Queen’s University is starting an “intergroup dialogue program” — with student facilitators who will intervene when they hear other students making homophobic, racist or sexist comments or using homophobic, racist or sexist words.
“The Kingston university has hired student facilitators to step in when they overhear homophobic slurs, remarks bashing women or racially tinged insults, along with an array of other language that could be deemed offensive.…
A sampling of some behaviour that could warrant attention from university-appointed student facilitators, tasked with policing students’ offensive language at Queen’s:
* If a student uses the phrase “That’s so gay” in conversation.
* If a student calls someone or something “retarded.”
* If a student writes a homophobic, racist or other derogatory remark in a public space, such as on a residence poster or classmate’s door.
* If a student avoids a classmate’s birthday party for faith-based reasons.”
Full article here. Thoughts?
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seven comments
I don't understand that last part about the birthday party... am I missing something?
As for these facilitators, I dunno... if I am having a conversation with someone, and they say "What you just said was offensive," I am always willing to discuss that with them. If someone randomly jumped into my private conversation (even if it was conducted in public), I might be a little annoyed, but would probably hear them out. However, if I perceived that this person was not just a concerned individual, but actually an agent of an organization sent around to spy on people and then teach them a lesson, I might be VERY ANGRY and inclined to write off anything they said.
So I'm really not sure this is the best way to approach things. Also, I feel that it will make people suspicious of anyone who speaks up in the future, even if in the past they might have been more open to hearing people out. It's like when advertising companies started paying people to sit around in bars and pretend to be regular people talking about products they liked. Now I'm always wondering, does that random barfly really like Sham-Wow, or were they paid to say so?
Posted by Michelle
November 20, 2008, 1:24 PM
avoiding a birthday party? i avoid birthday parties all the time for all sorts of reasons...
Posted by nicolle
November 20, 2008, 2:06 PM
Yeah, like maybe the "faith-based reason" was just an excuse created to avoid hurting feelings with a "Actually, I just don't like you very much" rejection. :-D
Posted by Michelle
November 20, 2008, 2:58 PM
Wait, it's a problem to avoid a birthday party for faith-based reasons or it's a problem to make fun of someone for doing that? That one isn't very clear.
Posted by Melinda
November 20, 2008, 6:25 PM
Yeah, this whole thing seems a bit oh no wait I can't say that, it's just totally, oh no wait I shouldn't say that either. Well, I think it's just stupid - are we okay on stupid or is that a no -word as well?
Sorry, I had to make that joke. I think the project sounds well-intentioned, but I think it may just end up facilitating arguments and not dialogue, it would be more respectful to publish a conversational code of conduct and let students police themselves wouldn't it?
Posted by Mir
November 21, 2008, 5:39 PM
I agree that it's well intentioned, but it is also leading to censorship. Because it's one thing to appeal to the public and students to correct each other, and another to have an authority figure police language. This will just lead to further social inhibitions of freedoms.
Posted by Katie Wong
November 23, 2008, 10:35 PM
In some religions, celebrating your birthday is prohibited. In elementary school, a couple of girls were protestants [Adventist 7th day] and they were not allowed to celebrate their birthday or to come to birthday parties. I never fully understood the reason but it had to do with the fact that Jesus is more important than your own self.
I think it's an interesting idea but I am not sure it'd work. At uOttawa, every single resident must undergo sensitivity training because of homophobia episodes from last year, but I am not sure if it'll change something, it's very new!
Posted by Karine
November 29, 2008, 3 PM
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