Volume 52 Issue 22

The Independent Student Newspaper of the University of Toronto Mississauga since 1974

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Cover Page by Melody Zhou

Issue 22 Volume 52 March 16, 2026

02

NEWS

Editor | Aaron Calpito news@themedium.ca

UTM promotes environmental awareness with Sustainability Week 2026 Prekshaa Surana Associate News Editor

The campus-wide series of events aimed to strengthen student engagement with sustainability initiatives beyond the classroom. he University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) T recently hosted Sustainability Week 2026 from March 16 to 20, which featured a slate of events across campus designed to promote environmental awareness as it relates to sustainability and student engagement.

Organized by the UTM Sustainability Office in collaboration with the UTM Students’ Union (UTMSU) and the MScSM Sustainability Hub, the week-long programming spans a mix of academic, interactive, and outreach-focused events.

The week began on March 16 with introductory programming aimed at familiarizing students with sustainability initiatives at UTM. Across the following days, students had access to sustainability-focused workshops, speaker sessions, and networking opportunities connecting them with campus leaders and professionals in the field.

Midweek programming included guided campus tours highlighting UTM’s sustainability infrastructure and environmental initiatives, alongside interactive sessions encouraging students to explore practical applications of sustainable practices with

professors.

Tabling events in high-traffic areas such as the Communication, Culture and Technology Building further extended outreach efforts, creating informal spaces for students to engage with sustainability organizations and learn about ways to get involved.​​ Interactive events also included a tote bag painting workshop, where students designed reusable bags, and a mock United Nations Conference of the Parties climate simulation that allowed participants to negotiate real-world climate scenarios.

Midweek events on March 18 continued with a Fair Trade and Sustainability Market featuring vendors selling ethically-sourced products ranging from food and tea to clothing and candles. Additional programming included a healthcare sustainability panel and a sustainable sewing workshop where students created dog toys from old clothing.

Saphia Fakih, a fourth-year student and co-president of the Student Association for Geography and Environment, said the week provides a concentrated opportunity to promote sustainability-focused programming.

“It’s a great way to promote these types of events to students,” Fakih said in an interview with The Medium. “Throughout the year, people might not be actively looking for environmental events, but during Sustainability Week, they know to keep an eye out.”

Fakih said her involvement with sustainability initiatives began in her second year through the Sustainability Ambassadors program, where she attended an event focused on literature and sustainability.

“It was one of my first exposures to more interdisciplinary conversations about the environment,” she said. “It helped set me down the path of environmental and social justice.”

On March 19, the focus shifted toward academic and professional engagement, with events such as a sustainability practicum showcase, a decarbonization and climate panel, and an information session about ECO Canada accreditation in UTM’s Programs in Environment. Hands-on activities continued with crocheting workshops, teaching students to create reusable mesh bags.

While Fakih said UTM is making efforts to promote sustainability, she noted that campus dynamics can limit outreach. “A lot of students are commuters, so they don’t spend as much time on campus,” she said.

“Even though there are efforts to bring awareness, not everyone is reached.” Despite these challenges, Fakih described sustainability efforts at UTM as being rooted in collective participation.

On-campus groups say Sustainability Week also plays a key role in increasing student engagement with environmental initiatives.

“It’s a bunch of people coming together trying to make the university more sustainable,” Fakih shared. “Whether it’s tabling, creating initiatives, Photo Credits: Melody Zhou or volunteering.”

Photo Credits: UTM Sustainability Office

Photo Credits: Melody Zhou

“Students will bear the brunt:” CFS-O straps in for fight against Ford government’s OSAP and tuition changes Mashiyat Ahmed Outreach Coordinator The Canadian Federation of Students—Ontario says it plans to sustain its opposition to the province’s cuts to OSAP and tuition fee increases. n February 12, the Provincial government announced significant changes to O the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), which will come into effect in the 2026-2027 academic year. Starting September 2026, OSAP applicants will

receive a maximum of 25 per cent of their OSAP funding as grants and a minimum of 75 per cent as loans. This restructuring flips the funding ratio, which currently allows OSAP applicants to receive a maximum of 85 per cent in grants and a minimum of 15 per cent in loans.

These changes to OSAP are accompanied by C$6.4 billion in funding to the postsecondary education sector and an end to the 2019 domestic tuition freeze—effectively allowing public universities to raise tuition costs by two per cent every year.

According to the provincial government’s press release, this “historic investment” in the post-secondary sector aims to reward “in-demand careers that meet labour

market needs,” preserve access to high-quality education, and ensure “long-term sustainability” as Ontario continues its position as a powerhouse for “world-class research excellence.”

Since the announcement, several student unions, including the University of Toronto (U of T) Mississauga (UTM) Students’ Union (UTMSU) and the Ontario Canadian Federation of Students (CFS-O), have expressed deep concerns in response to these changes, which, according to an Instagram post by the CFS-O on February 13, has left many students with unanswered questions about the future of education, especially in light of Bill 33 being passed. The post reads: “This ‘generational announcement’ seems to benefit institutions while ignoring the realities of students. The only thing generational will be the mounting generational debt to pursue an education.”

The UTMSU is a member of the Canadian Federation of Students, which represents hundreds of thousands of post-secondary students nationwide. The Ontario division of the federation represents roughly 350,000 students across the province.

Behind the changes When asked about what these restructurings reveal about public education in On-

03 Sustaining the movement: ‘Week of action’ at UTM Since Ford’s announcement, the CFS-O has begun to “collectively organize and mobilize against the direct attacks on education and working class people” through targeted tactics. These include walkouts, rallies, marches, email agitation, and virtual petitions directed at members of Ford’s cabinet.

tario, a CFS-O spokesperson wrote in an email interview with The Medium, “It’s clear that the government has finally recognized that institutions are suffering due to the lack of funding—but instead of providing direct and sustained funding to the post secondary education sector to alleviate the burden from students, this announcement creates additional financial barriers that will deter students from accessing a postsecondary education.”

Echoing the concerns of unions, students, and politicians, these OSAP cuts reveal a larger issue surrounding the chronic underfunding of public education in the Province. For example, Premier Doug Ford’s government implemented a 10 per cent cut to domestic tuition fees and subsequently froze them for seven years.

According to the CFS-O, “the Federation made it clear that a tuition freeze without adequate funding would lead our academic institutions into the red.

Now, 7 years later, we’re seeing the exact same issues we predicted.”

On February 19, the CFS-O hosted a province-wide virtual town hall for interested students to learn about organizing strategies. The town hall also platformed the voices of students who shared personal stories of how Ford’s cuts would impact their education.

At the event, U of T student Vansh Gill stated that reduced grants would impact students who need to pursue a fifth year—a common occurrence at U of T. Gill said that their mother is also disabled and unable to financially support her children’s post-secondary pursuits, which has discouraged Gill’s younger brother from considering university. “It’s so dishearten-

NEWS BITES

Some of last week’s top headlines.

>>>>>>>> IgniteUTM sweeps UTMSU Spring 2026 Elections Aaron Calpito News Editor

S

tudents have elected all five IgniteUTM candidates to head the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU)’s next Executive Committee. The victors include Adam El-Falou for president, Xingyi (Freya) Gao for Vice President (VP) Internal, Tiffany Da Silva for VP Equity, Dana Al-Habash for VP University Affairs, and incumbent Rajas Dhamija for VP External, according to the UTMSU’s unofficial election results.

Students also elected 11 of the 23 Division II Board of Directors candidates, including Xinhe (Cecilia) Wang, Cynthia Tong, Marcus Lee, Joud Al-Habash, Nabeeha Shamim, Sierra O’Brien, Saad Hussain, Maryam Zeeshan, Suleyman Yusuf, Jana Al-Mallah, Ya (Gloria) Gao. Onoasi Odo-Effiong secured a Division III Part-Time Director at Large seat unopposed, leaving one seat vacant.

Voter turnout was 12.3 per cent, representing a four-year low in UTMSU spring elections, according to The Varsity.

>>>>>>>>

Illustrated by April Roy ing to see such young people discouraged and upset about their financial situation in the future.”

From March 18 to 24, Ontario universities and colleges will hold the “Week of Action,” a series of events dedicated to fighting for “accessible education.”

As part of this initiative, on March 18, the UTMSU hosted a “Town Hall: OSAP and Tuition Increases”, featuring a Q&A session with Iqra Khalid, a federal Member of Parliament for the riding of MississaugaErin Mills.

Mahek Rahman, a grade 12 student in the Niagara region, also expressed similar anxieties about her education and is planning a walkout at her local high school. “It really feels like—especially with the timing of [Ford’s announcement]—that I’ve gotten to the finish line, and right now, I’m seeing the goal post being moved a kilometre away.”

During the opening remarks, UTMSU President Andrew Park said, “This is not an isolated incident; it’s a pattern. From the Student Choice Initiative in 2019 and most recently, Bill 33, the Government has made it clear that their priority is not for the students.” Park also stated that representatives from U of T and the Conservative Party were invited to speak, but did not provide a response.

Criticizing the timing of these cuts, Rahman, who was recently accepted into Western University’s Health Sciences program, questions whether she will be able to attend her “dream university” given her reliance on grants.

UTM’s Week of Action will also include a rally at Queen’s Park on March 24 from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

In the email interview, CFS-O notes that “students are upset and angry over these changes, and refuse to stand idly by as this government actively dismantles our education.”

Sustained student power remains at the centre of the fight against OSAP cuts. When asked whether the CFS-O has any long-term plans for supporting student mobilization into the summer and fall, the spokesperson wrote in the email interview: “The Federation will continue to organize, mobilize, and escalate alongside students until the government gets their hands off our education!”

PCs push forward with school board takeovers, ticket resale regulations, defunding consumption sites, and excluding cabinet from FOI laws Aaron Calpito News Editor

Over the past few weeks, Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative (PC) government has announced a flurry of new measures.

Among the most controversial recent policy changes is the proposal to change Ontario’s freedom of information laws so that cabinet ministers’ and staff members’ records will be kept secret.

Premier Ford has defended the move as necessary to “protect ourselves against the Communist Chinese that are infiltrating our country.” Opposition Leader Marit Stiles criticized the move and Ford’s arguments to reporters at Queen’s Park last week, saying, “Well, this is bullshit.”

The Ministry of Education recently assumed control of the York Catholic District School Board and placed the Peel District School Board under its supervision, citing concerns about management and financial sustainability, according to the provincial government’s website. This brings the total number of school boards under provincial supervision

to eight. The Ministry brought all of these boards under its supervision within the past year.

Over the next few months, the province will end funding to seven supervised drug consumption sites across Toronto, Ottawa, Niagara, Peterborough, and London, according to CBC News. Instead, Health Minister Sylvia Jones says the province will support those with addiction in these communities with abstinence-based Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hubs, according to Ontario Newsroom.

As Toronto gears up to host the FIFA World Cup this summer, the Ford government hopes to amend the Ticket Sales Act, 2017, to “make it illegal to resell [live-event] tickets for profit,” according to Global News. The PCs previously scrapped a plan carried over from Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals in 2019 that would have capped ticket resale prices at 50 per cent above original value, calling it “unenforceable.”

The government is set to release its 2026 provincial budget on March 26.

ICCIT students launch seventh volume of Vision Aaron Calpito News Editor

On March 19, the directors of Vision hosted an ex-

hibition by in April the Maanjiwe Nendamowinan Grand Illustrated Roy

Hall to celebrate the launch of the annual publication’s seventh volume, titled “Journey.”

Throughout the exhibition, attendees mingled with some of Vision’s 42 members amid displays of enlarged illustrations, photos, and writings featured in the magazine. Guests were also welcome to peruse physical copies of the hefty 104-page production and watch two short documentaries that Vision made specifically for Journey.

Volume seven marks the first volume since Vision opted to rebrand itself from a journal to a magazine last year. “We wanted to come together to compile the stories of students’ voices, a theme that would feel personal and transparent to them,” writes Executive Creative Director Mariana Ramirez-Zablah in her preface to Journey. “We wanted to highlight both the struggle and joy of what it means to be human and a young creative.”

The digital version of the magazine is available for free on Vision’s website at vision-group.ca/volume-7. Vision is funded by the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology.

04 OPINION

Editor | Yasmine Benabderrahmane opinion@themedium.ca

Pride as propaganda: how pinkwashing justifies violence Aleeshah Heer Contributor

There is also an underlying assumption: that queerness belongs to the West. That queerness is a marker of white modernity, proof of a Western society’s advancement, proof that white culture has moved forward while the rest remains stuck in the conservative past.

Pinkwashing is not a commitment to queer liberation, but a selective deployment of it. here is a familiar question that comes up whenT ever queer people of colour speak up on global injustices: Why defend people who would never

The weaponisation of queerness is a colonial idea that ignores the long history of queer lives across different cultures. It flattens everything into a single timeline of “progress” and it quietly reinforces who gets to be seen as civilised.

support your identity?

The question is meant to end the conversation.

Instead, it should start one. Because what’s being exposed here is not a contradiction in queer solidarity, but how effective a certain narrative can become.

It also demands an impossible choice when faced by pinkwashing. Queer people of colour are asked to prioritise one part of themselves over another.

To see their identity as separate from their politics. To accept that solidarity has limitations.

That narrative has a name: Pinkwashing.

Pinkwashing is when LGBTQIA+ rights are used to frame a state or institution as progressive, even when it carries out policies that harm other marginalised groups. As the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement claims, pinkwashing is not simply a matter of hypocrisy; it is a deliberate rebranding that allows power to present itself as benevolent while remaining fundamentally violent.

You can see this clearly in how Western media and governments talk about Palestine.

Israel is often described as a “rare safe haven” for LGBTQIA+ people in the Middle East. The contrast is intentional. It signals modernity, tolerance, and alignment with Western values. Underneath that, there’s another message: despite Israel’s actions, they are the supposed side of progressiveness.

But, that framing only works if you don’t look too closely. It depends on erasing certain realities. It asks us to separate queer Palestinians from Palestine as a whole, as if their lives exist outside occupation, displacement, and war. As if queerness can be talked about on its own, disconnected from the conditions that shape who gets to live and who dies. It cannot.

The promise of safety for some does not negate the reality of violence for others. And when that promise is used to justify or obscure an existence of violence, it stops being about protection altogether.

A similar logic shapes Western narratives about

But, solidarity has always been nuanced and intersectional.

Photo Collage by Rojin Hajiabbasali Iran. Political leaders frequently position themselves as defenders of queer Iranians, contrasting their own supposed progress with the repression of the Islamic Republic. It turns intervention into something that sounds like liberation, and any form of criticism becomes an issue of morality.

But, that story erases many things. This narrative leaves out an inconvenient truth. The same governments that claim to champion queer rights abroad often support policies—sanctions, military interventions, economic destabilisations—that make everyday life more precarious for the very communities they claim to protect.

What emerges is not a commitment to queer liberation, but a selective deployment of it.

Pinkwashing works because it draws on the truth that LGBTQIA+ rights do matter. It feeds off decades of organising, resistance, and loss. But, that is precisely why the LGBTQIA+ community is so easily instrumentalised in Western eyes. When queer rights become a symbol of liberalism rather than a practice of justice, the West can attach it to almost anything. Including violent colonial campaigns.

“Straight on Mondays, Gay on Tuesdays”: the biphobia epidemic Mashiyat Ahmed Outreach Coordinator Why has biphobia become so normalized in queer friendly spaces and relationships?

Bi-erasure. Biphobia. Monosexuality. Yet, there are a lot of asBi-negativity. pects of my bisexuality that feel painfully foreign to me.

These are terms that many bisexual people may be familiar with; terms that may denote the lived experiences that many bisexual people can relate to. Broadly speaking, biphobia refers to any form of prejudice or discrimination directed against bisexual people, or individuals who experience romantic, emotional, and/ or sexual attraction to more than one gender. For me, my bisexuality manifests as romantic attraction to men and women—whether cis or trans.

As the pensive and impressionable teenager I was, I believed that claiming the la-

It’s not about pretending that differences do not exist. It is about recognising that systems of power are rarely contained. The same structures that justify surveillance, occupations, and militarisation abroad often shape the conditions of inequality at home.

And the West is not exempt from those conditions. The LGBTQIA+ communities continue to face violence, discrimination, and political backlash across North America and Europe.

So, what does it mean to use queer rights as proof of moral authority elsewhere, when those rights are still being contested at home? It means queer rights are not really being defended, they’re being used.

This is what makes pinkwashing effective for Western weaponisation. It offers a version Illustrated

by Adannaof Scott progress that can sit comfortably next to harm, as long as the language sounds right. But, language isn’t always protection and symbols don’t equate to safety. At some point, the contradiction becomes impossible to ignore.

What does it mean to claim liberation if it depends on someone else’s dispossession? And what does it mean to defend queer rights, if those rights can be invoked to excuse the very conditions that make life unlivable for others?

bel of “bisexuality” would allow me to feel more welcome in queer spaces—whether that’d be relationships, friendships, or literal social community-forming. I was under the naive impression that a label could free me by legitimizing my sexual identity, and by extension, make it easier to be bi.

So, what’s so “hard” about being bi? Is it the fact that in the imagination of others, I am seemingly conjured up as this girl who can’t choose who to fuck? Is it the idea that me liking girls is just a phase—reduced to a whimsy, character-adorning trope just for the plot—and that eventually, I’ll settle with a long-term boyfriend because it was all an experimentation? Or is it the reality of having to defend that I am plainly just bi—without having to justify my bisexuality by listing every man and woman I’ve been in a situationship with?

Against all of this, bisexual is who I am—not a hypersexual, indecisive person; not a closetesd lesbian; not a fruity femme; not a bi person with a long-winded answer as to why they won’t date trans people. I am just boringly, burgeoningly bi.

To be clear, I am surrounded by great people in my everyday life who I am grateful for, who really know me: friends, coworkers, that emotionally long distance, geographically close pal. This article is not about them, necessarily. Rather, this article is about the paradox of visibility that emerges when a bisexual like me tries to frequent queer spaces or when I am vocal about my sexuality. On campus, online, or through casual friendships, we need to talk about how biphobia can run rampant in the queer community and what this reveals about solidarity.

The paradox of queer visibility: Am I not bi enough for you?

Without putting my personal life on display, I had a recent conversation with a queer friend who knew I was bisexual, and who said to me: “Mash, I think you

05 These examples highlight how bisexuals have to navigate the paradox of visibility. Rooted in hetero-normativity, this paradox emerges when the experience of coming out or vocalizing one’s bisexuality brings with it a simultaneous feeling of hypervisibility, shortly accompanied by erasure, invalidation, and denial. Within certain spaces and conversations, my bisexuality—assuming people happened to know about it—becomes a label that immediately separates me from the “conventional queer person,” simply because I’m deemed as somehow sinisterly wielding my bastion of straight privilege, invisiblizing my identity by reducing to optics and performance. At the same time, my bisexuality seems to exoticize me in the eyes of men and bring about an unwanted feeling of hypervisibility whenever someone—queer or otherwise—pokes and prods at all the experiences I have to validate my queerness.

MASTHEAD EDITORIAL BOARD Co-Editor-in-Chief Aya Yafaoui editor@themedium.ca Co-Editor-in-Chief Samuel Kamalendran managing@themedium.ca News Aaron Calpito news@themedium.ca Opinion Yasmine Benabderrahmane opinion@themedium.ca Features Gisele Tang features@themedium.ca A&E Yusuf Larizza-Ali arts@themedium.ca Sports Tyler Mederiros sports@themedium.ca Photo Melody Zhou photos@themedium.ca Design Sehajleen Wander design@themedium.ca Social Media Jannine Uy social@themedium.ca Outreach Mashiyat Ahmed outreach@themedium.ca Copy May Alsaigh may@themedium.ca Anaam Khan anaam@themedium.ca

Gate-keeping queerness: Queer people can still reproduce oppression

might be straight.” It felt so definitive. The “I think” didn’t soften the sting; if anything, it reinforced the quiet attitude that other peoples’ perception of my sexuality seem to matter more than my own voice. For context, I was sitting on the bus and I noticed a really cute guy studying on his iPad, and naturally, I sent a couple of flustered texts to my friend about him. I love my friend, but the innocent moment quickly turned into me—yet again—feeling like I needed to justify why I am still as bisexual as ever, despite however many guys on the bus I think are cute.

No identity, label, or mere membership to a group has the power to bring about liberation or topple the empires of oppression that quietly shape our daily lives and interactions. But for the longest time, I thought that the label and prospect of “being a part of the community” would at least help me process and digest the exclusion I felt at home or in traditional spaces. It didn’t. I’ve met amazing queer people, writers, and activists who have given me a more liberatory vision of my being. And I’ve also met queer people who make me question whether I am bisexual enough.

Queerness is historically rooted in social, anti-oppressive movements that condemn all forms of hetero-normativity, essentialism, and patriarchy, as well as advocating and organizing for socialist causes. Queer theory itself emerged in the 1990s to say that identity is not a fixed label, but rather a dynamic, constantly changing experience that doesn’t need to be “earned,” or “validated” by societal structures.

Another, more potent example: I was at a queer social house in the city one fall afternoon, and I, along with some other attendees, decided to head to a cafe after the event ended. I started talking, flirtatiously, to this one cute girl who also happened to go to U of T, and the conversation— which started innocently enough with “What’s your idea of a perfect date?” quickly devolved into what seemed like a competition of which one of us was “queer enough.” For reference, she was a lesbian, and upon finding out I was bisexual but had not dated any girls, her tone and attitude became one of invasively questioning and prodding me about my history with girls: Have I ever slept with one?

Do my parents know I’m bi? Do the “guys in my life” know I’m bi? Have I ever eaten a girl out? Why did it take me so long to come out (actually, it didn’t—I’ve always been bi?)

Validating the biphobia that many bisexual people experience must start with acknowledging that queer communities are not somehow exempt from criticism or accusations of discrimination just by virtue of their identity.

Believing so can reinforce exclusion, isolation, and harm for bisexual people, especially women, who are already at the nexus of multiple planes of oppression. Bisexuality exposes how heteronormative stereotypes and marginalization can take shape within queer communities, queer desire, and of course, in queer relationships. However, I think that bisexuality, for all the ache it has caused me and the internalized narratives it has conjured, is what makes me so excited to be myself. It’s my source of solidarity and sensitivity in a world that sees queerness as something to be policed and redefined at its will.

Image: Famously popular among gay, lesbian, and straight audiences, the hit TV show Heated Rivalry has sparked an onslaught of bisexual memes at the behest of one of the show’s leads: Canadian actor Hudson Williams, who, as the fans say, exudes bi-energy in its purest form. But why must bi-ness always somehow—even comically, even in passing—be coupled with notions and disclaimers of “biblical” greediness?

I’m sure she’s a great person and just wanted to get to know me better, but right there and then, I could tell there was some mental calculus going on in that beautiful brunette head of hers, and no matter how bad she was at math, the answer to her equation would always be: Mash is not queer enough for me and that, to their horror, I am certainly more attracted to men than women.

In 2018, a study published in the journal of Psychology and Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity found that many lesbian and gay men—monosexuals—tend to see bisexual

These memes are pretty accurate for me. Please slide into my Instagram DM’s (@earthlingmash) if you ever want to yap about this “biblical greed” I seem to harbour! Does it come with secret perks and benefits? Where do I store all this greed? Do you want some of it? Happy to rub some of my bisexual greed on you, if you dare!

women as more attracted to men and to be inauthentic in their attraction to women.

TO CONTRIBUTE & CONNECT:

themedium.ca/contact @themediumUTM @themediumUTM @themessageUTM

And please don’t ask me about my experience with men— especially when they find out I am bi or queer, because regardless, they don’t care about the difference. Truly, if I could capture the momentary look of absolute and dejected surprise on their faces when the fantasy of my straightness shatters, I would copy and paste that photo here, and you’d probably let out a painful laugh. I am not alone in experiences of being sexualized by men and simultaneously denigrated and sexually ostracized for my bisexuality, which is then interpreted as hypersexuality.

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06

Lost in Translation: Queerness in culture in Tamil society. Every year, Iravan’s sacrifice is ritually re-enacted, where he becomes the “divine husband” of the Alis.

Mashiyat Ahmed, Outreach Coordinator, Madhav Ajayamohan, Contributor, Grisha S., Contributor

Queerness is as old as humanity. ueerness is as old as humanity. Yet, our world Q attempts to discredit figures and experiences of queer people beyond the Western world and our

modern epoch. So, here are three stories of queerness in culture, through time and space.

I absorbed the Mahabharata at a time when I wasn’t aware of other sexual orientations. Re-reading it again, with knowledge of other sexual identities, made me realize that the Mahabharata had always featured queer characters, and even accepted them.

Iravan taught me that even before the 21st century, different identities were always accepted.

Mashiyat Ahmed: Queering the diaspora

Grisha S.: Sappho’s Legacy

I first came across writer and activist Maya Bhardwaj’s writings in my class this semester through their article “Solidarity through care in queer Desi diaspora,” which was published in the Journal of Lesbian Studies in 2023. As a bisexual, I was tempted to consider myself as a part of the “LGBTQ+” community for a long time, but as I grew more into my sexual identity and became increasingly radicalized, I couldn’t help but feel an inherent tension burgeoning between my identity and my political convictions. Something within me yearned to deserve the label of queer, but what is queerness for someone like me?

The word “sapphic” derives from her name and, yet, the history of the queer woman herself has been lost to time in the midst of marble fragments, footnotes in male-centered Greek epics, fancy labels in mall bookstores, and niche pockets of TikTok. As a questioning girl with a seething discomfort for the juvenile boys around me, I dug for ancient women who bared their experiences in poems like myself.

There, I found Sappho.

The more I engaged in liberal spaces, the more I felt that my bisexuality was talked about and interpreted—indeed, commodified—as something fundamentally separate from my leftist politics. In other words, I saw many around me claim the label of queer as a marker of just their identity rather than a marker of their praxis—otherwise known as actions. This made me uncomfortable, rageful, and perhaps most substantially, reconsider my friendships and the nature of my solidarity.

It wasn’t until I came across Bhardwaj’s work on how solidarity can be reimagined through queerness that I was able to find the language to organize these messy, transgressive feelings I had in the pit of my stomach. As a queer member of the Desi diaspora—and much like me—Bhardwaj’s work explores how tropes, stereotypes, and unresolved tensions about queerness can shape how diasporans claim not only their identity, but their solidarities with other groups and their political convictions at large. We need to move away from the idea that queerness is who one is attracted to or has sex with. Queerness is not just about being outside the hetero-normative norm. Queerness to me is a mode of resistance that challenges all aspects of the world that try to put us in boxes, whether it relates to power, desire, love, sex, knowledge, or anything else that’s ever been worth our time. I found a version of queerness that works for me through the help of Bhardwaj’s writings, and I hope you can too.

Madhav Ajayamohan: Iravan, the God of Transgenders

Photo Collage by Rojin Hajiabbasali This summer, I decided to read Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata by Devdut Patnaik.

Within its pages, I found an Indian god for those who identify as transgenders: Iravan. Today, I’ll recount his story.

Iravan was the son of Arjuna, one of the Pandavas— protagonists—of the epic. During the Kurukshetra war, the climax of the epic, the Pandavas needed to sacrifice a warrior with 32 special marks in order to secure their victory. Only three members of the Pandava army fit this criteria: Arjuna, the Pandavas’ strongest warrior; Krishna, the physical avatar of God that supported the Pandavas; and Iravan.

Given the circumstances, Arjuna asked Iravan if he would be a sacrifice.

Iravan agreed, but he had a final wish: he did not want to die a virgin, and wanted to be married before he died. Given that the sacrificial victim’s final wishes had to be satisfied, the Pandavas looked for a woman who would marry Iravan. But no woman agreed to marry him. Who would want to marry a man doomed to die?

Finally, Krishna himself transformed into his female form, Mohini, and married Iravan. While Iravan was beheaded the next day, “Krishna wept for him as his widow.”

In a footnote, Patanik explains that Iravan’s story validated the existence of Alis—transsexual people

Sappho is not just a champion of romance; she is a defying spirit against homophobic values that claim queerness as “unnatural” and urge others to return to the antiquated world of traditions and “great men.”

A disruptor of her own time, Sappho remained a revered poetess amongst her male contemporaries, often quoted and referenced. A praised woman of antiquity and, yet, the same people who pedestalize those “great men,” refuse to learn about a great woman, who possessed the same talent, romanticized the same gods. However, Sappho dared to take a step further, she expressed her love for women and not a generalized, stereotypical pantheon of women—like the evident in many male-written lesbian fantasies throughout the decades—but passion for individuals, multi-dimensional, whole beings.

This is evident in her fragment for the Ode to Anactoria: … Peer of Gods to me is the man thy presence Crowns with joy; who hears, as he sits beside thee, Accents sweet of thy lips the silence breaking, With lovely laughter; Tones that make the heart in my bosom flutter, For if I, the space of a moment even, Near to thee come, any word I would utter Instantly fails me…

It is perhaps tradition that a queer woman’s works are partial and broken while the battle and adventure epics of people like Homer are maintained. Or perhaps, it might just be an example of poor recordkeeping.

(Hetero) Women’s obsession with gay media Jessy Fan Contributor The quiet jealousy built into romance. t’s easier to watch two men fall in love than to watch a man choose a woman.

Imale That sounds extreme, maybe like an uncomfortable truth. But, for many feviewers, it feels true in a way heterosexual romance rarely admits.

Because when a man falls in love with a woman on screen, something shifts.

Quietly, almost instinctively, the heterosexual female viewer is no longer just watching the story. She is placed inside it. A woman on screen becomes a reference point. Her appearance, her personality, the way she is desired. All of it becomes something to be measured against. The question lingers, whether consciously or not: Why is she the one who gets to be wanted like that?

Heterosexual romance, for many women, is not passive. It is comparative. And comparison, especially against fictional perfection, rarely feels neutral. MLM (man or male-aligned person attracted to men) romance disrupts that structure entirely. There is no female character to compete with. No one to compare yourself to. No quiet, creeping sense of being evaluated alongside the story.

Instead, the viewer is allowed to step back. To become a witness, rather than a participant.

The distance matters. It creates a form of emotional safety that heterosexual

Photo Collage/Illustration by Sehaj Wander

07 narratives often cannot provide. Without the pressure of self-insertion, the viewer can focus on the relationship itself. The tension, the intimacy, the vulnerability. The story becomes about connection, rather than comparison.

In that sense, the appeal of MLM romance is not just about queerness. It is about removing a burden.

There is also a less comfortable truth.

Beyond psychology, there is also something structural in the way these relationships are written.

MLM stories often reimagine masculinity. Male characters in media are allowed to be emotionally open, communicative, even vulnerable in ways that traditional heterosexual narratives often resist.

While this may not be the reality for queer men, media production favours patriarchal standards of gender expression, where women always occupy the submissive form of expression. So, in some media, MLM relationships tend to feel more balanced. Less

defined by rigid roles, less burdened by expectations about who should lead, who should care more, who should sacrifice.

In contrast, many heterosexual romances still rely on familiar patterns: emotional distance from men, emotional labour from women, and an imbalance that is so normalized it often goes unquestioned. So what appears to be an “obsession with gay romance” may actually reflect something deeper. A dissatisfaction with the models of intimacy that women are repeatedly shown.

This raises an obvious question: if the appeal lies in escaping gender roles, why is the same energy not directed toward WLW (woman or female-aligned person attracted to women) relationships?

Part of the answer is cultural. Stories centred on men continue to be treated as more universal, more central, more worthy of attention, even among female audiences. But part of it is also psychological.

FEATURES

Rethinking the desiring body with Dr. Gary Lee Pelletier Prekshaa Surana Associate News Editor

sire, sits at the intersection of disability and sexuality studies. But instead of treating them as separate topics, the course pushes students to look at how they overlap, and how both are shaped by social expectations, norms, and power structures.

Ultimately, at the centre of all these topics is one’s body and one’s desires.

Unlearning what feels “normal” WGS337 isn’t just about learning new ideas; it’s about unlearning old ones.

Professor Pelletier shared that most students unconsciously walk into his class with assumptions about identity. These assumptions are not necessarily rigid or intentional. But often, they are created under a society that treats certain bodies, desires, and ways of being as more “normal” than others.

“We don’t think that hard about our relationships with our body,” Professor Pelletier explained. “Until we actually have the space to.”

Things start to shift when space is intentionally created to address these topics, whether that space is a lecture hall or a discussion.

Photo Credits: Prof. Gary Lee Pelletier From “deservingness” to everyday activism, Professor Pelletier explains how Sexuality Studies and Disability Studies are reshaping how students understand identity. hen we think about identity, most of us tend W to think inwards—how we see ourselves based on our beliefs and our experiences. What we don’t

always think about is how much of our identity is affected by external factors, our institutions in particular, that both sustain and constrain us.

As a Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), one of the first things that Professor Gary Lee Pelletier’s classroom challenges is the underrecognized external component of our identity.

Professor Pelletier shared that a common idea that sticks with his students is something he calls “deservingness”. This term prompts students to reflect: who deserves access, care, pleasure, or even just space?

This is the kind of question that sounds abstract at first, but gets personal very quickly.

A lot of students then begin to realize that they’ve internalized a sense of not being deserving. Professor Pelletier stated that whether this feeling is tied to one’s sexuality, ability, or something else entirely, once it comes to light, it’s hard to unsee it.

And then there is the issue of representation.

WLW intimacy has long been filtered through the male gaze. Oversexualized, aestheticized, and often stripped of emotional depth. For some women, engaging with WLW media does not feel like escape, but like stepping into a space already shaped by someone else’s expectations.

The popularity of gay romance media points to something quieter, but more telling: a discomfort with the roles straight women are expected to play, the ways they are expected to be seen, and the conditions under which they are allowed to be loved.

In these stories, women find something different. A space without comparison. A relationship without competition. A version of intimacy that does not require them to be measured first. Not because the story is about men, but because, for once, it is not about them at all.

Editor | Gisele Tang features@themedium.ca

now, more than ever.

Centred on sincere and critical discussions, Professor Pelletier’s classroom slows things down. They make space for nuance. And they push back against oversimplified narratives that dominate the internet and mainstream politics.

Accessibility is no longer just physical When people hear “accessibility,” many think about ramps, elevators, or whether a building is wheelchairfriendly. However, Professor Pelletier shared that the conversation has shifted, especially in university spaces.

More students are seeking accommodations now than ever, particularly for mental health and what are often called “invisible disabilities.”

“You’re seeing more and more students getting formally accommodated,” he said. “Which means more diagnoses, but also more awareness.”

This shift forces institutions to rethink what accessibility actually means. It’s not just about whether one can physically enter a classroom. It’s about whether one can fully participate in class.

Making theory feel real One thing Professor Pelletier often returns to is the idea of connecting theory to everyday life. He described it as “bridging theory with me.”

Instead of treating academic concepts as abstractions, he encourages students to understand them on a personal level, starting with their experiences, assumptions and everyday interactions. This encourages change in how students think about activism.

Professor Pelletier acknowledges that not everyone is going to protest or organize movements. However, that doesn’t mean that these people are not a part of change. Sometimes, activism starts smaller than loud, public movements.

Why these conversations feel more urgent now

Change can begin with choosing not to laugh at a joke that doesn’t sit right, being more aware of the language you use and questioning the concepts you used to accept without thinking twice.

Discussions about gender and sexuality aren’t new, but the stakes are higher than ever.

“You don’t have to become an activist overnight,” he said. “You can reshape your life little by little.”

Professor Pelletier pointed to the way these topics have become increasingly politicized, especially in the U.S., where policies and public discourse are actively targeting LGBTQ+ communities.

More than just a “diversity” checkbox

“Students don’t immediately think about their body as something society has an opinion about,” he said.

“They think of it as something they have an opinion about.”

“It becomes a distraction from real issues,” he said.

“Trans communities in particular are being scapegoated for complex societal problems.”

Professor Pelletier’s course, WGS337: Special topics in Women and Gender Studies — Bodies That Matter: Disability, Subjectivity, and the Politics of De

As Canadians, these conversations aren’t distant from us. They bleed into how people think, what gets debated, and what feels “acceptable” to question.

Which is part of why courses like WGS337 matter

Professor Pelletier is also aware of how fields like queer studies are sometimes perceived, both inside and outside academia.

He shared that they’re often grouped into what’s casually called “DEI topics” (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion topics), as if they only exist to check a box.

However, such framing erases the purposes for which these topics exist in the first place.

“It’s not just about studying identities,” Professor

08

Pelletier explained. “It’s about questioning the status quo itself.”

The implications and takeaways from the course

In other words, queer studies isn’t just about adding more perspectives; it’s about challenging the systems that decide which perspectives matter in the first place.

Professor Pelletier isn’t expecting students to have everything figured out as they complete WGS337. If anything, the course’s goal is the opposite.

He shared that the course encourages students to ask better questions, be more aware and look at the world and oneself with more nuance than before.

And oftentimes, initiating that change begins with paying attention and open discussions.

The Brain Care Campaign: A student-led initiative founded with care and compassion April Roy Staff Writer

phan programs often tackle the impact of trauma and bullying, while student-oriented workshops focus on chronic stress and academic anxiety.

A deep dive into how a group of young women is contributing to their community through neuroscience-based mental health initiatives.

However, these topics are lightly touched on, with an aim to balance between not overwhelming participants, while educating them on methods to combat mental health challenges.

Founded in 2025, the Brain Care Campaign is a student-led initiative dedicated to making neuroscience-based mental health education accessible.

In an interview with The Medium, the Brain Care Campaign shares how their compassionate approach empowers students, marginalized groups and women in STEM.

“[Deep mental health work] can be too much [for participants] altogether in one session,” said Alkurdi. Therefore, the Brain Care Campaign focuses on activities that help individuals gently work through their emotions.

With an interest in pursuing a career in education, Shahzad is passionate about educating children about mental health. “It is so important to bring forth [mental health] ideologies early,” she said.

Judi Alkurdi, founder and President of the Brain Care Campaign, is a third-year neuroscience student at McMaster University. Alkurdi’s passion to contribute beyond a traditional neuroscience approach gave birth to the idea of the campaign.

To take advantage of their education, the Brain Care Campaign’s executives apply their knowledge learnt in school to real life. As a result, much of the campaign’s activities are shaped around neuroscience concepts. For instance, neuroplasticity is encouraged by letting participants play with Play-Doh. While painting and journaling are incorporated to relieve participants’ stress.

Fueled by her love for neuroscience, an eagerness to help others, and a desire for a community with like-minded individuals, Alkurdi decided to focus on creating a global, female-led organization dedicated to making brain health education accessible to all.

Grounded in diversity and openness Alkurdi expressed her pride in the diverse talents of her executive team. The Brain Care Campaign is formed by seventeen young women from various backgrounds and experiences. These women are united by their dedication to promoting brain health education and their passion to give back to their community.

The campaign encourages diversity through the variety of executive members’ ages, academic backgrounds, and home countries. Some team members are based in the U.S., while some are from Pakistan.

The campaign also welcomes executive members who are not in postsecondary education. Both their Outreach Manager, Faria Shahzad, and their Social Media Assistant Manager, Saaria Kahloon, are grade 11 students in high school.

As the Brain Care Campaign’s Outreach Manager, Shahzad works to connect with external partners in their campaign, such as shelters and volunteers who take part in their workshops and events.

On the other hand, Kahloon assists the Brain Care Campaign’s Social Media Manager, Salma Charif, a first-year Life Sciences student at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM).

Kahloon and Charif work to gain public interest in the campaign through their social media presence. Their initiatives, such as the series “What does mental health mean to me?” encourage individuals to share their mental health experiences on the Brain Care Campaign’s social media platforms and build community.

As biology students, Charif and Alkurdi oversee the campaign and ensure it stays grounded at its core. “Neuroscience is the backbone of the campaign,” said Charif.

The team works to transfer brain health information to those with less access to education. And using their expertise in neuroscience and other STEM-related fields, the Brain Care Campaign works to ensure the accuracy of information they share.

Nevertheless, they recognize that information about brain health needs to extend beyond STEM. “Brain health belongs to everyone,” said Shahzad.

Despite the majority of their executives being in logic-driven and male-dominated STEM fields,

Photo Credits: Brain Care Campaign Team the Brain Care Campaign emphasizes compassion and inclusion in its initiatives.

“Our campaign makes marginalized groups feel represented,” said Kahloon, who often ensures their social media content reflects various perspectives on mental health. Kahloon, along with Alkurdi, prioritizes having a genuine passion and interest in helping others. As a high school student, Kahloon understands firsthand how stress and uncertainty about post-secondary education can affect one’s mental health.

“We want to create a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing how they feel about brain health and mental health,” said Alkurdi. She also noted how respect and openness with team members is important to ensure they are open to new ideas and flexibility within their positions.

“You can’t limit a single role to one person,” said Alkurdi. The majority of the executive team comprises volunteers. Since many members live outside of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), the majority of the executives’ communications take place online. Hence, volunteers are critical for workshop planning and research.

“Volunteers come from diverse backgrounds, which makes the team richer. They bring new perspectives and ideas,” shared Alkurdi.

Volunteers are active participants in the Brain Care Campaign’s workshops and attend activities alongside workshop participants. They bring a level of authenticity to the campaign’s initiatives.

“We don’t want to scare [the attendees] by just standing around,” said Alkurdi. “We want to participate and make it feel like a community.”

Workshops designed with care Workshops are distinct depending on the group they are catered to. Some events take place at orphan programs, while some take place in nursing homes and women’s shelters. The campaign takes a personalized approach to cater to each of its target audience’s needs.

Based on their consideration for each group’s unique perspectives and experiences with mental health, the Brain Care Campaign’s workshop activities and topics are adjusted to cater to various audiences. For instance, women’s shelters and or-

These activities provide accessible mental health knowledge to the public and underprivileged communities.

The campaign’s upcoming workshop with Good Shepherd, a women’s shelter in Hamilton, will take place in April. The workshop aims to offer a sense of support and community to shelter residents. The Brain Care Campaign will lead a session on how stress shapes the brain and mental health, as well as offering tools for neuro-resilience.

Empowering women in STEM As a women-led organization, the Brain Care Campaign centers on women’s experiences, emotions, achievements and strength.

“To say that we are a woman-led organization is an honour,” shared Alkurdi. “Behind every great achievement in the world, there was a woman who worked hard, combated discrimination and adversity, and pushed through challenges to make a difference for other women.”

Considering the lack of female visibility in neuroscience and other STEM fields, the campaign works to inspire other women to pursue the sciences and come together for important causes.

“Neuroscience can come from anyone,” stated Shahzad. “It is women’s time to shine and show people that we can do something. It starts with creating a community that showcases what is possible when [women] come together, and lead conversations about mental health.”

“It’s really meaningful to be part of a female-led team, where I get to see women actively leading and shaping conversations in neuroscience,” shared Charif.

Kahloon added, “It means a lot to me to have women see themselves represented in male-dominated fields. And to inspire them to create a space where women’s voices are heard.”

The Brain Care Campaign strives to provide more workshops to amplify the voices of marginalized groups and offer personalized mental health support.

“Through this campaign, I hope to encourage more open conversations about mental health and help people understand that taking care of your brain is an essential part of taking care of yourself,” shared Alkurdi.

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Must visit cafés for your next coffee run Zainab Khalil, Associate Features Editor; Prekshaa Surana, Associate News Editor; Maaz Ahtesham, Staff Writer & Aleeshah Heer, Contributor

Four recommendations for cafés in Mississauga, tested and approved by fellow students.

The Bloom Coffee: Where Mediterranean and British foods collide Zainab Khalil After discovering the growing food scene at Platinum Drive on social media, I decided to go on a day trip to check it out. Walking around, I came across The Bloom Coffee.

The Bloom Coffee blends a modern, cozy atmosphere with a diverse menu, creating an environment that works well for casual visits, meeting friends, or even getting some work done.

What’s unique about this place is its Mediterranean and British-inspired menu. This fusion provides a wide variety of flavours and drinks like pistachio lattes and traditional coffee with cardamom. And if you’re a fan of light drinks, their fresh juices are perfect for a refreshing experience.

The Bloom Coffee’s menu offers dishes like falafel, steak pita wraps, beef hummus, pasta and more. They also have some desserts inspired by Dubai chocolate, such as strawberry cups and crepes.

A bonus is that The Bloom Coffee accommodates different dietary restrictions. Their menu ranges from vegetarian options to halal food, making it a great option for anyone interested in trying out the café.

Overall, I’d say that this café has it all! From its aesthetic brand, variety and quality of food and drinks to its comforting atmosphere, The Bloom Coffee does not fall short in contributing to Mississauga’s ever-growing food scene.

Studio.89: The perfect place for you to just be Prekshaa Surana

Photo Credits: Adanna Scott Visitors are first greeted by a display of desserts and take-away pastries, both sweet and savoury, next to a classic coffee shop mural. Beneath the warm lighting of Tea One’s main eating area, brown leather chairs are placed in front of smooth wooden tables adjacent to a rustic brick wall.

Other seating areas include a countertop facing the plaza, a booth for larger groups in the back of the café, and a hanging hammock chair in the corner, where you can cozy up with a book and enjoy the view of Queensbridge Drive.

On warmer days, you can also eat on an outdoor patio set up in front of the café.

I used to live near Eglinton Avenue West when I first moved to Mississauga, Aside from its cozyScott design, Tea One uses black ceramic dishes and tall, eland every few weeks, I’d find myself back at Studio.89. When I first saw the Illustrated

by Adanna egant smoothie glasses to create a charming yet comforting environment, café from across the street, my curiosity drew me in like a calling. making it perfect for studying, dining, and conversation.

At first, I thought it was just another cute café. The type that has good lighting, decent coffee, and people pretending to study. But little did I know that As if tailored for introverts, Tea One uses a fully digital ordering system Studio.89 is different. It’s not one of those cafés that serve more appearance where customers can order via the QR code displayed on each table. This is than taste, but more of a place where you would accidentally find yourself at- especially convenient for preoccupied minds to settle down and set up their study space before browsing. I also found this useful in instances where I am tending an event you didn’t sign up for. waiting for friends, since the QR code allows them to personally pre-order.

There’s always something happening at Studio.89. Some people are locked in Tea One’s allure is testified by its business after sundown. Regardless of its on their work, others are deep in conversation, and nearby you’ll probably occasional crowd, Tea One is sure to provide a relaxing and approachable spot a workshop or open-mic poster that makes you think, “That actually atmosphere. sounds cool!”

Whether I’m refuelling after a busy morning or looking to unwind before performing on stage, Tea One’s sugary pick-me-up and hearty meals have always offered enjoyment and comfort.

More importantly, Studio.89 provides a sense of belonging to everyone. Whether you are a solo visitor or part of a group, Studio.89 has a place for you. There were a couple of times I visited with the intention of sitting and doing nothing, and somehow those visits turned into productive moments of reflection. I’ve also gone to the café to catch up with friends. On both occasions, the experience felt natural and comforting.

Halo Espresso Bar: The café that gets it right Aleeshah Heer

In addition, Studio.89 offers a fully vegan menu, and it all tastes amazing!

Their drinks were also a hit. If you’re worried about the vegan options, I promise that you won’t leave feeling like you sacrificed your taste buds for the planet.

There’s a point in the semester where the library magic stops working for me.

It’s either too quiet, too full, or just no longer the place that I want to study at.

If you can relate to this sentiment and you’re looking for a place where you can experience an enjoyable stay, I’ve got you!

What really makes Studio.89 stand out is its intentions behind. It’s not just a café—it’s a place closely tied with community work, youth programs and more. Its caring and homey atmosphere speaks for itself. It’s not one of those in-your-face, “save the earth” kind of cafés. No one’s lecturing you about sustainability. Rather, there’s an underlying sense that, beyond selling coffee, this place exists for good causes.

Located near Hurontario and Dundas, part of Halo Espresso Bar’s appeal lies in its location. It provides a refreshing environment off-campus without being far away from UTM. The lively rhythm in Halo Espresso Bar is sure to greet its visitors with good energy. It is busy, but not in an overbearing way.

Upon reflection, that’s probably why I keep going back. Not because Studio.89 was trendy or convenient, but because it felt intentional. Like a place you could stay at without feeling rushed or out of place.

Tea One Bakery & Café: Where you can just shake it off and destress Maaz Ahtesham Tea One Bakery & Café is a small, quaint shop nestled in a corner of Rathburn Square—a plaza located on Rathburn Road West. It was first introduced to me through a couple of friends I met in the University of Toronto Mississauga’s (UTM) Harmonix Music Club (HMC).

Tea One’s location is the major reason that I visit it more than almost any other restaurant off-campus—it sits directly across the HMC’s favourite guitar shop. But other than that, I would never turn down an invite to Tea One for their food and atmosphere.

The first time I visited, I didn’t plan to stay long. I ordered coffee, a pecan square and found a seat. Before I knew it, I had stayed for hours. The pecan square was soft, sweet, and fresh. And it became one of those things that I think of every time my sweet tooth acts up.

Of course, their coffee holds up too. Their drinks are not overly sweet, and it doesn’t taste like they’re made in a rush. Each sip reveals the time and care put into crafting your drink. Even a basic drink, like a latte, feels balanced.

But what makes Halo Espresso Bar my go-to spot is its convenience and comfort. There’s Wi-Fi, outlets, and plenty of seating, so you don’t have to worry about finding a good spot. It is also one of those places where you can settle down without feeling like you are rushed to pack up within an hour.

As a student, what I prioritize most in a café is whether it can offer a relaxing and calming environment for me to work or take a break from campus. In Mississauga, those kinds of places are hard to find, but this is one of the few spots that gets it right.

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ARTS

Editor | Yusuf Larizza-Ali arts@themedium.ca

LGBTQ Representation in Mainstream Media

“Heartstopper” & Its Impact On Modern Western Media

Emma Catarino Associate Editor

Aimen Minhas Contributor

With the success of shows like Heated Rivalry, is Hollywood becoming more accepting of queer representation in media, or is it all performative?

A discussion of the Netflix series Heartstopper and how it is revolutionary as a form of queer entertainment.

ver the last few decades, though particularly since the early 2010’s, queer O characters have become more common in mainstream media. From Carol in Friends to the latest pop culture sensation Heated Rivalry, LGBTQ representation has come a long way.

Queer characters in media are historically watered down, with personalities that only revolve around their sexuality but nothing deeper. They are often relegated to being side characters (the “gay best friend” is a popular trope), but never the main character themselves, unless their story revolved around their identity. This has been a source of discourse from the LGBTQ community, as there is a need for more queer characters who are fully fleshed out, with the same desires and ambitions as their cis-hetero counterparts.

Heated Rivalry took the internet by storm, and has been impossible to avoid in recent months. The show is about the spicy, slow-burn love story between rival hockey players Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander. The show also follows Scott and Kip, another gay couple whose simpler, out-in-the-open romance acts as a foil for the main couple. This show has been praised for many reasons, from how accurate it is to the original novels of the same name, to the insane chemistry between the actors/characters. It has also been a huge win for the queer community as the main romances are happy, long-lasting, and just as intense as straight romances tend to be. Many hope that the success of Heated Rivalry will pave the way for more LGBTQ media romances in the future.

While LGBTQ representation has come so far in recent years major limitations remain. Many large corporations remain homophobic, which has a huge effect on LGBTQ media being brought to air, as well as it being properly marketed/ distributed. For example, Disney has faced backlash for its mixed messages regarding LGBTQ acceptance. On one hand, many praise Disney for being LGBTQ friendly, while others admonish it for how it handled Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill back in 2022. A TV show named The Owl House, created by Dana Terrace, is a Disney original that was cancelled after just two seasons back in 2023, despite being wildly successful. The show contains many characters that are brilliant queer representation, including a non-binary person, several gay couples, and the main character, Luz, is bisexual with a gender fluid identity.

Terrace announced that the cancellation was due to the show “not fitting the Disney brand”, which has led a lot of fans to speculate that the real issue Disney had was with the show’s representation.

Another example is the Netflix original, She-Ra and Princesses of Power, a remake of the classic 80’s cartoon created by ND Stevenson, a non-binary person. This show was praised by the LGBTQ community for its diverse representation, as it positively portrayed almost every type of sexuality and gender identity. Lots of people in the community grew up watching this show, and it made them feel seen. Recently, She-Ra has been taken off of Netflix, much to the dismay of the community, especially as it is now considered “lost media” that can only be found on illegal websites. Many believe that the decision to remove the show from Netflix was, at least partially, driven by homophobia.

Illustrated by Sehaj Wander

eartstopper has come to be H an influential piece of modern queer media since its premiere

in 2022. The Netflix series based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novels, follows Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring, two British teenagers, as their friendship gradually develops into a romantic relationship. What at first seemed to be a straightforward coming-of-age story has rapidly grown into something much more significant: a turning point that changed the way queer relationships are portrayed in Western mainstream media. As the series approaches its end in 2026 with the final film, Heartstopper Forever (2026), the conclusion of the story provides an opportunity to reflect on the impact the series has had on queer audiences and the overall Western media landscape.

You may have noticed in previous queer media how they focused heavily on suffering—painful pieces with most often a tragic ending. When reflecting on this, we might see how much emphasis was placed on suffering; painful works that typically have tragic conclusions. In the past, stories of tragedy, secrecy, conflict, and violence were frequently used to depict queer characters in television and movies. Heartstopper’s most significant contribution is the way it showcases slice-of-life queer relationships. Although those experiences are real and essential to depict, they created a narrow narrative framework that often associated queer lives to tragedy. By telling a story that is incredibly kind and emotionally uplifting, Heartstopper has defied that pattern.

For many viewers, particularly young queer audiences, seeing a relationship like this on screen can be validating in ways that previous media rarely allowed. Nick and Charlie’s relationship is not sunshine and rainbows, but it’s not a painful experience either. The conflict in season one arises through the fear of being known, a fear commonly shared by many queer people. It does not divulge into a tragic thought piece, but instead resolves in an optimistic manner, giving hope to queer youth. After years of sad depictions of queer couples, Nick and Charlie’s relationship is a breath of fresh air; a relationship not one built on scandal or trauma but on kindness and growth.

While Nick and Charlie’s romance sits at the center of the story, Heartstopper also highlights a larger group of friends grappling with their own identities. Characters such as Elle, Tao, Tara, and Darcy represent

Illustration by April Roy a wide range of queer experiences, including trans identity and different expressions of sexuality. They are not simply supporting characters but fully realized people whose friendships support them throughout the show. The lack of representation in these identities before Heartstopper is clear, making these characters all the more crucial to the impact Heartstopper has had.

The friend group turns into a sort of chosen family, showing the audience that queer people’s relationships can foster safe and welcoming environments. In the past, it was often seen that queer characters were portrayed as shunned from those who they loved, playing into the tragic narrative. Heartstopper’s story exemplifies a more positive portrayal of queer adolescence, one in which friendship, belonging and personal development coexist with identity exploration.

If you watch the show, you can see the soft pastel color palette and whimsical visual motifs, such as animated leaves and sparks that appear around characters. These visual and stylistic choices of the series have also greatly contributed to its cultural influence. The simple touches emphasize the emotional tone of the series, creating an atmosphere that feels warm and comforting. The aesthetic went on to greatly influence online fan culture.

Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Tumblr quickly filled with fan edits, artworks and other fan works inspired by the show’s visual language. It became a fun DIY project to create and hang up the iconic pastel leaves in your own room. The show brought together younger audiences who, for the first time, had gentle and affirming queer media to engage with alongside a community of their own.

The ending of the show coming later this year will reflect the core theme Illustrated byGrowth.

Sehaj Wander of Heartstopper: As the characters move toward adulthood, the story naturally expands beyond

the boundaries of high school. The challenges Nick and Charlie face in the final chapter are no longer about whether their relationship is valid, but about how it can survive the realities of growing up and moving forward in life. An emotional conflict that can resonate with people of all ages and identities.

The ending of Heartstopper is bound to be bittersweet for fans. Many viewers, particularly younger audiences who hardly come across such compassionate and affirming queer sto-

ries in mainstream media, can feel seen and understood as a result of the series. Nevertheless, long after the final movie is released, its cultural impact is going to last. A significant change in queer representation is represented by Heartstopper, which proves that meaningful stories about queer people don’t always have to center on tragedy. Instead, they can emphasize friendship, love, and the everyday process of discovering one’s identity, leaving a long-lasting effect on the future of Western queer media.

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poetry corner

Everything We Know is Love

Jada D’Sa Contributor Through art, through dance In text messages and songs Formed and engaged Together with love In parents’ basements where we laugh In the hands of close friendships Questions asked and answered Through unwavering love Whispers and code words Subtly inducing comfort An invisible web of knowing Kept out of love Love that takes unique form That manifests through expression And binds us to each other Close to our hearts, close to our minds Because everything we know is love.

Photo Credits: Noah Gremmert

Is it manipulative or is it just “not masculine” Diana Varzideh Associate Arts Editor The overlaps between performative male music and queer artists, and its roots in homophobia

N

ow that the “performative male epidemic” has blown over, it’s time to unpack the real issue—and it wasn’t the wired headphones.

The artists typically associated with the art of being a performative male were singers such as Beabadoobee, Clairo, Phoebe Bridgers, and Laufey. There were other artists mentioned in the trend, but a common pattern was they were typically female singers, and, in the case of Clairo, Bridgers, and Beabadoobee at least, openly queer. This raises the question: was it ever really about the “performative” male? The original intent of the trend was to point out the issues with men who pretend to enjoy typically “feminine” hobbies or interests in an attempt to woo women, or appear more attractive. Except, not only were the musicians associated with them usually queer women, but the other hobbies implicated in the performance were reading feminine literature, dressing nicely, and…being in touch with their emotions?

If this is starting to sound familiar, that may be because it echoes the sentiments used over and over again in the media to stereotype queer men as being innately feminine, and showing that in a negative light. The problem is, this harms everyone involved. Queer men who are more feminine presenting are treated as less than, queer men who are more masculine presenting are treated as less queer, and women are painted as fundamentally inferior because no one wants to be associated with being feminine. Another group harmed by these sentiments is straight men who genuinely enjoy anything feminine, because they will get lumped into these harmful stereotypes and accused of faking any interest in things that aren’t traditionally associated with being masculine.

The “faking” of interest was the main idea behind the complaints of performative males. It is undeniable that there were, and still are, people who feign interest in something to gain the attention of others, but is it productive to make it a battle of the sexes or sexuality? It’s hard to figure out the genuinity of someone’s personality, even if they intend to cause harm. The fear of performative males comes from the history of the male manipulator who pretends to be caring while still being a terrible person. But a manipulator can’t be identified solely from how they dress or the music they listen to. If they are discovered, then maybe we should avoid the euphemisms and call them out for this bad action plainly.

Illustrated by Sehaj Wander Another set of targets for the trend was the queer artists involved. Their fans, queer or not, found themselves wondering if their interest in these artists was real. In her article for Medium [another publication that shares our name], contributor ‘f dawn’ explains questioning her long established love for Beabadoobee during the height of the trend: “if they [performative males] perform their appreciation, then what does it mean that [I] love what they also perform? [D]oes that, by extension, make me performative too?” These artists, many of whom had previously struggled with being open about their sexuality in the spotlight, and who had spent years establishing a safe space for fans, were now being flattened into criteria for identifying a manipulator.

The purpose of this piece isn’t to chastise those who took part in the trend, but to remind us that the underlying themes shouldn’t be overlooked. Eventually, the urge to categorize and separate everyone into carefully curated boxes will hurt anyone who dares to leave the box.

12 SPORTS & HEALTH

Editor | Tyler Medeiros sports@themedium.ca

All About the UTM Sports Learning Club (UTMSC) AbdulBasit Alvi Contributor

Gym sessions will provide the opportunity to physically participate in certain sports. Members of the UTMSLC will be put into casual, low-pressure games where the focus will be to learn, improve, and have fun, rather than battle in a highly competitive environment. This will ensure that students feel comfortable and welcome no matter their skill level, athletic background, or experience with sports.

No Experience? No worries, UTMSC is here to help! he University of Toronto Mississauga Sports T Learning Club (UTMSLC) is a place for students who feel left behind when they think of sports. It’s for

students who feel they cannot participate in sports on campus due to their peers having years of experience over them. Some may feel that it is “too late” for them to get into sports. The UTMSLC is here to tell them that it is never too late. No matter if you have the experience we mentioned, have none at all, or just want to learn about sports, UTMSLC is the place for you.

Our goal at UTMSLC is to bring a wide variety of sports that students may not have been introduced to beforehand to them. This will be done through classroom sessions and gym sessions that will be held separately. The goal is to boost confidence, improve skills, and build an engaged community. Many sports clubs focus on competition, while our main goal is to teach, encourage participation, and create an environment where everyone can learn and feel welcome without uncertainty about whether they are good enough.We will encourage all our members to step out of their comfort zones to try and learn new sports without the pressure of having tons of experience or being highly skilled.

Throughout the year, UTMSLC will organize in-class sessions and gym sessions depending on the sport.

Sports will include fencing, basketball, rock climbing, tennis, and a lot more! In-class sessions will have experts in the sport come in and teach us all about the sport and show us some interesting facts. This will in-

The sports that we will pick will be through a vote system when students will apply to be members. At the bottom of our form for the applications, we ask members to tell us which sport they are most interested in participating in or learning about. From these votes, we will pick the most requested sports and will announce them weekly through our Instagram (@ utm_slc), Discord server, and email.

UTMSLC is not just about physical activity, but about physical literacy as well. Physical literacy emphasizes the necessity of developing the confidence, skills, and motivation that are required to participate in physical activity throughout our lives. Studies show that when people are given opportunities to learn movement skills in enjoyable environments, they are more likely to stay active and have positive physical, mental, and social health outcomes.

Photo Credits: UTM Sports Learning Club, @utm_slc clude experts teaching club members about the rules, basic techniques, strategies, or even the cultural and competitive background of the sport. This will allow everyone to build knowledge on sports they may be interested in and get any questions they may have answered.

Officially being a UTM-approved club, we are committed to promoting inclusivity, learning about many sports, and building a community through sport.

For inquiries on our events, such as the in-class sessions and gym sessions, make sure to follow our Instagram page (@utm_slc), join our Discord server, and sign up to be a member through the form in the Instagram bio.

A New Chapter for Women’s Tri-Campus Basketball Kaitlin Parsons Contributor Not the season the Eagles were hoping for but signs of improvement on display he 2025–2026 season marked a fresh start for the Women’s Tri-Campus T Basketball team, entering the year with a new roster and only four returning players. With so many new faces, the Eagles were faced with the challenge of rebuilding team chemistry and on-court dynamics that basketball relies on.

New team, new identity With such a significant roster shift, the team were forced to build. from the ground up. The coaching staff and former players were tasked to learn how each player moves and contributes on the court. Every player brought their own strengths and opportunities for growth, making early chemistry and unity essential.

Returning players and captains Molly Bowman and Kaitlin Parsons played a crucial role in guiding the team through this transition. They helped set the tone, ease the nerves of rookies, and establish a supportive and focused environment on and off the court.

Early challenges and a promising start Throughout the season, the Eagles recorded one win and eight losses, totalling to a bleak 11 percent win rate. The team faced challenges particularly on the offensive end, including shot conversion and communication. However, their opening game told a different story.

The team secured a strong win against University of Toronto St. George (UTSG) Blue, giving them an early boost of confidence and a positive mindset for the upcoming games. It was a glimpse of what the team was capable of when everything fell into place.

Photo Credits: UTM Recreation, Athletics & Wellness, Flickr genuine relationships began to form, strengthening the team beyond the confines of the court.

Head Coach Howard Nanes played a key role in keeping the team motivated and focused. As he reminded the players, “Wins will come, but only if you commit to the process first and trust each other and the work, and the results will follow.”

This motivational pep talk provided the Eagles an opportunity to reset and approach the second semester with renewed determination.

Looking ahead

Growth beyond the scoreboard

The Eagles’ season came to an end in the semi-finals with a tough loss to UTSG Blue. While the result was not what they had hoped for, it does not take away from the growth and resilience the team showed throughout the year.

Looking ahead, the future of the program is bright. Newcomers Martina Yotingco and Chelsea Baird emerged as rising stars, showcasing confidence, resilience, and a strong passion for the game. With a stronger foundation, improved chemistry, and emerging talent, the Eagles are already building toward a stronger future.

Despite the losses, the team’s development went far beyond numbers on a scoreboard. With each game, the team’s overall chemistry improved and

If you are interested in supporting your Eagles return to form, stay tuned for updates on the team’s schedule for the 2026/2027 season.

As the season progressed, competition across the tri-campus league intensified. While other teams began to find their rhythm, the Eagles struggled to maintain consistency, ultimately leading to a series of poor results and performances.