Archive for category: UVSS Statements

UVSS Condemns Recent Violent and Hateful Act at University of Waterloo

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*Content warning for queer, trans, and gender-based violence*

Our hearts are with everyone affected by the violent and hateful act recently performed at the University of Waterloo. The UVSS condemns this incident in the strongest terms and recognizes that it highlights a concerning rise in anti-queer, anti-trans, and misogynistic hate and the normalization of it in our culture. We also recognize that this brutality being committed during pride month is no coincidence.

It is integral that university communities everywhere use this time to reflect inwardly about intolerance exhibited on our own campuses and what must be done in order to promote education and acceptance.

We call on the University of Victoria, as well as other post-secondary institutions, to provide proactive solutions to combat hate and promote tolerance on campus. This includes mandatory EDI training within the curricula of all faculties, with particular attention provided to faculties with inequitable gender representation in their enrolment.

Idleness is complacency in the fight against hate. Words of support are nothing without action. Let this use our outrage to mobilize us into tangible action, to ensure this never happens again. Caring for each other cannot be an empty promise.

Safety is something we achieve together. We implore you to lead with curiosity and love at this time and always.

In solidarity,
Your UVSS Board of Directors Executive Team

National Indigenous Peoples Day 2023

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June 21st is a day to celebrate the diverse communities of Indigenous, First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples across Turtle Island. It is a day to recognize, reflect and uplift the resistance of Indigenous peoples that continue to this day against ongoing settler colonialism. Settler colonialism is an ongoing system of power that perpetuates genocide, racism, and land dispossession for the purpose of foreigner settlers to inhabit land.

As student leaders we are committed to analyzing our unique positionality within settler colonialism so our decolonization efforts are not an empty signifier of change. We want to lead with integrity this board year and show through equitable action, and guidance from the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples whose unceded and unsurrendered territories the UVSS operates on.  We Understand it is our responsibility to further our ongoing commitment to decolonization and Indigenous self-determination. Decolonization and social justice are key UVSS values, which are at the forefront of our work.

We ask all students, staff and community members who use our services to critically think about their own positionality and involvement. We hope that you take this reflection to heart and allow it to flow through you and into your everyday interactions in your personal, academic, and professional lives.

Here is a list of resources that can help guide your self-reflection and broaden your understanding of the relationship we as settlers have to colonization:

Interactive map resources:

Read:

Podcasts:

  • All My Relations Podcast
  • Métis in Space
  • Media Indigena
  • Stories from the Land
  • Unreserved
  • The Secret Life of Canada

Thank you,

Your UVSS Board of Directors

UVSS Pride Month Statement – June 2023

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*Content warning* This statement contains mentions of homophobia, transphobia, and queer trauma.

Happy Pride Month, UVic!

June is a time to celebrate the queer community while reflecting on our past and imagining our future. For those not a part of the community, it can be easy to look at the rainbow-coloured advertisements and parade floats and not think much of it.

It’s important to contextualize the radical root of our collective struggle, a struggle that continues to this day. Pride was started by a group of misfits, groups of people who had been outcasted by mainstream society, who took it upon themselves to create communities that dreamed of a better world, one of liberation, where queer and trans people could love and exist freely.

In June 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a prominent gay bar in New York City. The trans and queer patrons of the bar, in a stunning display of courage, fought back — defending the ground they had won. Such police raids were commonplace at the time; expressions of homosexuality were persecuted, pushing queer folk to the margins. This blaze was ignited and carried by some of the most marginalized within the community, specifically Black and Brown trans women and butch/gender non-comforming lesbians. Stonewall was a riot, a defence of queer spaces, and a watershed moment in the struggle of the 1960s. It is from this riot that pride first came to be.

Similar instances of severe police brutality and mistreatment were and are still routine in Canada. This spans from the police raid in Toronto, ON coined Operation Soap in 1981, to the neglect of the victims involved in the hateful attacks at the Pride Parade hosted in Hamilton, ON in 2019.

The push and pull of our struggle are what marks the queer community, seeming one step forward and then two steps back. In Canada, homosexuality was first partially decriminalized in 1969. But following that, in the 80s and 90s, the AIDS pandemic was allowed to spread without a care by world leaders, as it was considered a “gay disease”. Today, gay marriage is legally recognized in 34 countries. Our struggles have undoubtedly led to victories, and institutional support has improved. Yet queer rights are also undergoing increasingly threatening attacks. We need only look south of the border to see that bigotry towards queer people is still harming our community. It would be naive to pretend that hate cannot take hold — we can see it in the platforms of political parties in Canada today.

We should take care to remember the colonial history of these forms of oppression. Gender and relationality are understood differently across the world, and nonbinary genders, third genders, and Two-Spirit people are not only accepted but also considered to be sacred. In many postcolonial countries the criminalization of homosexuality and the imposition of a gender binary is directly tied to colonial law. Queerness is a modern construct, defined against the “normal” — cisgender and heterosexual identities imposed by colonial institutions.

Queer rights continue to be contested, and pride is an important part of reasserting the ground we have won and a commitment to the work that is yet to come. We hope we can celebrate the lives and loves of queer folks, and continue to build and defend queer spaces. Bask in the glory of queer joy and love, care for the community around you, and always remember the power of togetherness.

From all of us at the UVSS, we wish you a happy pride month!

Resources:

UVSS Statement in Support of Ukrainian Students

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Dear University of Victoria Students,

As a student union, we have always firmly defended the rights of students to be free from harassment and discrimination on our campus. We are making a statement in light of the acts of harassment directed towards the Ukrainian Students Society during UVSS Clubs and Course Union days. These acts of harassment are unacceptable and we condemn it in the strongest terms. This statement of support is overdue, and we apologise for that.

The UVIC Students’ Society condemns the acts of hate being perpetrated against Ukrainian students on campus. These acts of violence were influenced by the current Russian invasion of Ukraine, which we also condemn. We stand in solidarity with Ukrainian students, many of whom have been affected more severely by this war than most of us can fathom.

Harassing students on a university campus over events that have displaced them, their friends, and/or their relatives is absolutely unacceptable. Hateful beliefs and behaviours do not, and have never had a place on our campus. All students deserve a safe, respectful campus to learn, work and play on. We are better than making each other’s lives harder in hard times. We urge you to be kind. If you are in need of support, please reach out to us.

In Solidarity,

Your Board of Directors

On Campus Resources

Peer Support Centre
A safer space created to be an inclusive and comfortable space for students from all walks of
life.Whether you are struggling with or have questions regarding mental health, are concerned
for a friend, or need help accessing resources on or off campus, you can seek a
first-point-of-contact at the Peer Support Centre.

Our trained student volunteers are here to listen, offering non-judgmental, empathetic and
confidential support while helping fellow students navigate next-step resources and student
life at UVic.

Anti-Violence Project
Our support services are completely non-judgmental and confidential, and available to
anyone who has experienced violence, anyone who has caused harm, and anyone who has
supported someone who has experienced violence or caused harm.

We can provide you with emotional support, information about services on and off campus,
and help in connecting with the services that might be right for you. We have a team of
trained volunteers who provide peer support as well as staff members. To learn more about
AVP peer support, click here.

International Centre for Students
At the International Centre for Students you have access to International Advisors and a
place to connect with friends and find support during this difficult time.
Email: icsinfo@uvic.ca
Phone: +1-250-721-6361

Student Wellness Centre
The Student Wellness Centre provides holistic care, for students’ well-being emotionally,
physically and spiritually. You don’t need to be in Victoria to access care. Contact the centre
for virtual and in-person appointments with counsellors, doctors, nurses, spiritual care
providers and more.
Email: swcreception@uvic.ca
Phone: +1-250-721-8563

SupportConnect
SupportConnect is a free, confidential mental health support for UVic students, available 24
hours/day.
Phone (North America): +1-844-773-1427
Phone (International): +1-250-999-7621

International SOS
Students, staff and faculty travelling internationally on UVic-sanctioned activities are
encouraged to register with International SOS, which provides travel safety information,
international healthcare, medical assistance, and security services abroad 24 hours a day,
365 days a year.

Employee and Family Support
UVic staff and faculty can find support through our Employee and Family Assistance Program
including advice, private counselling, information referral services.

Community resources
Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees (VICCIR)
Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees (VICCIR) provides mental
health counselling to immigrants and refugees living on Vancouver Island. They specialize in
trauma informed therapy and offer counselling services on a sliding scale.

Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre
Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre provides a wide range of supports for immigrants,
refugees and new Canadian citizens.
Phone: +1-250-361-9433.

Here2Talk
Here2Talk is the provincial mental health support line for post-secondary students. Through
this resource all B.C. post-secondary students – domestic or international have access to
free, confidential counselling and community referral services, conveniently available 24
hours/7 days a week, via app, phone and web.
Phone: +1-877-857-3397

Statement On The Dissolution of UVIC Pride

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Dear UVSS Members,

At the November 14th board meeting, the UVSS Board of Directors voted to dissolve UVIC Pride and hold their funding in trust, after requesting the resignation of the Pride Representative. This decision was made for the following reasons:

  1. A General Meeting had not been held in over a year and six months; General Meetings must be held at least annually. No plans to hold an AGM had been given by Pride staff despite repeated requests from Board members and Excluded Management, and their Representative reported to the Executive Committee that there were no immediate plans to hold one.
  2. There was no democratically elected executive nor an open collective consensus making process;
  3. Open and advertised collective meetings were not being held regularly;

Upon receiving the letter announcing the motion, Pride staff announced an AGM shortly afterwards, which was abruptly postponed. We understand the student disappointment and confusion from this sudden change, and apologize for this miscommunication. UVIC Pride has since made a statement, which is available for student viewing here. 

As your Board of Directors, we have a responsibility to ensure your student fees are directed in ways that are conducive with student values and that support all demographics of UVIC students. This is a moral and legal obligation that we carry as your Board of Directors. UVIC Pride and the UVSS are committed to making the changes necessary to continue building queer community, leadership, and advocacy on campus. We are excited for the future student-led advocacy group that provides safe spaces for all queer and 2SLGBTQIA+ students. 

The UVSS has been queer-led for a number of years and is committed to ensuring there is an advocacy group that represents 2SLGBTQIA+ students. During the last week of January, we will be holding a Pride Annual General Meeting (hybrid) to establish a new Constitution and collective for UVIC Pride, elect student leaders, and get our gay agendas organized and put into action. In order to ensure we best accommodate student schedules, please indicate your availability for a Pride AGM here, along with feedback for the draft Constitution. If you are a queer, 2SLGBTQIA+, or ally student who wants to learn more about getting involved, please reach out to the Directors of Campaigns and Community Relations, Finance and Operations, and Student Affairs in the UVSS Board offices or through our e-mails which can be found at uvss.ca.

We look forward to continuing to serve, and support you.

 

UVSS Endorsement of UVic Parking Petition

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Dear University of Victoria Student Society (UVSS) Members,

NOTE: Since the time this petition was endorsed, the University has made significant concessions regarding the increased costs to workers resulting from its new parking policy. To learn more about why the UVSS endorsed this petition, read on!

At our recent board meeting, the UVSS Board of Directors endorsed a petition that was started by campus union leaders, who represent the workers who sustain our campus by keeping it clean, fed, and functioning. The petition concerns the increase in the cost of parking passes as part of the University of Victoria’s (UVic) Sustainable Action Plan. We commend UVic on the sustainability initiatives and encourage everyone to find green ways to come to campus in whatever way is accessible to you, such as via cycling or transit. The fewer emissions we can create as a community, the better. However, there are significant equity issues within the current parking pass increase plan that render it more of an ableist green-washed money grab than an effective sustainability initiative. 

The worker-led petition argues that the current plan to increase parking fees was not done in consultation with labour or student groups on campus and represents an increased burden to those folks who can least afford it. The current plan would significantly impact those unable to take transit or cycle due to disability. Taking transit during an ongoing pandemic when mask mandates have been lifted puts people at increased risk of exposure to COVID-19, which is a risk many are still unwilling or unable to take.

It will also negatively impact precarious workers like custodial or food service workers, who work schedules outside transit operating hours. People with additional care responsibilities that require frequent travel on tight timelines- Parents with childcare obligations might need to use a car to have the time to do anything else. Time is a privilege many folks on our campus don’t have, and increasing the costs to park on campus by this exorbitant amount is a tone-deaf action in an affordability crisis. 

This part of the plan is not a sustainability initiative. It is a major increase in costs by UVIC on its time-burdened students and employees during an affordability crisis. For people who have to come to campus in order to work outside of transit operating hours, the parking pass increase and elimination of the annual pass represents a fee paid to their employer (UVic) to work. The imposition of this fee during a pandemic, a crisis of affordability, and a housing crisis is unjust, inequitable, and greedy. The UVSS endorsed this petition in solidarity with the people who are disproportionately harmed by this policy, many of whom belong to marginalized communities. We, therefore, join them in their ask that:

  • The University of Victoria reduce the parking policy increase to be less than the cost-of-living increase per year, and keep the annual pass as an affordable option for employees. 
  • Furthermore, the NTS parking pass should remain at the current rate for those precarious workers who travel before or after transit service operate. 
  • The University should also support and update the Sustainable Action plan to provide options that support the use of electric cars and includes full-time remote work options to reduce commuting, leading to less emissions.  

If the university is serious about reducing emissions from travel to campus, they will institute a hybrid-learning model in all classes, such as allowing students to learn remotely, drastically reducing emissions from students commuting to campus. Not only would it decrease emissions, but it would also ensure that everyone in our community can feel safe conducting their education through UVIC. The Access4All campaign, led by the UVSS Society for Students With A Disability, has been tirelessly lobbying the university on the importance of accessible learning. However, instead of listening, President Hall banned virtual attendance for the Board of Governor and Senate meetings if he disagreed with the members’ reasoning for attending in that format. If he really cares about reducing emissions, he will give students a choice to learn from home rather than taking more money from his employees and calling it a sustainability initiative. 

Additionally, the university should support measures to increase transit and cycling infrastructure across Victoria. We look forward to working with UVIC in the future on sustainability initiatives that uphold UVSS and UVic values of social justice, decolonization, and equity for everyone in our campus community, and working with you, the students, to help hold them accountable! 

Here are three ways you can support our initiatives on campus:

  1. Add your name to the petition!
  2. Volunteer on a campaign! Email Izzy at campaigns@uvss.ca for more information.
  3. Support SUB Businesses! All revenue goes back to providing students with services, events, and workshops!

 

Photo of outside light with Indigenous flag commemorating the 215 children, it is an orange flag with hand prints forming a heart. behind is lush green trees.

National Indigenous Peoples Day

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June 21st is National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada. This date was chosen as it’s the summer solstice, the longest day of the year when many Indigenous peoples and communities celebrate their culture and heritage. This day celebrates the dynamic, robust, and diverse culture, outstanding contributions, and communities of Indigenous, Métis, and Inuit peoples across Turtle Island; each with their own distinct heritage, ancestry, language, cultural practices, and spiritual beliefs. National Indigenous Peoples Day acknowledges the resilience of Indigenous communities and culture despite ongoing cis-hetero-patriarchal colonialism that strives to uphold systems of oppression through genocide, racism, land dispossession efforts, and more. Thus, it also encourages non-Indigenous Canadians to recognize and reflect on their privilege, and take action towards decolonizing their ways of being, knowing, and doing as they walk more mindfully on Indigenous land. Notably, living on these lands we, as settlers, can know our continuing existence here showcases how settler colonialism is a structure that continues to this day; colonialism is ongoing, not simply an event of the past (Tuck & Yang 2012). 

As the UVSS continues to operate on the unceded, unsurrendered, and stolen territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, it is vital for us settlers to self-locate and acknowledge our privilege. We encourage everyone to take a moment to acknowledge where they are reading this statement from (where you are living, learning, and playing) today. If you don’t know the territory, tribe, and/or nation you are joining us from please click here and find out. Moreover, we understand it is our responsibility to further our ongoing commitment and role in working to uphold decolonization and Indigenous self-determination. We know statements are meaningless without action and change. Decolonization and Social Justice remain key UVSS values, which guide our dedication to working within Indigenous traditional knowledge, ontologies, and epistemologies.

The UVSS acknowledges the colonial institutions and systems it works within and will take action to dismantle colonial structures in our thoughts, relationships, workplaces, classrooms, and communities. We strive for a decolonized future defined by reciprocity, responsibility, and restitution. The UVSS is committed to an equitable future for Indigenous peoples and communities by initiating these conversations as an organization, and taking meaningful action to restore justice, decolonize, and further equity on campus and in our communities.

 

To Indigenous students, faculty, and community: We see you. We support you. We are ready to listen, learn, and unlearn.

 

In making this statement, we, the UVSS, commit to walk softly and mindfully on this land and work to uphold decolonization and Indigenous self-determination.

 

Resources:

For all students, below is a non-exhaustive list of resources on decolonization, land back, local peoples & histories, and how you can get involved: 

 

Additions to the Resource List:

 

Resource List:

  • Beyond 94: this is an interactive website that outlines the 94 calls to action outlined by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report published in June 2015.
  • You can find the full Truth and Reconciliation Report and Calls to Action here: www.trc.ca 
  • Here are some calls to action from this report that relate to post-secondary education:

  1. We call upon the federal government to develop with Aboriginal groups a joint strategy to eliminate educational and employment gaps between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians.

  2. We call upon the federal government to provide adequate funding to end the backlog of First Nations students seeking a post-secondary education.

  3. We call upon law schools in Canada to require all law students to take a course in Aboriginal people and the law…

  4. We call upon the federal, provincial and territorial governments, in consultation and collaboration with Survivors, Aboriginal Peoples and educators to…Provide the necessary funding to post-secondary institutions to educate teachers on how to integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms.

  5. We call upon the federal government, through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and in collaboration with Aboriginal Peoples, post-secondary institutions and educators, and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and its partner institutions, to establish a national research program with multi-year funding to advance understanding of reconciliation.

You can learn more about the local nations whose land on which we live, work, and play by taking a look at their websites:

W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council: https://wsanec.com/

lək̓ʷəŋən Nations:

 

Note: if you have any additions to this list please email comm@uvic.ca 

 

 

 

References:

Tuck, E., & Yang, K. W. 2012. Decolonization is not a metaphor. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 1, 1-40.

 

International Trans Day of Visibility

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The International Trans Day of Visibility is an annual event committed to celebrating trans+ people and raising awareness of the prejudice and bigotry faced by transgender people across the world. 

Being able to exist as your true self is something that most people do every day without a second thought. However for trans+ people living openly can be very dangerous, and just being visible can cause a daily risk for these individuals. Yet increased visibility of trans+ people in our communities and in the media helps raise awareness that can help to change attitudes. Increasing awareness and removing discrimination is a key step in securing trans+ peoples safety and rights.

Marginalized communities have high levels of intersectionality. The UVSS strives to continue to be a safe space for all individuals, and aims to promote meaningful social change on campus and in the world around us. In recognising today’s International Trans Day of Visibility we want folks to take time today to reflect and educate yourself further on the issues faced by trans+ individuals.

If you’re interested to learn more, we recommend the following resources:

  1. 4 Toxic Messages I Learned About Gender (and 4 to Teach Instead)
  2. Gender Terminology Discussion Guide
  3. Pronoun Guide
  4. UVSS Advocacy Relations Committee Educational Post for Trans Day of Remembrance