Emergency Exit

Political Mandates

Accessibility

Queer McGill recognizes a social model of disability, which focuses on the structures and barriers that impose limitations on certain groups or individuals. The social model of disability maintains that exclusion and the systemic barriers to participation, including physical, attitudinal, social, and other factors, are the primary contributors to an individual’s experience of disability, and it is, therefore, the society that disables a person, not their impairment. The social model should not, however, be interpreted to ignore or negate the real physical and psychological pain that individuals with chronic conditions and impairments may experience. These beliefs will be operationalized as follows:

  1. Queer McGill will, in its advocacy and programming, work towards the promotion of universal access, with the goal of all individuals having the opportunity for full participation in Queer McGill;
  2. All online publications will be adapted to ensure accessibility of web content through the implementation of accessible design standards, through the considerate use of fonts, graphics, colours, headings, content organization, and other factors affecting the accessibility of information online;
  3. Accessible, plain-spoken language, will be used in all official capacities, including published communications, avoiding jargon and overly technical language;
  4. All communications and promotions regarding Queer McGill events must explicitly include all relevant accessibility information about the event in question, including the physical accessibility of the venue and the availability of additional accessibility factors;
  5. Queer McGill will maintain adequate capacity to ensure that all communications and official documents are made easily accessible in all official languages;
  6. All events must make proactive efforts to be accessible to all individuals, and must be held in venues that are physically accessible to individuals with limited mobility;
  7. The accessibility of physical spaces overseen by Queer McGill will be maintained and actively improved upon to ensure the continuance of access for individuals with disabilities;
  8. Queer McGill will ensure the prioritization of accessibility and inclusion among Queer McGill Groups through the provision of resources and education; and
  9. In recognition of the barriers that exist to full participation in Queer McGill governance, reasonable accommodations will be provided to members, whenever requested, to ensure the fairness and accessibility of governance. When necessary, such accommodations will supersede rules of order.

Cooperation and Collective Responsibility

  • Commitment to Non-Hierarchy

In balancing its mandate to provide services with its commitment to anti-oppression, Queer McGill adopts a mixed model of collective and executive governance whereby a non-hierarchical executive, comprised of the Coordinating Committee and Groups, oversees the fulfilment of Queer McGill’s mandate with authority delegated to them by the superior collective, the General Assembly. 

  1. No Coordinator may be considered superior to any other Coordinator and no hierarchy may be established within the Coordinating Committee.
  2. While each Coordinator will retain authority over their respective portfolio, this authority will be reasonably scrutinized by the Coordinating Committee as a whole.
  3. Furthermore, while the Coordinating Committee retains the delegated authority to oversee Queer McGill between meetings of the General Assembly, the activities of the Committee will be reasonably scrutinized by the General Assembly.
  4. Likewise, while the leadership of each Group retains authority over the activities of the Group, the activities of the Group and its leadership will be reasonably scrutinized by the General Assembly.
  5. The authority delegated by the General Assembly, to the Coordinating Committee and Groups, may be revoked according to procedures outlined in the Constitution of Queer McGill.
  • Consensus Decision-Making

Decisions made within Queer McGill, except official governance proceedings, will generally be made by consensus. That is to say, decisions will generally be discussed until such time that all participating individuals agree. If no consensus can be reached, and if a decision absolutely must be made in a timely fashion, such a decision may also be made democratically through established or otherwise consensually agreed-upon voting procedures.

Equity and Anti-Oppression

As outlined in its Constitution, Queer McGill recognizes that groups that have been historically and culturally disadvantaged are subject to systematic marginalization and oppression. Queer McGill condemns harassment and discrimination based on identities including but not limited to: gender identity, gender expression, age, race, ethnic or national origin, religion, sexuality, sexual orientation, ability, language, size, or social class. As such, Queer McGill:

  1. Understands harassment and/or discrimination on these bases as serious offences that undermine its Constitutional commitment to anti-oppression;
  2. Will take proactive steps to challenge the current and historical forces that affect the safety and well-being of marginalized and oppressed groups and the actions, attitudes, and assumptions that result from these forces of oppression;
  3. Further, acknowledges that certain groups of people knowingly and/or implicitly benefit from these processes of oppression;
  4. Will actively support projects and organizations that aim to end oppression or to promote accessibility and inclusivity within the McGill and greater Montreal community;
  5. Will ensure that all Coordinators and Staffers receive exhaustive equity and anti-oppression training before assuming their duties. Such training will include the knowledge and tools required to combat oppression, harassment, and discrimination of any kind;
  6. Recognizes that language has been historically used both to empower, and to silence marginalized and oppressed peoples and commits to ensuring that its communications practices are inclusive and anti-oppressive, respecting diverse language styles, methods of communication, expressions of gender, and methods of interacting with language;
    • To that end, no sanctions may be imposed for the use of profanity, casual language, or cultural dialects like African-American Vernacular English;
  7. Will ensure that an individual’s stated pronouns and gender identity are always reflected in documents, communications, and conversation and that, in all other cases, gender-neutral language will be used as a default; and
  8. Will allocate its resources and services in such a way that prioritizes initiatives and organizations that serve or represent marginalized and oppressed communities.

Gendered and Sexual Violence

Queer McGill will exhibit zero tolerance for any and all forms of sexual violence. Queer McGill is, furthermore, committed to advocating for a holistic approach to addressing sexual violence that includes prevention, support and survivor-centric disciplinary processes. To this end: 

  1. The Coordinating Committee will implement all reasonable measures to prevent, address, and intervene in any situation of gendered and/or sexual violence that is reported to them; 
  2. Any individual who engages in gendered and/or sexual violence will be subject to appropriate measures, according to the severity of the conduct, as outlined in Section 10. Complaints Procedures;
  3. Each Queer McGill Coordinator will be required to receive GSVP Training, offered by the SSMU Anti-Violence Coordinator(s), before the end of the Fall semester, following their election. Should extenuating circumstances prevent the attendance of a Coordinator, the Coordinator in question must arrange a subsequent training session;
  4. Elements of GSVP Training will, furthermore, be incorporated into any training provided to Queer McGill Staffers; and
  5. Queer McGill will advocate for the increased allocation of resources to its fellow support services and their adoption of intersectional approaches to gendered and sexual violence.

Harm Reduction

Harm reduction is an evidence-based alternative to moralistic, punitive systems that disproportionately and intentionally harm members of social groups including Black and Indigenous people of colour, sex workers, disabled people, and Queer people. Punitive approaches promote silence and shame whereas harm reduction focuses on compassionate education. Queer McGill commits itself to the practice and principles of harm reduction and will, whenever possible, tailor its support to the needs of specific communities and individuals. As such, Queer McGill believes:

  1. In the fundamental rejection of stigmatization, criminalization, prohibition and other coercive and punitive measures against sex workers and people who use drugs (“PWUD”);
  2. In the non-judgmental, non-coercive, and evidence-based  provision of services and resources to sex workers and PWUD and the communities in which they live;
  3. In respecting all persons’ dignity and agency including the right and capacity of every individual to make decisions about their own lives;
  4. That sex work is not inherently harmful to sex workers but, instead, that any potential harm is the result of stigmatization, sex-work prohibitions, law enforcement initiatives and surveillance, human rights violations committed by law enforcement officers, workplace violence, labour exploitation, and discrimination from public and private service providers;
  5. That some forms of drug use are safer than others;
  6. That successful intervention will not necessarily include the cessation of drug use and/or sex work;
  7. That sex-workers and  PWUD must lead the creation and implementation of policies and programs designed to serve them;
  8. That sex-workers and PWUD are, themselves, the primary agents of reducing potential harms and should be empowered to share information and support their peers in strategies that meet their needs; and
  9. That the realities of poverty, class, racism, social isolation, past trauma, sex-based discrimination, and other social inequalities affect both people’s vulnerability to and capacity for effectively dealing with potential harm.

Support and Consultations

Queer McGill will strive to consult subject advocates on any political decisions, statements, campaigns, or events. Any training offered by Queer McGill should, furthermore, be informed by relevant subject advocates.

  1. Such consultations should not be considered a mere formality and must be conducted in good faith, in a manner that respects both the expertise and limitations of the advocates;
  2. Sufficient time and capacity must be allocated during and following consultations, to implement any recommended changes; and
  3. Where consultations alone are not sufficient, Queer McGill will seek the active support and assistance of subject advocates, who will be remunerated for their work.