On Feb. 22, 2024, the town of Westlock, Alberta, voted to prohibit rainbow crosswalks and flying anything other than government flags. This measure is yet another recent example of Canadian politicians implementing homophobic and transphobic policies, all of which normalize hatred against queer communities. The Westlock decision came after Alberta[Read More…]
Editorial
Floor fellows need a better foundation, not elimination
Content Warning: Mentions of suicide, sexual assault, and racial discrimination. On Feb. 15, McGill’s Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS) informed their 65 Floor Fellows via Zoom that their positions would be eliminated, effective this fall. SHHS announced the meeting only two hours in advance and the call lasted a[Read More…]
Black-Palestinian solidarity serves as an example of liberation for all, by all
On Nov. 4 2023, the same day as the largest pro-Palestine rally that Montreal has seen to date, Black feminist Robyn Maynard gave a speech delineating the intricate correlations between genocide and colonialism. In this same speech, Maynard turned to the parallels between the oppressions of Black and Palestinian people,[Read More…]
Canada needs to address systemic abuse in sports
Content Warning: Mentions of sexual abuse In the last few years, confrontations with histories of abuse have shaken the world of Canadian sports. Following the settlement of a case of sexual assault involving eight members of the Canadian Hockey League CHL in 2018, The Globe and Mail’s investigation that followed[Read More…]
Abortion access and trans rights are non-negotiables
After decades of financial struggles, Clinic 554, the last private practice to provide surgical abortions in Fredericton, New Brunswick, permanently closed on Jan. 31. With the province refusing to allow Medicare to cover the cost of private clinic procedures, Clinic 554 worked on a pay-what-you-can model that eventually led to[Read More…]
Cutting corners in higher education must be avoided at all costs
Higher education is not immune to the consequences of economic instability in Canada and around the world. Staff, faculty, and students at Queen’s University are all too aware of this, following The Queen’s Journal’s reporting on leaked documents that reveal a drastic budget deficit and the school’s plan to cut[Read More…]
Divestment from fossil fuels was the first step; divestment from genocide is the next
Following 12 years of mobilization from students and faculty, the Board of Governors (BoG) voted on Dec. 14 to divest from all direct holdings in Carbon Underground (CU) 200 fossil fuel companies. This is a significant step toward greater environmental justice and a well-deserved victory for Divest McGill, an organization[Read More…]
Reconceptualizing free speech on an unequal campus
The debate over free speech in higher education has attracted significant attention in recent months. Elite universities, such as Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), have received international attention as raging conservative movements take down administrations while these same administrators stumble over institutional oppression. Recent right-wing backlash against[Read More…]
Palestinian artists will not be silenced on campus and in liberation
Since the recent escalation of violence in Gaza and the West Bank, artists worldwide are raising their voices in solidarity with Palestine, advocating for a ceasefire amidst dire violations of human rights and mass destruction of Palestinian land. In parallel, a disturbing pattern of censorship and backlash, particularly targeting Palestinian[Read More…]
2023 SSMU executive midterm reviews
The Tribune’s editorial board presents its midterm reviews of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) executives. Tribune editors researched and communicated with each executive before leading an editorial board discussion on the executives’ work and accomplishments. Editors with conflicts of interest abstained from discussing, writing, and editing relevant reviews.[Read More…]