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[belgianwitch]

The Indigenous and Canadian Studies Students' Association (ICSSA) condemns rape apology

From UOttawa Students demand Resignation of Pat Marquis and Associates Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/UOttawa-Students-demand-Resignation-of-Pat-Marquis-and-Associates/228967907308628

Le message en français suit celui en anglais. FOR IMMEDATE RELEASE, 27th of FEBRUARY 2014 - The Indigenous and Canadian Studies Students' Association (ICSSA) condemns rape apology: SFUO VP Social Pat Marquis "does not represent us" The Coordinating circle of the Indigenous and Canadian Studies Students’ Association (ICSSA) of the University of Ottawa is deeply saddened and angered due to communications, that have recently been made public, by the Vice-President Social Pat Marquis of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO), who represents us and all undergraduate students. Marquis participated in, and encouraged, a conversation in which several of his associates planned (apparently in jest) the sexual assault of SFUO President Anne-Marie Roy. Our disgust is all the more profound because this is not the first time that we have had to condemn Marquis for his despicable and oppressive behavior. However, before continuing and above all else, we would like to send our prayers of strength and comfort to Ms. Roy as she copes with this violence directed at her. We acknowledge how hard it must be to be the target of such vile abuse and also acknowledge her courage in standing up to this behaviour. Put simply, we have had a public agreement with Marquis since the 24th of March, 2013 (Appendix 1 to this statement). This agreement was reached after Marquis made anti-Indigenous remarks about the Algonquin nation, on whose non-ceded territories our University is located, on an event page he created that also perpetuated the culture of sexual assault so prevalent on our campus. Our original statement condemning Marquis’s behaviour in 2013 is also copied below (Appendix 2). In his public apology for the conversation planning the sexual assault of the SFUO President, published on Facebook the 27th of February, 2014 (Appendix 3), Marquis claims that despite the fact that he has “perpetuated rape culture and violent language between men” by his actions, he will not “make the same mistake more than once”. The fact that we at ICSSA have to write this statement at all betrays the disingenuousness of this hollow apology. Can we trust him? Marquis goes on in his apology to urge us all to help “end rape culture on our campus”. We would like to ask Marquis if he has forgotten, or simply chosen to ignore, our 2013 agreement in which he committed to “publicly release his plan for explicitly challenging and eliminating sexual violence during his mandate as VP Social”. Can we trust him? On behalf of our Indigenous members, especially those from marginalized genders, we would also remind Marquis of the terrifying intersection of violence against women with violence against Indigenous people. According to the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC), Indigenous women are much more likely to be victims of violence and sexual abuse than the general Canadian population, and five times more likely to go missing or be murdered. Marquis promised in 2013 to be sensitive to Indigenous students and to "better understand their struggles and lived experiences on campus”. How could this understanding possibly exist if he is making light of sexual assault, something so present in the lives of Indigenous people? Can we trust him? In our 2013 agreement, we said that we were reassured of Marquis’s “renewed commitment to be accountable, responsible, and respectful towards the Indigenous members of the SFUO”. He has failed our agreement. He has failed all students. We can no longer trust him. We regret to announce now our full and unconditional condemnation of Marquis in his position as VP Social of the SFUO. In 2013, we called for either his resignation, or his commitment to work to end oppression. He has failed dismally at the latter. We now call for his immediate resignation. Pat Marquis does not represent us. Meegwetch, The Coordinating Circle of the Indigenous and Canadian Students’ Association of the University of Ottawa, Federated Body of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa. Appendix 1 JOINT STATEMENT – From Pat Marquis and the Indigenous and Canadian Studies Students’ Association (ICSSA) – March 24th, 2013 We are honoured today to announce that we, representatives of the coordinating circle of the Indigenous and Canadian Studies Students’ Association (ICSSA), and Pat Marquis, current VP Social of the Engineering Students’ Society (ESS) and VP Social Elect of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO), have committed to working together for accountability, responsibility, and respect towards the Indigenous members of the SFUO. Mr. Marquis has made an honest and transparent commitment to respect and honour the Algonquin nation and the non-ceded constitutional status of its traditional territories during his mandate as VP Social of the SFUO. As he is unable to attend ICSSA’s April 5th event “Anishinabe-aki: Introduction to Unceded Algonquin Territory”, Mr. Marquis will prepare a personal statement of accountability, responsibility and respect towards the Algonquin nation, to be read at the event before Algonquin representatives. Mr. Marquis and the ICSSA have also agreed to organize, at the soonest possible opportunity after his mandate begins on May 1st, 2013, a meeting with several Indigenous students in order to better understand their struggles and lived experiences on campus. He has also committed himself to participating in a cultural safety and decolonization workshop organized by the ICSSA and facilitated by Indigenous traditional knowledge-keepers, and an anti-oppressive workshop about rape culture, sexual violence, and consent 101. He has also expressed his desire to encourage his fellow incoming SFUO executive members, as well as the executives of the various federated bodies, to participate in these events with him, in order that this important process of education and friendship is as far-reaching on our campus as possible. Mr. Marquis has also agreed to publicly release his plan for explicitly challenging and eliminating sexual violence during his mandate as VP Social, including how he will ensure an atmosphere of safety and consent at all social events he organizes through the SFUO. The ICSSA would like to clarify that our comments about the “DUSTED” event were directed specifically at the problematic language in the event page, and not at the on-the-ground practices or safety strategies of the Engineering Students Society (ESS) itself. After sharing insights with our colleagues in the ESS, we are pleased to learn that the promotion of safety and consent has been and continues to be among their highest priorities, something they share in common with the coordinating circle of the ICSSA. We are pleased to announce that we had a very rewarding conversation, and that Mr. Marquis is prepared to take full accountability for how his words were unacceptable and misinformed. The ICSSA is reassured of his renewed commitment to be accountable, responsible, and respectful towards the Indigenous members of the SFUO. Pat Marquis VP Social, ESS and VP Social Elect, SFUO and The Coordinating Circle of the Indigenous and Canadian Students’ Association of the University of Ottawa, Federated Body of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa. Appendix 2 March 19th, 2013 The Indigenous and Canadian Studies Students Association (ICSSA), in support of our Indigenous members, demands Accountability, Responsibility, and Respect from Pat Marquis, VP-Social Elect of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) , 2013-2014 We wholeheartedly denounce the flagrant disrespect shown for the Algonquin nation by Pat Marquis, VP-Social Elect of the SFUO, 2013-2014. We are deeply concerned by Marquis’ recent unacceptable anti-Indigenous statements, and the ramifications of his words and actions on the Indigenous members of the SFUO that he will be representing come May 1st, 2013. On the Facebook page of their March 9th and 10th "Let's Talk About Mental Health" conference, the Centre for Students with Disabilities of the SFUO stated the event’s location as the “University of Ottawa, Unceded and Unsurrendered Algonquin Territory”. This created a loud and immediate backlash from some students who felt this statement was “controversial” or “overly political”, rather than a recognition of constitutional and moral fact (Even Mr. Jim Watson, Mayor of Ottawa, sees this recognition as important not for any political reasons but because "it's the right thing to do". http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Mayor+Algonquin+chiefs+report+progress+first+formal+meeting/7851240/story.html ). Presumably in reaction to the SFUO’s event page, Pat Marquis, in his current role as VP Social of the Engineering Students’ Society (ESS), changed the location of the ESS social event “Dusted” to “Ceded and surrendered Algonquin territory”. Besides being utterly false, his statement is extremely hurtful and angering to Indigenous students as it invokes past and present attempts by non-Indigenous people to erase and undermine Indigenous nations through disrespect, discrimination, and outright violence. Marquis’ statement mocks four centuries of struggle and suffering of the Algonquin nation and all Indigenous people. Furthermore, Marquis chose to make his anti-Indigenous statement on an event page rife with problematic and unsafe language and references. In a section entitled “Fine Print” the event proclaims itself as without “dignity, morals, and beliefs”, that the organizers are not responsible for attendees well-being, and promises “slander” and “libel” on anyone who should “pass out drunk”. The language of the event ignores the increased potential for sexual assault during such events, and that Indigenous women are disproportionately affected by sexual violence. This event page was thus a violent and inflammatory venue for his anti-Indigenous statement. The ESS also made no effort to acknowledge or encourage event participants to respect each other’s consent and safety. We are fearful of the ramifications of Marquis’ carelessness when his mandate as VP Social begins. Furthermore, Marquis’ statement was “liked”, and thus presumably supported, by the following student representatives, who have thus made themselves complicit in his anti-Indigenous rhetoric and have abused their positions as representatives of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students: [names removed] We are now offering these representatives a public forum to post their own statements of accountability, responsibility, and respect. Pat Marquis is just one of an unfortunately numerous cohort of students who participated in this anti-Indigenous rhetoric. We are demanding accountability, responsibility, and respect from Marquis in particular because he will be representing us in his new position on May 1st 2013. We want to work with Marquis towards creating a positive relationship with Indigenous students and a safe campus environment. We thus would propose to him the following agreement (see below), which contains meaningful steps in the process of decolonizing himself and becoming accountable, responsible, and respectful to the Indigenous SFUO members he will be representing. We are reaching out this hand of friendship to Marquis, in recognition that his statements could stem as much from ignorance as from maliciousness. He need only humble himself and participate in this process with us. We ask Marquis for a response to our proposal before Wednesday, March 27th, 2013. We encourage him to consider our agreement as a strong statement against the propagation of a culture of violence and ignorance towards Indigenous students. We encourage Marquis to choose our agreement above our other options, such as applications to the university ombudsperson, the Ontario Human Rights Court, and the constitutional impeachment process of the SFUO. If Marquis is not amenable to working with us through this cooperative agreement, we will take this as a sign that he is unwilling to represent the SFUO’s Indigenous members, and we regretfully call for his resignation from the position of VP Social of the SFUO, 2013-2014. The ICSSA acknowledges the Algonquin nation and the non-ceded status of its territory as a constitutional fact, and recognition of this fact to be basic to respect for and inclusion of Algonquin students and the Indigenous campus community as a whole. We are truly grateful to the members of the Algonquin nation who have guided us on this difficult but important journey for accountability, responsibility, and respect from our student leaders. Chi meegwetch. -The Coordinating Circle of the Indigenous and Canadian Students’ Association of the University of Ottawa, Federated Body of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa. Appendix 3 February 27th, 2014 “I am sorry. I did not stop, and even showed encouraging words to comments that were demeaning and sexually violent towards women. I participated in a conversation that perpetuated rape culture and violent language between men. However, this isnt an isolated case. All sorts of "locker-room talk" and "boys talk" are very problematic. We all make mistakes, but I dont make the same mistake more than once. Lets end rape culture on our campus.” - Pat Marquis Facebook Profile. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- POUR DIFFUSION IMMÉDIATE, 27 FÉVRIER 2014 – L’Association des étudiant.e.s en études canadiennes et autochtones (AÉÉAC) condamne l’apologie du viol : le vice-président aux Affaires sociales, Pat Marquis, « ne nous représente pas ». Le cercle de coordination de l’Association des étudiant.e.s en études canadiennes et autochtones (AÉÉAC) de l’Université d’Ottawa est profondément attristé et révolté par le contenu d’échanges, récemment rendus publics, auxquels a participé Pat Marquis, vice-président aux Affaires sociales de la Fédération étudiante de l'Université d'Ottawa (FÉUO), qui nous représente ainsi que tous les étudiants de premier cycle. Marquis a participé et encouragé le déroulement d’une conversation dans laquelle plusieurs de ses collègues (apparemment en plaisantant) envisageaient l'agression sexuelle du président de la FÉUO Anne-Marie Roy. Notre dégoût est d'autant plus profond que ce n'est pas la première fois que nous avons à condamner Marquis pour son comportement odieux et oppressif. Cependant, avant de continuer et avant tout, nous tenons à adresser nos vœux de réconfort à Mme Roy, qui fait face à une telle violence. Nous reconnaissons à quel point il doit être difficile d'être la cible de ces propos abjects et soulignons son courage dans le combat contre ce type comportement. Pour résumer la situation, un accord public existe entre l’AÉÉAC et Marquis depuis le 24 mars 2013 (Annexe 1 de la présente déclaration). Cet accord a été conclu après que Marquis a tenu des propos anti-autochtones au sujet de la nation algonquine sur les territoires de laquelle notre Université est située, sur une page facebook d’un événement dont il était le créateur – page où il perpétuait également la culture d'agression sexuelle si répandue sur notre campus. Notre déclaration originale condamnant le comportement de Marquis en 2013 est également en copie ci-dessous (Annexe 2). Dans ses excuses publiques en lien avec la conversation discutant de l’agression sexuelle de la présidente de la FÉUO, publiées sur facebook le 27 février 2014 (annexe 3), Marquis affirme que, s’il a « perpétué la culture du viol et l’usage du langage de la violence entre les hommes » par ses actions, il ne « fai[t] pas la même erreur plus d'une fois » (traductions de l’AÉÉAC). Le simple fait que nous ayons aujourd’hui à écrire cette déclaration révèle le manque de sincérité de ces excuses creuses. Pouvons-nous lui faire confiance? Marquis poursuit en nous invitant tous à « mett[re] fin à la culture du viol sur notre campus ». Nous voudrions demander à Marquis s'il a oublié, ou tout simplement choisi d'ignorer, notre accord de 2013 dans lequel il s'était engagé à « publier son plan pour lutter explicitement et éliminer la violence sexuelle durant son mandat de vice-président aux Affaires sociales ». Pouvons-nous lui faire confiance? Au nom de nos membres autochtones, en particulier ceux de genre marginalisé, nous aimerions également rappeler à Marquis l'intersection terrifiante existant entre la violence contre les femmes et la violence contre les populations autochtones. Selon l'Association des femmes autochtones du Canada (AFAC), les femmes autochtones sont beaucoup plus susceptibles d'être victimes de violence et d'abus sexuels que la population canadienne en général, et cinq fois plus susceptibles de disparaître ou d'être assassinées. Marquis a promis en 2013 d'être sensible aux étudiants autochtones et de « mieux comprendre leurs luttes et expériences vécues sur le campus ». Comment cette compréhension peut-elle même exister si il prend à la légère l'agression sexuelle, une forme de violence si présente dans la vie des peuples autochtones ? Pouvons-nous lui faire confiance ? Dans notre accord de 2013, nous avions affirmé que nous étions rassurés et satisfaits de « l'engagement renouvelé [de Marquis] à rendre des comptes et à se montrer responsable et respectueux envers les membres autochtones de la FÉUO ». Il a manqué à notre accord. Il a trahi tous les étudiants. Nous ne pouvons plus lui faire confiance. Nous n’avons d’autre choix aujourd’hui que de condamner totalement et inconditionnelle Marquis en tant que vice-président aux Affaires sociales de la FÉUO. En 2013, nous avions demandé sa démission ou son engagement à travailler pour mettre fin à l'oppression. Il a lamentablement échoué dans cette deuxième tâche. Nous exigeons maintenant sa démission immédiate. Pat Marquis ne nous représente pas. Meegwetch, - Le Cercle de coordination de l’Association des étudiants en études autochtones et canadiennes. Corps fédéré de la Fédération étudiante de l’Université d’Ottawa (FÉUO). Annexe 1 – 24 mars 2013 DÉCLARATION CONJOINTE – De Pat Marquis et de l’Association des étudiant.e.s en études canadiennes et autochtones (AÉÉAC) Nous sommes honorés d'annoncer aujourd'hui que nous, représentants du cercle de coordination de l’Association des étudiant.e.s en études canadiennes et autochtones (AÉÉAC), et Pat Marquis, actuel vice-président aux Affaires sociales de l’Association des étudiant.e.s en génie (AÉG) et vice-président élu aux Affaires sociales de la Fédération étudiante de l'Université d'Ottawa (FÉUO), nous sommes engagés à travailler ensemble pour assurer le rendu de comptes, la responsabilité et le respect envers les membres autochtones de la FÉUO. M. Marquis s’est engagé honnêtement et de manière transparente à respecter et à honorer la nation algonquine et le statut constitutionnel non-cédé de ses territoires traditionnels au cours de son mandat en tant que v.-p. aux Affaires sociales de la FÉUO. Comme il n'est pas en mesure d'assister à l’événement de l’AÉÉAC « Anishinabe-aki: Introduction au territoire algonquin non-cédé » qui se tiendra le 5 avril 2013, M. Marquis prépare une déclaration personnelle où il s’engage à se tenir responsable et à se montrer respectueux envers la nation algonquine, déclaration qu’il lira devant les représentants algonquins au cours de l’événement. M. Marquis et l’AÉÉAC ont également convenu d'organiser, le plus tôt possible après le début de son mandat le 1er mai 2013, une réunion avec plusieurs étudiants autochtones afin de mieux comprendre leurs luttes et expériences vécues sur le campus. Il s'est également engagé à participer à un atelier sur la sécurité culturelle et la décolonisation, organisé par l’AÉÉAC et facilitée par des détenteurs autochtones du savoir traditionnel, et à un atelier anti-oppression portant sur la culture du viol, la violence sexuelle, et le consentement 101. Il a également exprimé sa volonté d'encourager ses nouveaux collègues de l'exécutif de la FÉUO, ainsi que les dirigeants des différentes entités fédérées, à participer à ces événements avec lui, afin que ce processus essentiel d’éducation et de fraternité soit suivi par le plus grand nombre possible sur notre campus. M. Marquis a également accepté de publier son plan pour lutter explicitement et éliminer la violence sexuelle durant son mandat de vice-président aux Affaires sociales, incluant les moyens qu’il mettre en place afin d’assurer un climat de sécurité et de consentement à tous les événements sociaux qu'il organise à travers la FÉUO. L’AÉÉAC tient à préciser que nos commentaires sur la page facebook de l’événement « DUSTED » portaient spécifiquement sur l’usage de termes problématiques, et non pas sur les pratiques sur le terrain ou les stratégies de sécurité de l’Association des étudiants en génie (AÉG). Après un partage d’idées avec nos collègues de l’AÉG, nous sommes heureux d'apprendre que la promotion de la sécurité et du consentement a été et continue d'être parmi leurs priorités, pratique qu'ils ont en commun avec le cercle de coordination de l’AÉÉAC. Nous sommes heureux d'annoncer que nous avons eu une conversation très enrichissante, et que M. Marquis est prêt à prendre la pleine responsabilité de ses propos, qui étaient inacceptables et mal informés. L’AÉÉAC est rassurée par son engagement renouvelé à rendre des comptes et à se montrer responsable et respectueux envers les membres autochtones de la FÉUO. - Pat Marquis Vice-président aux Affaires sociales, AÉG, et vice-président élu aux Affaires sociales, FÉUO. et - Le Cercle de coordination de l’Association des étudiants en études autochtones et canadiennes. Corps fédéré de la FÉUO. Annexe 2 – 19 mars 2013 En appui à nos membres autochtones, l’Association des étudiants en études autochtones et canadiennes (AÉÉAC) exige l’obligation de rendre compte, la reconnaissance de responsabilité et l’adhésion au respect de Pat Marquis, v.-p. élu aux Affaires sociales de la Fédération étudiante de l’Université d’Ottawa (FÉUO) pour l’année 2013-2014. Nous dénonçons sans réserve le manque de respect flagrant de Pat Marquis, v.-p. élu aux Affaires sociales de la FÉUO pour l’année 2013-2014, à l’endroit de la nation algonquine. Nous sommes profondément préoccupés par les récentes déclarations anti-autochtones tout à fait inacceptables de Pat Marquis et les conséquences de ses paroles et gestes sur les membres autochtones de la FÉUO qu’il représentera à compter du 1er mai 2013. Sur la page Facebook de la conférence intitulée « Let's Talk About Mental Health » (Parlons de la santé mentale), laquelle a eu lieu les 9 et 10 mars, le Centre des étudiants ayant un handicap (CÉH) de la FÉUO a indiqué l’endroit de l’événement comme suit : « Université d’Ottawa, en territoire algonquin non cédé et non abandonné ». Cette affirmation a provoqué une réaction brutale immédiate et très bruyante chez certains étudiants qui sont d’avis que cette phrase est « sujet à controverse » ou « trop politisée», plutôt que de représenter la reconnaissance d’un fait constitutionnel et moral (même M. Jim Watson, maire d’Ottawa, voit cette reconnaissance comme une mesure importante, non pas pour des raisons politiques, mais plutôt parce qu’il s’agit de la « bonne mesure à prendre ». http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Mayor+Algonquin+chiefs+report+progress+first+formal+meeting/7851240/story.html ). Vraisemblablement, en réaction à la page de l’événement de la FÉUO, Pat Marquis, dans son rôle actuel de v.-p. aux Affaires sociales de l’Association des étudiants en génie (AÉG), a changé toute la portée de cette phrase en substituant les termes non cédé et non abandonné aux termes « en territoire algonquin cédé et abandonné », indiquant de ce fait l’endroit où l’événement social de l’AÉG « Dusted » allait avoir lieu. En plus d’être totalement fausse, cette déclaration est extrêmement blessante et suscite beaucoup de colère chez les étudiants autochtones, car elle évoque les tentatives passées et actuelles des Non-Autochtones de faire disparaître et de mettre en péril les nations autochtones par le manque de respect, la discrimination et la violence absolue. La déclaration de Marquis ridiculise quatre siècles de luttes et de souffrances de la nation algonquine et de toutes les nations autochtones en général. De plus, Marquis a choisi de faire sa déclaration anti-autochtone sur une page d’événement où le langage et les références problématiques et douteux vont bon train. Dans une section intitulée « Fine Print », on proclame que l’événement est sans « dignité, morale et croyances », que les organisateurs ne sont pas responsables du bien-être de ceux qui y assistent et que l’on promet de « calomnier » et de « diffamer» toute personne qui « tombe ivre morte ». Le langage utilisé pour l’événement ne fait aucun cas des possibilités accrues d’agressions sexuelles durant de tels événements et du fait que les femmes autochtones sont affectées par la violence sexuelle de manière disproportionnées. Cette page d’événement constitue donc un média violent et incendiaire en raison de cette déclaration anti-autochtone. L’AÉG n’a également fourni aucun effort pour reconnaître ou encourager les participants à l'événement à respecter le consentement et la sécurité des uns et des autres. Nous éprouvons des craintes quant aux conséquences découlant de la négligence de Marquis, lorsqu’il entreprendra son mandat à titre de v.-p. aux Affaires sociales. En outre, les représentants suivants des associations étudiantes ont « apprécié » la déclaration de Marquis, et par conséquent, ils ont vraisemblablement appuyé cette déclaration, se rendant ainsi complices de cette rhétorique anti-autochtone; ils ont donc abusé de leur poste de représentant d’étudiants autochtones et non-autochtones : [noms enlevés] Nous fournissons maintenant à ces représentants une tribune publique où ils peuvent afficher leurs propres déclarations d’obligation de rendre compte, de reconnaissance de responsabilité et d’adhésion au respect. Pat Marquis n’est que l’un des nombreux étudiants de la cohorte qui a participé à cette rhétorique anti-autochtone. Nous exigeons son obligation de rendre compte, sa reconnaissance de responsabilité et son adhésion au respect en particulier, car c’est ce même individu qui nous représentera dans le cadre de son nouveau poste à compter du 1er mai 2013. Nous voulons travailler avec Marquis dans le but d’établir des relations positives avec les étudiants autochtones et de créer un environnement universitaire sécuritaire. Nous lui proposons donc l’entente suivante (voir ci-dessous), laquelle comporte des étapes importantes au processus de décolonisation de ses idées et d’obligation de rendre compte, de reconnaissance de responsabilité et d’adhésion au respect envers les membres autochtones de la FÉUO qu’il représentera dans un avenir proche. Nous tendons une main amicale à Marquis, en reconnaissant que ses déclarations peuvent peut-être provenir d’une certaine ignorance. Il n’aura qu’à faire preuve d’humilité et à participer à ce processus avec nous. Nous demandons à Marquis de nous envoyer une réponse à la présente proposition avant le mercredi 27 mars 2013. Nous l’encourageons à examiner notre entente à titre de déclaration inébranlable contre la propagation d’une culture de violence et d’ignorance envers les étudiants autochtones. Nous encourageons Marquis à choisir notre entente avant n’importe quelle autre de nos options, telles que l’application au Bureau de l’ombudsman de l’Université, le Tribunal des droits de la personne de l’Ontario et les procédures constitutionnelles de mise en accusation de la FÉUO. Si Marquis n’est pas disposé à travailler avec nous au moyen de cette entente de collaboration, nous devrons alors tenir pour acquis qu’il n’a aucunement l’intention de représenter les membres autochtones de la FÉUO et nous nous verrons obligés de demander à regret sa démission du poste de v.-p. aux Affaires sociales de la FÉUO pour l’année 2013-2014. L’AÉÉAC reconnaît la nation algonquine et le statut de son territoire non cédé à titre de fait constitutionnel, et la reconnaissance de ce fait est fondamentale au respect et à l’inclusion des étudiants algonquins et de la communauté autochtone dans son ensemble sur le campus. Nous sommes profondément reconnaissants envers les membres de la nation algonquine, qui nous ont servi de guide tout au long de ce cheminement difficile, mais important sur le plan de l’obligation de rendre compte, de la reconnaissance de responsabilité et de l’adhésion au respect de la part de nos représentants d’associations étudiantes. Chi meegwetch. - Le Cercle de coordination de l’Association des étudiants en études autochtones et canadiennes. Corps fédéré de la Fédération étudiante de l’Université d’Ottawa (FÉUO). Annexe 3 – 27 février 2014 Profil facebook de Pat Marquis (en anglais seulement) : « I am sorry. I did not stop, and even showed encouraging words to comments that were demeaning and sexually violent towards women. I participated in a conversation that perpetuated rape culture and violent language between men. However, this isnt an isolated case. All sorts of "locker-room talk" and "boys talk" are very problematic. We all make mistakes, but I dont make the same mistake more than once. Lets end rape culture on our campus. » Traduction de l’AÉÉAC : « Je suis désolée. Je n’ai pas arrêté, j’ai même utilisé des mots d’encouragement suite à des commentaires qui étaient humiliants et violent sexuellement envers les femmes. J'ai participé à une conversation qui a perpétué la culture du viol et l’usage du langage de la violence entre les hommes. Cependant, ce n'est pas un cas isolé. Toutes sortes de « discussions de vestiaires » et « entre hommes » sont très problématiques. Nous faisons tous des erreurs, mais je ne fais pas la même erreur plus d'une fois. Mettons fin à la culture du viol sur notre campus. »

[belgianwitch]

A partial list of accounts about Jorge from The Casualties

On November 5th a woman came forward with a guest blog post about her experience of being sexually assaulted by the lead singer of The Casualties. 

The author of the blog has shared an email address to send your stories to, anonymously if you wish, “The number of women who are starting to come out with their stories of Jorge is growing daily. If you would like to contribute any part of your interactions with him in a follow up blog or possible website, anonymously, please feel free to email [email protected] and thank you again for reading this and sharing the story with your friends in bands.”

In the meantime, many others from the punk/music community have voiced similar experiences in the comments sections of different sites.

Please note some of the comments have been truncated to sections directly related to Jorge & The Casualties’ actions.

Updated 11/28/13 1:30pm

From absolutepunk.net

gold soundz incidents like this involving this dude have been sadly talked about since the late 90s

jpmalone4 This isn't the first accusation I've heard against the guy. My former babysitter - who's about the same age as the blogger - hates this guy because of something he did to one of her friends. I don't know the details, but she would never let me listen to the Casualties because of it.

Jason Tate There have been rumblings in the punk community for as long as I can remember, this is definitely not the first time I've heard something similar either.

From dyingscene.com

Bryan Clarence Reynolds Owner at Millenium Falcon Embroidery and Digitizing Co. I'm from NYC and Jorge was KNOWN around town for this type of behaviour including barging in on girls in the fitting room when he worked at Trash and Vaudville on St.Marks. Seriously don't bother defending this pedo, this shit is right up his alley

Cole Michael Works at Ghost Busters this isn't an isolated claim, there have been many young women saying the same kinda shit throughout the years that Jorge has come onto them/put himself on them/acted like a fucking creep in general. Shit, around '03ish a 14 year old girl around KC had the same shit occur. Jorge being a fucking creep trying to get in her pants… Borrowed from a message sent to our page tonight: "I remember some teenage girls we knew thought it would be cool to also roll w/ him after a show; luckily they took him to a public place, a diner in Chicago, where after food was served he just blurted out "hey, are we going to your house or are we doing this in the car" which offended the 2 girls and they left him stranded” ... That girl isn't the only one with this story, there are/were many girls who came forward, in many different cities and for many years, before the internet became popular.

Sidney Harding Boston, Massachusetts Their bassist once felt up my friend for quite some time when we were hanging out with them at warped tour when we were fifteen

John Gause Not the first time I’ve heard about something like this coming from this act.

From putyourdamnpantson.com

Plankton I am not surprised to discover this as he made lewd comments to me as a teenager that made me uncomfortable.

Adrian I personally know 3 other women with similar stories of Jorge. The Casualties suck and he’s a douche. I’m so sorry that this happened to you and if I ever see him in person again I’ll head butt him and kick him while he’s down. Punk.

BxNeurotic By reposting this story, I found out that this also happened to a girl in my town. No words can express how horrible this is, but much respect to you for having the guys to speak out on it. Fuck this guy, and his band, and every “friend”, promoter, and fan who knows about this shit and does nothing. Keeping quiet only allows it to happen to another girl. Thank you for sharing; hopefully others will do the same, until this band is barred from ever playing a show again.

BD i interviewed jorge in 1993? for a 9th grade school project about punk rock. it was after the casualties played a show at the beanery in CT. i asked him what his favorite part of being in a band was and he said (beyond inebriated and laughing) “i get to fuck as many underage girls as i can” (or something along those lines) it’s still creepy to this day. i hope that tape is in my parents basement somewhere.

Daze We’ve all been in the scene for many years and heard the rumors

Gerry HubleyAfter posting this link on my wall two unconnected friends, from opposite ends of the country recounted their own years old stories of similar things happening to friends of theirs.

Brooke I’ve been told similar stories of Jorge and his behavior towards girls/women by several close friends in the scene over the years.

Kidd Heck he was trying to drug and rape my friend and i caught on to him put her in bed and fought that fool all the way into the street

LinoleumdollYou’re absolutely not alone in this. Jorge was known for doing this shit. I thank Meggers for stepping in and getting Jorge to leave my friend and I alone while we were only 14…

LM people here, in his home city, have known about this guy’s shitty behaviors for a very long time. It’s not a “one sided story” when there are dozens of UNDERAGE girls who share the same side.

Yelena Gordiyenko I remember when I was 15 my friend and I used to always go to Trash & Vaudeville and see him there. He would always hit on us and be very pushy and creepy and aggressive.

DRo I also have experienced Jorge. I was thrown against a wall and he tried to force himself upon me. I was 16. (15 years ago) I am lucky because I had a group of friends with me. As soon as I read this post, a flood of memories of that day hit me.

Citybabysrevenge I have heard on more than one occasion that he’s a total creep. That’s the thing about so-called rumors, when multiple accounts depict the same kind of behavior on multiple occasions, they stop being rumors and start looking hella credible.

Dan How is this shit even disputable. It’s been known for years that this dude is a fucking pervert. I heard about it at least 10 years ago. When NUMEROUS people say that someone has assaulted them over the span of OVER A FUCKING DECADE, do you really need to catch him in the act to believe it?

LaLa I know first hand what scum Jorge is. Back in the late 90s, when I was about 16, Jorge put his nasty hands on me and fondled me. This was completely unprovoked, unsolicited, I was simply minding my own business at a show with friends at the now defunct Coney island high, nyc. He must have been 35 then. I have at least 3 other friends who were also pubescent at the time similar experiences, which even involved him violating/manhandling them way worse than what he did to me. He’s disgusting

Katie I always thought he was a rapist. It always made me sick that he was in his 30s when I was in my teens and he dated nothing but teenage girls. If it’s any consolation, an old friend of mine in Austin punched that dickhead in the face while he was in the middle of a set at Emos. The funny thing about it all was how quick that mf’er ran to the nearest cops to try to press charge. I guess it’s only punk when he rapes underage girls but not when he gets his ass kicked for being a creep.

Mandatory Castration For Pedophiles Through out the mid and late 90′s, there was always talk of that asshole molesting drunk/high girls at after show parties.

Matt I used to live in Philly in the early 2000′s and I dated the ex of one of the band members that lived there at the time. I definitely heard a few accounts from people about Jorge doing that shit to other girls and also had my share of run-ins with the total scum that are that band

Nicole Introvert This story is true. Every word. Beth and I may not be in communication currently, but when we were 16 we barely went an hour without speaking to each other. I was the person she called in the morning to describe every terrifying detail of this story

Angel Many yrs ago a friend of mine ended up hanging out with ‘these guys’ in New Orleans & she came home with stories of what pigs they were & how rude they were to her & girlfriends, so this story, sadly, doesn’t surprise me

citybabysrevenge  I have heard these stories many times before

leopardboots I was 15 or 16 and ended up sitting in a bar with the band and another teenage female pal, drinking illegal beers, and the aforementioned scumbag singer started getting closer and closer to us, being a creeper basically. One of his band mates, who over the years I have had many beers with and seemed to be a stand-up dude, announced it was time for us to leave and walked us back to our hotel. It had never before crossed my mind that something terrible could have happened.

[belgianwitch]

Women need to...

i saw this today how the world really feels about women

i thought i would try it myself

i typed in "women need to" and this is what i got

women need to shut up

women need to realize work isn't school

women need to grow up

ouch

so then i thought, well let's see what happens when i type in "men need to" maybe there are similar results... and this is what i got

men need to feel needed

men need to cheat

men need to be men

i will keep speaking up, i will keep pointing things out. how can i not? how can i not take it personally? this is my body, my face, my name, my life.

women and men need to know this is some fucking bullshit

yeah

[butneverstoptrying]

"Okay, so here's why girls don't get flattered when guys comment on their bodies."

Read More

[belgianwitch]

[jcstearns]

Dear LEGO - Take the Street Harassment Out of Your Stickers

My son is just getting into Legos, so I thought he’d love these stickers. Then I took a closer look and saw that one of the construction workers (the only one wearing “cool” sunglasses) was labeled “Hey Babe!”

I was stunned. Maybe it’s the fact that I just saw the team at Hollaback speak this month, or maybe it is that this is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, or maybe it is just that street harassment sucks. But chances are it was all three of these things that made me so mad to see a brand I love pushing this sort of thing.

The Hollaback website notes that street harassment is the most prevalent form of sexual violence for both men and women in the United States. Internationally, they point out, “studies show that between 70-99% of women experience street harassment at some point during their lives.”

Lego hasn’t really been on a roll recently when it comes to gender and its toys. See for example this post over at Ms. Magazine that picks apart the images of beauty in Lego’s new line of toys for girls (and check out the great ad from 1981 to see how far they have fallen).

Needless to say, I didn’t buy the stickers. 

[actuallygrimes]

i dont want my words to be taken out of context

i dont want to be infantilized because i refuse to be sexualized

i dont want to be molested at shows or on the street by people who perceive me as an object that exists for their personal satisfaction

i dont want to live in a world where...

[belgianwitch]

I Got Louder

had a dream last night

was with a friend at an event, showed up early, a show in someone's yard.

some guys were joking about raping girls. didn't know we could hear them.

needed to decide now whether to speak up. to correct strangers. to call out a large group of dudes I didn't know.

decided yes. told them how fucked up their conversation was, and exactly why. explained about Rehtaeh Parsons and Steubenville.

two guys appeared on top of the wall next to us, telling me to shut up. i got louder. i did not shut up.

told them to come down off that wall where they felt so big and try saying that to my face.

put my hand on my knife.

then people started showing up all around us and the energy was diffused. dudes backed off and I relaxed into the crowd

and i started belting out pop songs

[belgianwitch]

Open Letter to my Partner's Co-worker Pretending to be him on Chat

Dear Dude,

i know, i know, it was a joke right? started out that way, and then you stopped. and then you admitted it was you and not the person i trust, have spent countless intimate hours with, the person i let know every day how i am doing...

i get it. y'all prank all the time. it's just a fun back and forth, trying to see who is smart enough to get the other one good. irresistible when you saw my face and name pop up there on the office computer, the one he forgot to close out of when he walked away.

when i asked him if he wanted me to come over for sexy tax time soon, you must have really felt like you'd hit gold.

all it took was for you to type those two words "oh yeah." and you instantly invaded my sacred sexual space. my private world.

you did not have my consent.

(i'm a say this again)

you did not have my consent.

lucky for me you used that period at the end. my partner doesn't tend towards punctuation. lucky for me i get feelings about things, you know the 6th sense. but i chalked it up to him not feeling like himself that day. never dreamed a stranger would want to take advantage of my innocent stance like that.

so i moved on to other conversation, where i told him he'd been working so hard lately, that i wanted to bring over dinner and maybe we could watch movies, or just combine all three

(sexy tax time started last year when i offered to help make doing taxes fun, it ended up backfiring and no taxes were done that night but much sweet romance was had)

i am glad you stopped and told me it was you, and not him. i am glad i didn't say anything more. more private. more detailed. you did the right thing to stop. the hurt of you setting that in motion is still with me tho.

and someone might ask why. i wasn't touched, it was a joke, i said next to nothing embarrassing.

and on some level i agree.

but

when i feel it, underneath the casual life. when i feel the river running under our lives of dominance, rape, abuse, oppression, repression. supression of women, children, anyone without material power. then i feel this

My sexual space, my privacy, was purposely invaded, violated

for

the entertainment

of men

photo by Mark Hogancamp from http://www.marwencol.com/about/