WARNING: This article contains sensitive topics, including mentions of anti-2SLGBTQ+ hate. Those in need of support can contact the LGBT Youthline: 1-800-268-9688, the Trans Lifeline: 877-330-6366, the Mental Health Crisis Line: 613-722-6914 (within Ottawa) and 1-866-996-0991 (outside Ottawa), the Ottawa Distress Centre Crisis Line: 613-238-3311, or the Youth Services Bureau 24/7 Crisis Line: 613-260-2360 or 1-877-377-7775 (toll).
Carleton University’s rainbow crosswalk was vandalized last weekend, raising concerns of homophobia on campus.
An individual is responsible for the damage, university communications officer Abby McIntyre said in an email.
“Thanks to swift action by Facilities Management and Planning, the physical damage has been addressed,” McIntyre wrote.
Campus Security is working with Ottawa Police Services to investigate the incident.
The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) said in a statement that it is “profoundly disappointed by this reprehensible act.”
“Carleton University and CUSA spaces are intended to be safe havens for diverse communities,” CUSA’s statement read. “We stand united against any attempt to undermine the principles of inclusivity and equality upon which our community is built.”
Statements from the university and CUSA “encourage anyone affected by this incident to reach out to the Gender and Sexuality Resource Centre (GSRC) for support and resources.”
Students feel “frustrated and hurt” by the vandalism, according to GSRC’s administrative co-ordinator Val Hussain and programming co-ordinator Gabbie Cruz.
Even when the vandalism is fixed, Hussain said “that doesn’t change the fact that it happened, nor will it prevent it from happening again.”
“When something does happen, it’s really hard to track down who did what, and what [the university] does with these individuals,” Hussain said.
After observing the university swiftly handle the vandalism, Cruz said it’s clear that “different faculties and different departments can communicate efficiently, respond immediately and put in plans of action fast.”
Cruz added they’ve heard from students who are wondering if the university’s haste and urgency in response to the crosswalk vandalism can be transferred to protecting other 2SLGBTQ+ advocacy initiatives.
“[The crosswalk] is a visual symbol of solidarity and the forward motion of our community,” Cruz said.
“This [response] can be done for more than just a symbol.”
Acts of vandalism toward the 2SLGBTQ+ community happen on campus often, Cruz said, and GSRC posters are frequently vandalized or taken down.
Posters for Trans Day of Visibility were covered in hateful messages, Cruz said, and 2SLGBTQ-inclusive signs in bathrooms across campus are frequently vandalized.
While the rainbow crosswalk was repainted and updated to include the inclusive pride flag last June, Hussain said the new paint job “looked like it had been there for years because it was not exactly treated with respect.”
“These acts can be small, but the effects can be just as much of a punch,” Cruz said.
Featured image by Natasha Baldin.
