By Alejandra Macarena Mantilla
Messages of queerphobia have been found on the campus of Thompson Rivers University distressing the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and questions the inclusivity of the university.
In October, Thompson Rivers University (TRU) sent out an email describing an incident where graffiti was found with a message of hate to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Pauline Streete, the Executive Director of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism stated that the incident has been taken seriously.
“Hate speech is not in line with our values, and such behavior is not welcome here” stated the email TRU sent. Security has increased the patrolling in the area at TRU and the graffiti has been removed. TRU recognized that they are responsible for creating a diverse environment and their priority would be to support people that are part of 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
TRU has expressed intolerance to hate speech and they understand how it can affect the community. They seek to foster knowledge, learning and inclusivity. For that reason they have several departments and offices who can address this situation.
An example is the office of equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism. “The office will work collegially across the university and externally to plan, develop and support the implementation of a collective vision…”, according to their official website.
The Wellness Centre has become a main resource for students where they can feel welcomed. Payton Hierbert is the Wellness Support Specialist, one of the founders of “Queer Connections” (a club on campus) and they identify as part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Students can discuss any issues they might have with Hierbert or the Wellness Centre ambassadors.
Image courtesy of Payton Hierbert, the image includes the message of hate.
Hierbert found the graffiti on Sep. 30 in the whiteboard that is property of the Sexualized Violence Prevention and Response (SVPR) office. The graffiti was written with permanent marker and it stated “fuck LGBTQ+ two genders only”. “I reported it immediately” said Hierbert, “the week before that happened there were national anti SOGI protests”.
SOGI stands for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. On Sep. 20 in Kamloops on Columbia Street the counter-protesters quickly out-numbered the organizers of an anti-SOGI rally. The protests are against or pro teaching inclusion to students on issues of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Many people have debated if gender studies should be taught in schools since some believe it can be bad for children. Others believe that it is important to introduce the topic of gender so children understand what society is like.
Hierbert said they had conversations with staff at TRU that reached out to them after the incident to express their concern. They found out there is only one security camera in the hallway where the Wellness Centre and the SVPR office are and it does not point in that direction. For that reason they were unable to find who wrote the message.
Part of the report helped as a call to action.“It was demanding we have more security and cameras placed in here,” Hierbert said. They mentioned they did not feel harmed by the incident and they were supported through the process.
“I actually feel like I am really thankful that I was the person to find everything because that could have been extremely harmful to somebody” Hierbert said. They mentioned their awareness on this type of issue.
“We don’t have a queer space on campus or anywhere in Kamloops,” said Hierbert. They were part of an initiative in 2017 that proposed the creation of a queer space on campus. “We are seeing efforts but this could have done a lot sooner and quicker,” said Hierbert. They mentioned a new position was created that is dedicated to queer folks.
The position follows under the Faculty of Student Development filled by Noah Fischer who is the Manager of Gender and Sexual Diversity. Fischer provides resources, learning opportunities and support of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. He started the role in October and he is the first person to occupy it.
“I have lived experience in the community so I think that is a huge factor in being able to provide meaningful support,” said Fischer when asked about his role. He said he is in the process of creating resources.
“The long vision is there will be a pride space dedicated to programming, resourcing that goes with this area of work, it is in the works” said Fischer. He said his role is the first step in directly supporting the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
“In my time spent in the position so far has made it really clear that this is something that we at TRU can be doing a lot better,” said Fischer, “acknowledging the intensity and severity of what it means to have this thing happening on campus”. He said it is important to engage with resources like TRUSU Pride, Queer Connections. All of these opportunities contribute to creating a more inclusive space.
The incident sparked queerphobia at TRU. Queerphobia is defined as the hatred directed towards members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. It includes homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and all other forms of hate.
Image by Alejandra Macarena Mantilla. Bathroom wall with phrases and messages some including hate speech against the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Another type of graffiti was found in the women’s bathroom in Old Main. The last stall has a white wall filled with phrases and words. They cover different topics but a queerphobic message states “Stop teaching LGBTQ shit” now scratched. However, the wall has not been painted over and more people keep writing on it. TRU has not assessed this issue.
If students need support Hierbert mentioned they can reach out to Noah Fischer, the Wellness Centre and they can seek help from security on campus. Any issues can be reported and security will file a report to follow the problem.
