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Off the Board, Opinion

In defence of texting like a man

by Caitlin Kindig on

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I am, for the most part, a happy person, but I would not be described as cheery by my friends or family. However, if you were to read one of my emails or Slack messages, I am a bubbly ball of joy. 

Until last week, I forced exclamation marks into my daily digital interactions. They were littered throughout text messages to my peers, Slack reminders to my coworkers, and even emails to my professors, littering my language with glyphs of false enthusiasm. My words did not feel like my own, and I started to despise my various empty correspondences. Eventually, I stopped including exclamation marks in my notes, instead opting for periods, or excluding punctuation altogether if the exchange was casual. Acting on this introspection, I felt immediately relieved, yet, I was met with strong opposition from my peers. I received replies like “Are you mad at me?” and “Is everything ok??” I tried reassuring them by using emoticons or elongated vowels in place of exclamation marks, but those do not come naturally to me either. 

Spending hours wondering whether to include exclamation marks in messages or not is a uniquely gendered experience: When someone receives written communication from a woman, they expect a certain degree of vivacity, and in most cases, it is delivered. According to a 2006 study published in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, women use more exclamation marks than men when writing emails in order to seem more friendly. However, when it comes to using an exclamation mark, women are put in a ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ situation: If you use them too much, you are unprofessional. If you use them too little, you are a bitch. If you use them because you feel like you have to, you are not being yourself. And, if you use them because it feels natural, you are supporting the patriarchy.

I find that the problem of overly amicable texting is rooted in the fact that women are socialized to conform to what men are comfortable with: An email lacking exclamation from a woman is often assumed to be cold or mean, while a similar email from a man is seen as casual workplace communication. Worrying about something as insignificant as exclamation marks is a form of emotional labour reserved for women subconsciously trying not to emasculate men. 

Recent studies affirm that women would benefit from being more assertive, more vocal, and from apologizing less. In my classes and workplace, I witness my female colleagues not advocating for themselves, and the results are devastating. A brilliant idea that a woman mumbles will be shouted by a man within seconds, and nearly every time, he will get the credit. The common denominator in assertion, vocality, and refusing to apologize, is that in order to get ahead in life, women should behave more like men. This idea is very unsettling, and what is more, I am disappointed in myself for upholding these stereotypically male ideals by being intense and insistent; although perhaps if I were a man, I would just be acting professionally. Communication within a professional context is a key element in the pay-gap between men and women: Workplaces are set up in a way that respects men who demand raises or promotions, and disregards their female counterparts for doing the same.

Instead of encouraging women to participate in this unnecessary and, quite frankly, obnoxious behaviour, we should inspire a culture that is not dominated by stereotypically male norms. I would love to live in a world where using exclamation marks was a universal way of expressing enthusiasm rather than a mark of femininity, and therefore inadequacy. For now, I will continue to operate in the gendered divide of communication. I will keep writing emails, Slack, and text messages the way a man would, and advocating for myself at the cost of being perceived as cold. 

 

Commentary, Opinion

McGill ignores invisible disabilities

by The COMS 411 Fall 2019 Class on

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Accessibility barriers are, unfortunately, part of the McGill University experience. Students at McGill have repeatedly reported a lack of silent study spaces on campus, and the closure of the Schulich Library and the University Centre—among other construction currently taking place on campus—exacerbates this problem. While the initiatives of on-campus advocacy groups, like the Arts Undergraduate Society’s (AUS) creation of McLennan’s “Tranquility Zone”, are commendable, we feel compelled to express some concerns about McGill’s accessibility barriers. In general, access needs for students with cognitive and physical disabilities are being overlooked. We are writing to ask McGill Administration that these access needs be prioritized, with the urgent recommendation that McGill implements more quiet spaces on campus. These issues are ongoing, and there are currently no short-term solutions for disability advocacy.

The students of COMS 411: Disability, Technology & Communication want to contribute to campus accessibility, which offers a place conducive to thinking about designing for disability. We did a survey of McGill’s current silent study and alternative spaces, reviewing each area based on specific design parameters. Based on our findings, the university’s conception of disability has been primarily concerned with spatial understandings of access and physical disability. The administration seems to understand intellectual disabilities and mental health as matters that do not require spatial considerations. However, these impairments do, in fact, require spatial accessibility policies. Intellectual disabilities, neurodiversity, and mental health are not one-dimensional, nor are they non-spatial. Accessibility goes beyond physical access to buildings, rooms, and washrooms, and has many different dimensions that need to be addressed to create truly accessible environments.

In our audit of the downtown campus, we evaluated light levels, acoustics, and chemical access, among other access categories, which are all crucial when designing accessible spaces. It is widely known that existing resources for students with cognitive and physical disabilities are sparse: For example, there are no quiet zones or rooms on campus that are specifically designed for students with disabilities. A quiet space is an area, zone, or room where one can access and evaluate their needs, rest, take a break, or relax. The absence of quiet spaces is an accessibility issue for students with cognitive disabilities and sensory sensitivities and should be built. 

There has been an effort to make existing spaces more physically accessible, but the administration must consider a wider spectrum of access needs and design spaces with disability in mind from the very beginning. 

Questions about accessibility issues from students are addressed superficially at best. Although the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) has implemented the Accessible Media Room on the first floor of the McLennan-Redpath library and has offered accommodations such as note-takers, McGill still must recognise that there are more important and long-term needs for students with disabilities. Put simply, the university needs to make accommodations to make McGill’s campus safe, comfortable, and usable for students with cognitive or physical disabilities. Part of the current issue is that if information exists, it is difficult to access or find on McGill’s various web pages. As such, we are currently designing an accessible website which will include a directory of resources for students’ well-being, and a map for silent spaces, lounges, and hubs on campus. We hope that, in the future, this website will be transferred to the Wellness Hub or to another centralized resource, rendering it a long-term and ongoing project.

“There has been an effort to make existing spaces more physically accessible, but the administration must consider a wider spectrum of access needs and design spaces with disability in mind from the very beginning.”

While the university has made efforts toward promoting greater physical accessibility such as installing wheelchair ramps, wide doors with push buttons, and spacious stalls in washrooms, there is still a long way to go. We recommend that any decision to design a quiet space or on-campus resource for students with disabilities be built with a resonant material, or materials designed for specific disabilities, and that any space on campus is designed for a range of disabilities and access needs. Students with disabilities should be consulted and included in the decision-making processes regarding the creation of accessible spaces on campus. Without the input of these individuals, the university administration will continue its pattern of neglecting an important membership of McGill’s demographic. It is crucial that McGill and its community continue communicating about access needs, carve out accessible resources and work together on issues of accessibility on campus. 

Editorial, Opinion

Campus should be a safe space

by The McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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As final exams approach and the sun sets earlier, more students will be walking to and from campus after sunset. The many construction projects around McGill’s campus make navigating the area more difficult and reduce the amount of well-lit areas for students to traverse. Consequently, McGill’s administration has a responsibility to increase the resources available to students who are made to feel vulnerable or unsafe and rethink the way security resources are used on campus. Not only do students have a right to be safe on campus, they have a right to feel safe as well.

The most basic issue regarding campus safety is lighting. The campus is poorly lit, and increasing visibility in common outdoor areas would make nighttime walkers feel safer on campus. In areas where construction has obstructed normally well-lit walkways, construction crews or the university could easily set up temporary lighting fixtures in darker, well-populated around campus. Construction on campus has also impeded access to the yellow emergency phones placed around the downtown campus. Making these more visible and accessible, especially near construction sites could help students feel safe at night. 

Campus organizations like Walksafe and Drivesafe are important resources that become even more crucial during this time of year. The Walksafe program is an ideal solution for someone walking home from campus late at night, but it is also helpful for individuals who participate in the many drinking oriented events that take place in Milton-Parc during November and December. Likewise, Drivesafe can prevent many intoxicated students from freezing on their way home from a party, but can be equally useful for first-years who live in residences such as Solin who do not want to either make a frigid walk home or use public transit late at night. However, both of these programs are funded by students and run by volunteers whose work is too emotionally intensive to be done without pay. McGill should step up to work with the Student’s Society of McGill University (SSMU) to fund both of these programs, as they are invaluable resources for students who are studying, partying, or just trying to get home safely. 

The way McGill organizes campus security also has ramifications for student safety. McGill outsources its security needs to private companies, however, it also employs full-time security agents who patrol campus and work directly for the university. This means there is inconsistency in the training, experience, and skills security guards have which, depending on the event or circumstance, could pose a threat to student wellbeing. There is an acute lack of information regarding the training that McGill security officers receive on the campus public safety website, and security officers from private companies are often not equipped with active listening or de-escalation training. In addition, McGill’s campus safety office chooses to distribute these officers counterintuitively: More security officers seem to be present on campus during the day than at night, when safety becomes a heightened concern. The way McGill uses security officers as resources is telling: Currently, security guards seemingly work to protect McGill’s priorities, such as the white tents erected on the lower field earlier this semester, which had almost constant security. While events like these remain heavily guarded, students walking home from the library at night remain acutely vulnerable.

Security officers should protect students and student interests by acting as a resource available in times of need. Instead, their reputation on campus positions them as authority figures who will reprimand those that disrupt the sense of order set by McGill’s administration. This power dynamic is only intensified for racialized students. Security on campus is in many ways a form of policing that is packaged differently. As they currently exist, McGill security officers do not represent a viable resource for a racialized student to reach out to in a crisis situation. No matter the diversity of McGill’s security force, security guards, like police, are not immune to racially profiling people. 

McGill needs to ensure that all of its security officers receive a uniform level of instruction, including active listening, de-escalation, and racial sensitivity training. Only this will give them adequate skills to serve McGill’s student body. In addition, McGill should seek to use its security resources more thoughtfully and, in doing so, let McGill students know that their safety matters. Finally, while it is certainly not the job of students to be campus security, all McGill students can create a safer environment by being careful, paying attention, and being active bystanders by helping those in need. 

 

Commentary, Opinion

Canada needs a high-speed rail system

by Kennedy McKee-Braide on

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In November, VIA Rail, the Crown corporation that controls passenger train travel in Canada, unveiled plans for a “high-frequency” train project along its Quebec City—Windsor corridor. Although the project will no doubt make travelling by train more pleasant, it is not a sufficient solution. Canada should avoid quick fixes and invest more money and resources into developing a national high-speed rail system. People living and travelling in Canada, such as McGill students, could stand to gain from convenient and accessible travel within the country.

For some, being at McGill can be a stressful and isolating experience, and many students are far from their loved ones. However, going home for a weekend to destress can be difficult due to the high cost of tickets, especially for flights, and the time it takes to travel there and back. For the 68.7 per cent of McGill students living elsewhere in  Canada, a quick train ride that is accessible and inexpensive could allow them to visit home more often. Those from outside of Canada can benefit, too; getting a change of scenery and experiencing new places can be great for one’s mental health. 

While trains from Montreal to cities like Ottawa, Toronto, and Quebec City are frequent and quite comfortable, they can also be expensive and tend to come with an abundance of delays. An economy ticket for a student may be under $50 if booked far in advance, but the prices for a last-minute ticket can rise to over $150. Delays are common, and more expensive routes, such as the 25-hour Vancouver — Edmonton train, costs hundreds of dollars, have at times experienced delays of a whole day or more. Since VIA Rail does not own the tracks it operates on, it is at the mercy of the Canadian National Railway, the freight railway that owns the rail system in Canada. Ultimately has control over scheduling, and tends to be responsible for these delays. 

 VIA has offered a potential solution to this issue. The newly announced high-frequency project proposes the construction of new dedicated tracks between Toronto and Ottawa, and between Montreal and Quebec City, which VIA claims will reduce travel times. However, there has yet to be a date set for the project’s completion. Many have long argued in favour of high-speed rail in the country for its shortened travel times and environmental benefits. Plus, the technology for such a project already exists—countries and regions including China, Russia, and all countries in the European Union have some sort of high-speed rail system in place. In Europe, most high-speed trains can travel at speeds of around 300 kilometres per hour. China’s network has a total length of 2,298 kilometres, which is promising considering Canada’s size. 

Despite these benefits, the closest Canada has come to realizing such a project was a Transport Canada study on hyperloop technology, a concept that has never been executed, and is in early stages of development. Companies like Canada’s Transpod and Virgin’s Hyperloop One claim that their pod-like system can travel at up to 1,000 kilometres per hour with minimal environmental impact, with a proposed travel time between Montreal and Toronto estimated at 39 minutes. While the concept is exciting, experts have expressed concerns regarding the system’s safety, citing its high pressure levels, which mean that a small defect could cause an explosion. Coupled with the fact that the technology is in its early stages, Canada should still work to create a high-speed system with technology that has proven safe and cost-effective.

Canada needs to catch up and make real improvements to its interprovincial transportation networks. Establishing a high-speed rail system could have significant environmental benefits and would encourage more people to travel within the country. A quicker and more efficient way to travel could bring many McGill students closer to not only their family, but also places in Canada that are inaccessible otherwise.

 

Commentary, Opinion

The lecture hall: The space where my two cultures met

by Sepideh Afshar on

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I was born in Iran, but my family and I moved to Canada when I was four-years-old. Although Farsi was my first language, English quickly became my dominant one and, even though I was surrounded by Iranian culture at home, at school I was being exposed to a completely different set of norms. While growing up with two different cultures allowed me to gain a unique perspective on many social and political issues, McGill played a pivotal role in my perception of my two conflicting identities—Canadian and Iranian—and allowed me to see them in a positive light. 

Growing up, it was impossible to ignore the glaring differences between my life and those of my friends at school. For example, we did not celebrate Thanksgiving or have huge Christmas dinners. On the other hand, when I went to Iranian language classes, it seemed that my family did not adhere to a lot of Iran’s social norms either. My dad, though still a Muslim, drank alcohol and made us ham sandwiches. The older I became, the more I needed to fit into a specific culture. I often felt too Westernized to be Iranian like my family, but too Middle Eastern to truly be Canadian. The height of my uncertainties came during the 2016 United States presidential elections, when suddenly my two identities were being pitted against each other. I thought that I had to justify that I was a Canadian, as if my citizenship was not enough, and I started feeling hyper-aware of the way that my Iranian name rolled off of Canadian tongues. I felt increasingly like I did not fit into either category. Thankfully, coming to university enabled me to start appreciating both of my cultures.

The presence of so many different cultures at McGill immediately made me feel more at ease. However, this did not happen immediately:  I was initially worried when I saw that a unit of one of my political science courses was, “Nuclear Weapons and the Case of Iran.” There were definitely moments of discomfort, such as sitting in class and hearing people disagree with the professor when he stated that ‘Iran was not a rogue state.’ Nevertheless, when I voiced my opinions in a conference, I felt welcomed for the first time in my life. Looking around the room and seeing others nod their heads, genuinely appreciating my perspective, gave me a sense of validation that I had not experienced in my education before. At McGill, I feel that my input is not discounted due to my personal connection with Iran, and if anything, I am listened to more intently.

My experience of feeling heard is only possible because of the nature of McGill as a university that embraces diversity and the respective outlooks that come with its students. Professors, TAs, and students who want topics to be approached in different ways become incredibly important. Academia is the first place where I have not felt the need to justify either of my cultural identities because, even if I am not always agreed with, I feel heard. I am learning that although it may be difficult on a personal level, and the feeling of not belonging might not disappear completely, my dual cultural identity offers a unique perspective in my education that is appreciated by my peers. 

Being surrounded by people from two or more cultures at McGill has made me proud of the uniqueness of my upbringing. Smaller things, like the fact that even though my family in Iran call every year at Christmas even though they do not celebrate, feel much more important. Details like having a Muslim dad who drinks and loves bacon do not feel quite as divisive. I am more appreciative than ever of my cultures, and I can only imagine how that appreciation will grow as my time at McGill continues. 

 

Features

Dumpster diving

by Emma Gillies on

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Canada produced 25 million tonnes of waste in 2016, ranking as one of the highest per-capita waste generators in the world. The non-residential sector, which includes industry and institutions such as universities, produces the majority of this waste. In the past year alone, McGill’s downtown campus has generated 1,454 tonnes of landfill waste and recycling, roughly 10 times the weight of a blue whale. Industry professionals are working to reduce these numbers, and achieving sustainability requires addressing this issue head-on. Since the City of Montreal does not offer waste and recycling services to institutions like McGill, the university forms its own contracts with the companies that haul garbage, recycling, and compost to nearby facilities.

Creative

Tribune Presents: Lonely Boa

by Aidan Martin on

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Lovely duo Lonely Boa joined us in the office for an afternoon of music self described as “classical orchestra meets loft rave meets ambient drone meditation.” Playing a selection from their upcoming album Chrysalia, Eve and Jess brought charisma and passion to our space.

Multimedia: So, where did you come up with the name ‘Lonely Boa’?

Eve: “My preferred answer is [that] I was walking alone from being out one night on a particularly dreary, emotional evening, when I came across a boa (like the pink feather kind) on the street. I thought to myself, “there’s just one lonely boa” and bam! A new band name was born. The real answer though, is “lonely boa” was a user’s alias on a shared google doc. In any case, I love the name Lonely Boa because it invokes the idea of how sometimes uniqueness or being different can make you feel lonely — something I used to struggle a lot with, and something I think people can identify with.”

M: What inspired you to start making music?

E: “I’ve been playing music since I was five years old. Both of my parents are professional classical musicians so it was a given that I would start an instrument from an early age. When I went to university, certain aspects of classical music culture, especially around performance, was something I really rejected. I was always annoyed at playing competitions and concerts as a teen and having to fit into this normative box of what to wear, how to act, and how to engage with an audience.”

M: How would you define your musical style and how has your sound changed since you started ‘Lonely Boa’?

E: “If I were to describe the musical style of Lonely Boa in terms of genre, I’d say [that] it’s like classical orchestra, meets loft rave, meets ambient drone meditation, meets 2000s emo music, meets Robyn, meets Owen Pallett. It’s all of those things, and yet none of them at the same time. I still carry a lot of the emotional weight of when I wrote those songs a few years ago, but now I like to produce music that is more vast and cathedral-like, but very intimate and powerful at the same time.”

M: What is the significance of Jess as your bandmate?

E: “Jess, oh Jess. I traded a bag of coffee beans for Jess and a pink hair crimper in 2016 off Bunz Trading Zone, and from the instant we met I knew there was something special about her. It took me years to understand that I’m drawn to Jess because she is this literal ‘floating head’ — a head without a body. For me, that feeling […] syncs up with what it can feel like to be trans, and my own experiences of dysphoria. I like the physical representation that Jess brings to Lonely Boa performances of that feeling, but in a subtle way. Plus, she’s just a really good singer — when she’s feeling up to performing at least.”

Lonely Boa is releasing an upcoming album, Chrysalia, in the new year. Catch her playing at La Vitrola on December 6 and keep track of what she’s up to on Instagram (@Lonely_Boa_Music), Facebook, Bandcamp and other streaming platforms.

Video by Aidan Martin and our Multimedia Team.

Gladys Hakizimana
Basketball, Know Your Athlete, Sports

Know Your Athlete: Gladys Hakizimana

by Sarah Farnand on

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Fifth-year Martlet basketball star guard Gladys Hakizimana has been involved with basketball from a young age. A Montreal native, Hakizimana has always enjoyed the competition and camaraderie of playing sports.

“I started playing basketball in elementary school,” Hakizimana said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “I was a really shy person, and my mom would always register me in different activities […], and [eventually], I fell in love with basketball.” 

There was no girls’ team at Hakizimana’s elementary school, so she played with the boys. 

“That’s why I am extra competitive now,” Hakizimana said.

Basketball, and sports in general, can teach valuable life lessons. Hakizimana noted how learning teamwork, discipline, and organization from sports have helped her succeed in other facets of her life, including school.

“I know [that] with [my] hectic schedule, I have to find ways to do my school work and do weights and cardio and find time to shoot the basketball,” Hakizimana said. “I really have to be organized.”

On top of classes, homework, and personal training, Hakizimana spends her Mondays working at a gym and has team practices in the evening. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, she has team practices from 6:00 to 8:30 a.m. With such a busy schedule, it is difficult for Hakizimana to have a traditional social life. However, she still manages to build strong relationships with her teammates. 

“If I’m not doing homework, I’m working, so there’s not really a social aspect to my life right now. But, [I have] no regrets, I love it,” Hakizimana said. “Being a part of this team, obviously I love the girls [….] They’re like my social life.” 

Hakizimana is an incredibly hard worker, and this has translated to many accomplishments on the court. Hakizimana cites the Martlet’s National Championship win in 2017, the first women’s basketball national title in McGill history, as her greatest accomplishment.

“The fact that we [had] one victory and four losses in the first semester, and we ended up winning the Provincial [Championship] and then winning [the] national [title], […] was just […] a miracle,” Hakizimana said. “I can’t forget. I have the ring at home, and the goal is to get another one.”

Outside of playing basketball, Hakizimana likes to read, listen to music, meditate, and do yoga. Yoga and meditation help her body recuperate after training and also keep her calm and positive. As far as books go, she enjoys the drama genre. Her favourite book to date is Black and White by Paul Volponi. 

“Even when I watch movies or Netflix, I will go to a drama category,” Hakizimana said. “I like scary movies too and scary books [….] I just like the suspense.” 

After McGill, Hakizimana does not know if she will continue playing basketball. 

“That was my dream as a kid, but I got a few bruises and injuries along the way,” she said. “But I’m going to think about it [and decide] soon.” 

Whether or not she continues to play basketball, Hakizimana plans to pursue a career in social work. 

“I want to help youth,” Hakizimana said. “I want to work with kids and young adults to be there for whatever they need me to be there for. Just help them go down the right path. I love helping, and I like listening, so that’s the main reason I went into social work.” 

Although her final season has had a rough start with, three losses so far, Hakizimana remains hopeful that results will improve over the rest of the season. 

“As a team we’re going [one] game at a time, so no pressure,” Hakizimana said. “But, we’re definitely trying to win Provincials and head to Nationals and hopefully go for the gold.”

Soccer, Sports

USWNT star Megan Rapinoe is fighting the good fight

by Miya Keilin on

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US Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) star forward Megan Rapinoe accepted Glamour’s Woman of the Year award on Nov. 11. The two-time World Cup champion has a hefty collection of awards for accomplishments on the field, but her activism off it is what makes her a true champion. 

In September 2016, Rapinoe took a knee during the US national anthem before a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) game, becoming one of just a few white American athletes to show solidarity with Colin Kaepenernick’s protest against police brutality and racism in the United States. She has also long been a part of the USWNT’s fight for equal pay: In March 2016, Rapinoe was among five USWNT members to file a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunities commission, and in March 2019, she and 27 of her teammates filed a lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation, citing institutionalized gender discrimination. Additionally, Rapinoe continues to use her platform to speak out against homophobia and transphobia in both sports and society, working with groups like the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and Athlete Ally. 

Many female athletes are thrust into an activist role because of the systemic sexism prevalent in sports, while their male counterparts have the privilege of being able to focus solely on their athletic careers. Rapinoe, however, recognizes that she cannot just advocate for gender or queer issues, with which she has personal experience. Oppression is intersectional, and while she may experience many barriers, she also benefits from certain privileges. 

In her acceptance speech at the 2019 Woman of the Year awards ceremony, Rapinoe was humble and emotional. She thanked Glamour and recognized the diversity of women receiving this year’s award. Early on, she acknowledged Kaepernick’s role in her rise to fame through her activism, noting that she would not be the activist she is today without him.  

“While I’m enjoying all of this unprecedented, and, frankly, a little bit uncomfortable, attention and personal success […], Colin Kaepernick is still effectively banned from the NFL for kneeling during the national anthem in protest of known and systematic police brutality against people of colour, known and systematic racial injustice, and known and systematic white supremacy,” Rapinoe said. “[…] It would be a slap in the face to Colin, and to so many other faces, not to acknowledge, and for me personally, [not] to work relentlessly to dismantle that system that benefits some [to] the detriment of others and, frankly, is quite literally tearing us apart in this country.”

Rapinoe consistently recognizes her privilege and uses her platform to give power to marginalized voices. She could have spent the bulk of her speech addressing her lawsuit and the issues female soccer players face; she could have spoken about queer issues and promoted her own activist work; she could have brought up Donald Trump’s Twitter attack against her during the World Cup and criticized the very real and dangerous consequences of his words and actions. These are all important issues, and they are issues that affect her personally. However, Rapinoe used her acceptance speech to share her platform.

“I’m not going to act like it wasn’t Colin Kaepernick, Tarana Burke and the #MeToo movement, Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi of Black Lives Matter, the women of Time’s Up, Harvey Milk, Gloria Steinem, Audre ‪Lorde, Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, and the injustices that so many others face that have put me in this very position,” Rapinoe said. “And I’m not going to act like my whiteness has nothing to do with me standing before you now.”

White athletes—and white people—would do well to follow Rapinoe’s lead by sharing their platforms to provide room for the voices of marginalized individuals. 

“We’ve got to switch the game up,” Rapinoe said. “Caring is cool. Lending your platform to others is cool. Sharing your knowledge and your success and your influence and your power is cool. Giving all the fucks is cool. Doing more is cool.”

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