The Department of Gender Studies stands in solidarity with Four Directions and Indigenous Communities. We send our condolences to Tk’emlúps e Secwépemc. We grieve the terrible loss of the lives of so many little ones and all they could have offered to the world. As Kandice has said, may we will be the people that those children needed. We resist settler colonialism in all its manifestations, and will do all that we can to promote justice and safety for all Indigenous peoples.

Dear Gender Studies Community,

In case you haven’t seen it, I would like to draw your attention to Stephanie Simpson’s message (below) about the verdict in the murder of George Floyd. Gender Studies joins with the Human Rights and Equity Office to stand with Black, Indigenous and racialized peoples in demanding an end to state violence, and the creation of permanent anti-racist structural change in the justice system.

Dear Members of the Gender Studies Community,

I am saddened, horrified and enraged by the recent murders of Sarah Everard in the UK and of eight people in Atlanta, seven of whom were women and six of whom were women of Asian descent. Many details of the Atlanta murders are still uncertain, but at this time, four of the US victims have been identified: Delaina Ashley Yaun; Xiaojie Tan; Daoyou Feng; and Paul Andre Michels.

Dear Kandice and Staff, Students and all those associated with Four Directions,

We are horrified, angered and saddened by the most recent acts of vandalism at 4D. We appreciate your weariness. We respect your ongoing willingness to stand in truth, integrity, and love against racism, homophobia, transphobia, and all forms of hatred.

Gender Studies is committed to help build a de-colonized campus community where all Indigenous peoples, LGBTQ2S+, and BIPOC belong and can flourish — safe, free from all forms of violence and harassment, and supported.

Dr. Patrick Deane, Principal
Dr. Mark Green, Provost & Vice-Principal
Queen’s University

16 June 2020

Dear Principal Deane and Provost Green,

Dear Gender Studies Community,

Events of the past week in the US and Toronto have created more opportunities to reflect on 400 years of colonialism; Black oppression; state violence against Black, Indigenous and radicalized people; and White supremacy in the northern parts of Turtle Island.

George Floyd, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor
Regis Korchinski-Paquet, D’Andre Campbell, Machuar Madut, Nicholas Gibbs

Dr. Mark Green
Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic)
Queen’s University

1 April 2020

Dear Provost Green,

Thank you for your leadership at this very stressful, difficult and unprecedented time. Almost without exception, I have been very impressed with the responses from the Queen’s leadership, including Principal Deane’s compassionate and wise Friday messages. I hope you and your loved ones are finding ways to stay connected, healthy and grounded.

Dear All,

You may have already heard that some Queen’s students organized and attended a “coronavirus-themed” party on the weekend. In the face of the great human tragedy that is unfolding and many human lives that have already been lost, it is appalling and disgraceful that anyone would consider this an occasion for a party. 

The Department of Gender Studies at Queen's University resolutely supports the right of sexual violence survivors to control their stories and their decisions. At an October 9, 2019 department meeting, all eighteen students, staff and faculty present agreed to refrain from reporting students' personal information as required by the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Policy and the implementation of the disclosure portal.

The Department of Gender Studies strongly condemns the racist graffiti that appeared on the Queen's University and St. Lawrence College campuses on Friday, April 5. We denounce every form of racism perpetrated in our institutions and in our communities, including the anti-Black, anti-Indigenous, anti-Semitic manifestations of violence we witnessed this past week. We oppose white supremacy and its proponents, and we are committed to fostering an environment where all students, staff, and faculty can thrive.