We, the Aboriginal Law Students\u2019 Association, Association for Women At Risk Everywhere, the University of Ottawa Association of Women and the Law, and the Women\u2019s Legal Education and Action Fund (Ottawa Branch), along with fellow members of the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, condemn the conversation that took place between Patrick Marquis, Alexandre Larochelle, Michel FournierSimard, Alexandre Giroux, and RobertMarc Tremblay regarding SFUO President Anne-Marie Roy.<\/p>\n
The conversation was a brutal depiction of rape culture. Rape culture is the systemic and pervasive normalization of sexual violence against women and gender minorities. As a result, rape culture is harmful because it offers a narrow definition of sexual assault, readily denies women\u2019s experiences of sexual assault and harassment, and perpetuates violent and misogynistic remarks such as those made by Michel FournierSimard, Alexandre Larochelle, Patrick Marquis, RobertMarc Tremblay and Alexandre Giroux.<\/p>\n
Degrading remarks about a woman\u2019s person are sometimes shrugged off as a joke between friends and deemed harmless. Patrick Marquis stated, \u201cI would never say that kind of thing out in the public but when it was a private conversation I guess it slipped my mind that that\u2019s really not acceptable.\u201d The fact remains however, that the distinction between private and public is irrelevant comments of this nature are always unacceptable, and the conversation should not be dismissed as merely private social media dialogue between friends. Moreover, Mr. Marquis mentioned his decision to resign was based on the receipt of hate mail and threats which made him feel unsafe in his position. While we recognise how difficult it is to be in a public position where one is a recipient of threats and hate, we do not condone the use of violence or threats of violence as a way of trying to heal from or deal with this type of situation. We urge the men involved to consider how these types of conversations make women feel unsafe in their daily lives, and how engaging in these types of conversations merely perpetuates the experiences that Patrick Marquis suffered through himself.<\/p>\n
After learning of her intention to publicize the conversation, Ms. Roy was threatened with legal action by four of the men involved. We commend Ms. Roy for bravely speaking out and releasing the information she was given. The fact that these men, who were peers of Ms. Roy, felt comfortable discussing her using vulgar, offensive, and violent language shows their complete disregard for her as a person and her position as SFUO President. Discrimination and the perpetuation of gender-based inequality cannot be allowed to remain shrouded behind closed doors. The personal remains political.<\/p>\n
In light of these events and the ongoing investigation into sexual assault allegations against members of the University of Ottawa men\u2019s hockey team, we know all too well the devastating impact rape culture can and does have on women, girls, and other gender minorities. In a society where gender-based sexual violence is normalized and treated as an inevitable byproduct of societal values and attitudes, more needs to be done to educate, raise awareness, and actively combat rape culture.<\/p>\n
We need to promote open and honest dialogue about sexual assault, sexual violence, and larger systemic issues on our campus and in society in general. This includes a focus on bystander intervention. Silence perpetuates rape culture. Being a passive participant in a conversation where blatantly offensive statements are being made is participatory and signals acquiescence. Everyone on campus\u2014and everywhere\u2014deserves to attend school, go to work, and live their lives free of sex and gender-based discrimination, threats of violence, and marginalization. As we are an academic community, we need to create safer spaces and encourage open dialogue about rape culture and preventing violence against women and gender minorities.<\/p>\n
We are grateful for Ms. Roy\u2019s leadership and applaud her courage for speaking out. We look forward to working with her, our university administration, and wider community to educate and raise awareness about rape culture.<\/p>\n
In solidarity,
\nALSA
\nAWARE
\nLEAF Ottawa
\nUOAWL
\nD\u00e9c aration commune concernant la culture de viol sur le campus<\/p>\n
L\u2019Association des \u00e9tudiantes et \u00e9tudiants autochtones en droit, l\u2019Association for Women At Risk Everywhere, l\u2019Association nationale de la femme et du droit de l\u2019Universit\u00e9 d\u2019Ottawa et le Fonds d\u2019\u00e9ducation et d\u2019action juridique pour les femmes (division Ottawa), ainsi que d\u2019autres membres de la Facult\u00e9 de droit de l\u2019Universit\u00e9, condamnent la conversation qui a eu lieu entre Patrick Marquis, Alexandre Larochelle, Michel FournierSimard, Alexandre Giroux et RobertMarc Tremblay au sujet de la pr\u00e9sidente de la F\u00c9UO, Anne-Marie Roy.<\/p>\n
Cette conversation est une forme f\u00e9roce de culture de viol, une normalisation syst\u00e9mique et g\u00e9n\u00e9ralis\u00e9e de la violence sexuelle faite aux femmes et aux minorit\u00e9s de genre. En cons\u00e9quence, la culture du viol est nuisible en cela qu\u2019elle d\u00e9finit \u00e9troitement l\u2019agression sexuelle, nie les exp\u00e9riences d\u2019agression sexuelle et de harc\u00e8lement des femmes et perp\u00e9tue les remarques misogynes et violentes telles que celles prof\u00e9r\u00e9es par Michel FournierSimard, Alexandre Larochelle, Patrick Marquis, RobertMarc Tremblay et Alexandre Giroux.<\/p>\n
Des remarques d\u00e9gradantes sur la personne d\u2019une femme sont parfois consid\u00e9r\u00e9es comme une blague entre amis et jug\u00e9es inoffensives. Pour citer Patrick Marquis:
\n\u00abJe ne dirais jamais ce genre de choses en public. Mais, puisqu\u2019il s\u2019agissait d\u2019une conversation priv\u00e9e, je suppose qu\u2019il ne m\u2019est pas venu \u00e0 l\u2019esprit que cela n\u2019est vraiment pas acceptable \u00bb. Le fait demeure toutefois que la distinction entre public et priv\u00e9 n\u2019est pas pertinente. Des commentaires de cette nature sont toujours inacceptables et la conversation ne devrait pas \u00eatre rejet\u00e9e comme un simple dialogue sur m\u00e9dia social entre amis, purement priv\u00e9. En outre, M. Marquis a mentionn\u00e9 qu\u2019il a d\u00e9missionn\u00e9 suite \u00e0 des lettres haineuses et des menaces qui le pla\u00e7aient dans une situation dangereuse. Nous reconnaissons la difficult\u00e9 de se trouver dans une position publique et de recevoir des menaces et des lettres haineuses. Nous ne tol\u00e9rons pas l\u2019usage de la violence ou de menaces comme un moyen de tenter de r\u00e9gler ou de traiter ce type de situation. Nous exhortons les hommes \u00e0 songer \u00e0 la fa\u00e7on dont ce genre de conversations menace les femmes dans leur quotidien et de reconna\u00eetre que d\u2019y prendre part ne fait que perp\u00e9tuer ce que Patrick Marquis vit maintenant.<\/p>\n
Apr\u00e8s avoir \u00e9t\u00e9 saisis de l\u2019intention de Mme Roy de diffuser la conversation, les quatre hommes impliqu\u00e9s l\u2019ont menac\u00e9 de poursuites judiciaires. Nous f\u00e9licitons Mme Roy d\u2019avoir courageusement divulgu\u00e9 l\u2019information. Le fait que ces hommes, qui \u00e9taient ses pairs, se soient sentis \u00e0 l\u2019aise de discuter d\u2019elle de fa\u00e7on vulgaire, offensante et violente montre leur m\u00e9pris pour elle en tant que personne et comme pr\u00e9sidente de la F\u00c9UO. Il ne faut pas autoriser la discrimination et la perp\u00e9tuation de l\u2019in\u00e9galit\u00e9 fond\u00e9e sur le sexe \u00e0 se d\u00e9rouler derri\u00e8re des portes closes. Le personnel demeure politique.<\/p>\n
Ces \u00e9v\u00e9nements et l\u2019enqu\u00eate en cours sur les all\u00e9gations d\u2019agression sexuelle contre les membres de l\u2019\u00e9quipe de hockey masculin de l\u2018Universit\u00e9 d\u2019Ottawa mettent en lumi\u00e8re les effets d\u00e9vastateurs que la culture de viol peut avoir sur les femmes, les filles et les autres minorit\u00e9s de genre. Lorsque la violence sexuelle bas\u00e9e sur le genre est normalis\u00e9e et trait\u00e9e comme une cons\u00e9quence in\u00e9vitable des valeurs et des attitudes de la soci\u00e9t\u00e9, il faut faire plus pour \u00e9duquer, sensibiliser et lutter contre la culture de viol.<\/p>\n
Nous devons promouvoir un dialogue ouvert et honn\u00eate au sujet de l\u2019agression et de la violence sexuelles ainsi que des questions syst\u00e9miques plus larges sur notre campus et dans la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 en g\u00e9n\u00e9ral. Cela comprend mettre l\u2019accent sur l\u2019intervention des passants. Le silence perp\u00e9tue la culture de viol. \u00catre un participant passif dans une conversation o\u00f9 des d\u00e9clarations manifestement offensantes sont faites constitue un acte participatif et est synonyme d\u2019acquiescement. Nous m\u00e9ritons tous, sur le campus et partout ailleurs, d\u2019aller \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9cole et au travail et de vivre notre vie sans discrimination fond\u00e9e sur le sexe et le genre, sans menaces de violence et sans marginalisation. Nous sommes une communaut\u00e9 universitaire et nous devons cr\u00e9er des espaces s\u00fbrs, encourager un dialogue ouvert sur la culture de viol et pr\u00e9venir la violence faite aux femmes et aux minorit\u00e9s de genre.<\/p>\n
Nous sommes reconnaissant(e)s du leadership de Mme Roy et nous saluons son courage pour avoir os\u00e9 parler. Nous sommes impatient(e)s de travailler avec elle, avec l\u2019administration de notre universit\u00e9 et avec l\u2019ensemble de la communaut\u00e9 pour \u00e9duquer et sensibiliser la population \u00e0 la culture de viol.<\/p>\n
En toute solidarit\u00e9,
\nAEOD
\nAWARE
\nFEAJ, Ottawa
\nANFDUO<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":4299,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"categories":[85,17,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5204","submission","type-submission","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-leaf-ottawa","category-media-releases","category-whats-new"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n