Jenna Dipenta
Ahh… Homecoming. One of my favourite times of the year. But you know something I dread the sight of seeing every year? The signs you see hung on houses around the University District. And this year, it was the worst I’ve ever seen. If you aren’t aware, during homecoming, putting bed sheet signs on houses has bec
ome one of the many rituals at Queen’s and many other universities. This tradition has become more glorified since it’s advertisement on popular social media accounts, such as Canadian Party Life (CPL). People are so fixated on being featured on CPL that it increases their motivation to partake in this ritual and write outrageous things to grab the attention of these pages.
As much as signs are used for ‘humour’, they can be incredibly harmful, especially with the incorporation of degrading undertones. Some of the signs that were posted this past Hoco have been, “Lockdown your daughters not Kingston” and “Western guys wish they were Pfizer so they could get inside her”.
WHY IS THIS STILL HAPPENING? Especially after the sexual assault allegations at Western? It’s hard to believe that students want to perpetuate toxic culture by writing and advertising it. Unfortunately it is also still accepted by many, as it is seemingly still a norm in party culture to degrade and objectify women.
The backlash of these signs during Homecoming created a small social movement, occurring the following week. During Queen’s 'Foco', signs were placed in Victoria Park to protest the original degrading signs. These signs stated, “Please open your eyes to the consequences of your actions” “Please understand that when you threaten my body, you take away my voice”.
Well… What did this do?
It provided hope. There’s hope. I hope party culture can attempt to become mutual respect and remain fun, rather than a source of fear for women.
Party culture may always remain the way it is now; with students having a ‘go big or go home’ mentality when it comes to large party gatherings during Homecoming, even after the COVID-19 pandemic began. These large parties unfortunately result in countless other issues, such as sexual assault. What I can hope for is even if large parties continue, and party culture remains, respecting women can become a normality.
If you or anyone that you know is experiencing sexual harassment, provided are a variety of resources that are available to help.
SAC Kingston (Sexual Assault Centre)
Phone: 1-877-544-6424. Available 24 hours Crisis Support.
Email: sack@sackingston.com
Located at 400 Elliott Avenue, Unit 1 (Rockcliffe Plaza) Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Queen's University Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Coordinator, Barb Lotan.
Barb Lotan can aid in the healing process and assess potential next steps.
Email: bjl7@queensu.ca
Office Located at B502 Mackintosh-Corry Hall, Human Rights & Equity hallway.
Kingston Police (Non-Emergency Line)
Phone: (613) 549-4660
**In the event of an emergency always call 911 immediately or if on campus locate an emergency blue light.
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