but I didn't feel like it was a place I could go, because it was very much presented itself as a place if you are gay and only gay, which I'm not,” she said.

“I wasn't in that straight/gay binary that people seem to think exists, so I was like, "I guess this isn't a place I can go,” Clayton added. She also pointed to results from her survey, which illustrated that many students on campus felt they were not welcome at the PCC, whether they were trans, non binary, bisexual or lesbians.

“We are truly for everyone under the LGBT spectrum,” Clayton said.

As a part of her initial assessment of the service, Clayton sent out a community assessment survey for LGBT students to complete, and found that many LGBT students were either unfamiliar or unaware of the PCC’s existence.

Another issue plaguing the service, according to Clayton, is simply its location; unlike other MSU peer support spaces on campus, the PCC’s main space is in a part of the McMaster Student University Centre that does not receive a large amount of foot traffic.

Clayton hopes that the Pride Rep Network will alleviate some of that confusion by offering students information about LGBT spaces on campus the second they enter campus grounds.

At the time of writing, there are currently 192 representatives signed up to be a part of the Pride Rep Network, and Clayton only expects that number to grow as more representatives are given the chance to sign up. Both the PCC and other faculty societies will post about the initiative during Welcome Week to ensure students are aware of what the flamingo patches mean.

For another representative, supporting LGBT students comes at a crucial time, as they will be a social science representative and is one of the reps a part of the Pride Rep Network.

“When [the MSSS Welcome Week planner] reached out to us about this experience, that's when I researched roughly some of the communities, I looked up Miranda, and saw some of the movement and the story she was telling and I thought that was very compelling and I thought it was an important initiative that needs to be on campus,” they said.

As the summer winds down and campus is flooded once again, LGBT students attending McMaster can take solace in the flamingos that will quietly attending classes with them.

By Griffin Marsh

Much has been written in this newspaper about McMaster’s volleyball programs over the previous weeks. The men’s and women’s teams have had their fair share of success in the shape of sweeping victories, both at home and away from Burridge Gym.

 This week there is a chance to catch our breath from this exhausting and full season and focus on a player who is both a leader for the men’s volleyball team and a star destined for a big future.

Brandon Koppers is now in his fifth year of eligibility at McMaster and is playing some of his best volleyball yet. But that simplified understanding would miss the hard work, adversity and frustration that Koppers has faced to get to this point.

I chose to feature Koppers in this article because the story of his time at McMaster is just that, an interesting story. His journey began by immediately connecting to a program and culture he described as “something special.” Since then, it has been a tale of ups and downs that leave Koppers in an exciting position, with a budding professional career on the horizon playing volleyball overseas.

I asked Koppers to reflect on his time at McMaster as it comes to a close, and he was nothing but grateful and positive.

“Overall my experience at McMaster has been top notch,” said Koppers. “The bonds I have created with my teammates are what I hold most dear and what have impacted me the most. These bonds have shaped me into the person I am today.”

Clearly for Koppers, good teammates have always been the key to a great and successful program, and this has defined his approach to being a leader in his later years with the team.

“The leaders before me have really set the standard high and I believe that I will do a great job,” Koppers said. “The belief my teammates have in me has allowed me to be a leader on this team. I am most proud of the fact that my teammates believe in me.”

Koppers’ time at McMaster has been defined as one of leadership and excellence, but in speaking to Koppers, the impact of his third-year injury woes clearly has had a lasting impact.

“My third year has easily been the most difficult year of my university career and my life so far,” said Koppers. “Before my third year, I had no barriers in my development and a lot of things came easy. After being diagnosed with arthritis and having to sit out for almost an entire season, I learned that before that time I was never really thankful for the opportunity to play the sport I love.”

The ability to reflect on one’s position in the sports world and fight through adversity like this separates the good athletes from the elite athletes. Koppers puts forward a fine balance of humility, pride and confidence, a balance that has created an excellent athlete, both on and off the court.

"This experience drives me today to become the person and athlete that I want to be,” Koppers added. “It is easy to become complacent when everything is going well and sometimes it takes an experience like what I went through to guide yourself to be the person you want to be.”

On top of excellent leadership and heightened resiliency, Koppers has put together an extremely successful volleyball career. This season he sits third in the Ontario University Athletics rankings for kills per set, and finds himself seventh in the U Sports rankings for the same statistic. He found himself in a similar position last season as well.

He has also been on teams that have won OUA Championships for the previous four years and appeared in the U Sports Championships every year, though not quite winning the whole thing just yet.

In previous conversations with head coach Dave Preston, he had nothing but praise to put forward regarding Koppers. When I asked coach Preston for an idea for this article he immediately suggested Koppers’ story, highlighting his persistence and strength, battling back from injury and featuring on the National B team this past summer.

As this season wraps up, exciting things still lay in wait for Koppers. Most notably a professional opportunity playing volleyball overseas next season.

“It has been a dream since I was a kid, and to have the opportunity to fulfil my dream makes me excited,” said Koppers.

   But before that can become a reality, there is still volleyball to be played and a U Sports Championship to be fought for in our own Burridge Gym. One thing is clear in reaching out to Koppers this week, the focus and commitment is very much rooted in this team at McMaster. There is an exciting energy building as this season picks up pace.

The men’s volleyball team will be away from Hamilton for the next few games, but they will return to the Burridge Gym on Feb. 17. Stay tuned, the Marauders still have a lot of important match-ups ahead.

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