The Queen's Journal, Volume 154, Issue 2

THE JOURNAL Q u een’s U n i v e rs i ty

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Vol . 1 5 4 , Issue 2

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M on day, J un e 29, 2026

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Kingston Pride 2026: ‘We are resilience and liberation in action’ Thousands celebrate Kingston’s 37th annual Pride Parade Chloe Nunes Senior Arts & Culture Editor Thousands of people united downtown to celebrate Kingston’s 37th annual Pride Parade.

At 12:00 p.m. on June 13, the parade departed from the Memorial Centre and began their march to Confederation Basin in front of City Hall. Those who marched alongside Kingston Pride included community organizations like ReelOut Film Festival, the Frontenac Paramedics, and Kingston Roller Derby. As the parade marched down Princess St., pride flags soared through streets, smiles lit up from sidewalks, and loud cheers signaled the start of a proud day for Kingston.

Queen’s parade participants included the Gender and Sexualities Alliance (GSA), who carried their Faculty of Education banner, and Queen’s University Association

Finding queer community at Queen’s, then and now

Alumni and students reflect on how belonging has changed across generations Emmet Paradis Senior News Editor

To better understand queer life at Queen’s across generations, The Journal spoke with current and former students about their experiences finding community on campus.

Then

When Stacy Kelly, president of Queen’s University Association for Queer Employees (QUAQE), first started looking for queer community at Queen’s, visibility carried a different kind of risk.

Kelly, ArtSci ’96 sat down with The Journal to speak about his

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for Queer Employees (QUAQE), a group who holds a historic legacy at Kingston Pride by marching with the same hand stitched banner that won “Best Banner” 20 years ago when QUAQE marched in the Kingston Pride Parade for the first time. “[Marching in the parade] really makes you reflect on all the work our predecessors did to create spaces for us, to carry the same banner that their hands carried down the same street, 20 years ago.” QUAQE wrote in a statement to The Journal. Kingston Trolley Tours drove down the road with a trolley decked out in Pride flags, with Kingston Transit’s Pride bus trailing behind as “Happy Pride” flashed on its destination display After the Pride parade, speeches were delivered by Josie Vallier, the parade marshal, and Bee Dupuis, the chair of Kingston Pride to thank supporters, organizers, and volunteers, and to speak on this year’s theme, “Resilience and Liberation in Action.”

“Whether this is your thirtyseventh Kingston Pride festival, your first parade, or anything in between, let me say something very clearly: you belong here. You belong in this community. You belong in this city. And you belong

experiences.

As co-founder of QUAQE, Kelly said the queer community existed during his time at Queen’s, but wasn’t always easy to find.

He remembers being scared to enter queer spaces on campus, including one formerly located in the Yellow House Centre for Student Equity and Inclusion on what’s now Bader Lane. “It was a very special magical place once I got the courage,” Kelly said.

Years later, Kelly said the visibility of the queer community at Queen’s and in Kingston has changed significantly. At this year’s Kingston Pride march, he walked with QUAQE and noticed Queen’s groups around him, such as the AMS. For Kelly, marching in Kingston has always carried particular significance because of the city’s size.

Unlike larger cities, where people may feel more anonymous, he said being visibly queer in Kingston can mean being seen by colleagues, neighbours, and community members.

“It was brave for people to be like, you can now find me if you need to,” he said.

Indigo Bunting, ArtSci ’13 and member of QUAQE, said in an interview with The Journal that their queer experience as a student differed from their experience as a staff member.

Bunting said they identified as bisexual while studying at Queen’s

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Situated on the

traditional lands of

the Anishinaabe and

Haudenosaunee peoples.

Since 1873

Decision to exclude elected officials from Pride march prompts debate Kingston Pride keeps march non-political for a second year.

Kingston Pride’s float leads the parade with TransFamily Kingston close behind.

— and are loved — exactly as you are. You make us possible — and we are resilience and liberation in action,” Vallier stated in her speech.

Vallier was nominated by the community to serve as the parade marshal for her work with TransFamily Kingston, a community organization for gender diverse people and their loved ones.

“It is one of the biggest honours of my life. To be able to represent our community as chosen by the community to lead us in our march means the world to me,” Vallier shared in an interview with The Journal.

For Vallier, “resilience and

but didn’t become deeply involved in the queer community at the time.

“I don’t know if I didn’t know where to find it, or if it wasn’t obvious and clear,” they said.

Bunting said the Yellow House didn’t exist when they were a student, and they didn’t know of a consistent physical hub for queer students. Today, they see the Yellow House as an important gathering space.

As a staff member, Bunting said they feel safer and more confident being queer at Queen’s. They came out as non-binary in 2021 while working at the University , adopting a new name and pronouns.

“It was generally, overall, a very supportive process,” Bunting said.

“I felt safe to do that.”

Still, Bunting believes we have more work to do. “With Queen’s being such a historical institution, one of the big things that we can do to change is always question the ‘we’ve always done it that way’ mentality,” they said.

Now

Comm ’27 student Haydon Barta said Queen’s reputation impacted his expectations before arriving.

“Queen’s has historically had a reputation of being an institution predominantly populated with straight white males,” Barta said in a statement to The Journal. “As

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PHOTO BY CHLOE NUNES

liberation in action” is a reminder that Pride wasn’t always a celebration.

“Pride started as a protest. It was one brick and we have come from there. We haven’t stopped being a protest and people tend to forget that. They see the party, they see the celebration, and they see the dancing. They forget that we couldn’t do this 15, 20, 30 years ago. The very fact that we are doing it is a protest,” Vallier explained.

See Pride on page 12

a commerce student, that reputation was intensified, so it definitely affected my expectations as a queer student.”

Barta said that, from a safety perspective, the reputation only shaped his perception “in a minor way,” adding he felt undergraduate students can choose who they surround themselves with.

His experience at Queen’s has been “pretty spot on” compared to what he expected. He said queer life at Queen’s is present, but not always immediately obvious.

“It’s there if you look for it, otherwise it’s really not that noticeable, whether that’s moving towards normalcy or not, I’m not too sure,” Barta said.

He pointed to the Yellow House and Q+, a club under the Commerce Society geared towards community and allyship for queer students, as examples of visible queer spaces and organizations on campus. While he hasn’t used the Yellow House personally, he said knowing it exists still matters.

In an interview with The Journal, Adelaide Somoza, ArtSci ’28, said she entered Queen’s with neutral expectations about queer life on campus. Coming from a small town, Somoza said Queen’s and Kingston have felt more open-minded.

Somoza said queer spaces are visible, but she hasn’t felt the need to rely on formal queer supports

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Kavina Sathiyanarayana Assistant News Editor No elected officials walked in Kingston’s Pride parade on June 13, following a decision by the Kingston Pride board to keep the event non-political.

Kingston and the Islands MP Mark Gerretsen commented on the decision in a social media post. Gerretsen said he was disappointed that elected officials were not included in an official capacity this year.

While he respects the decision, he clarified the distinction between a political party and an elected official. “A party speaks for itself. An MP or any elected official represents everyone in the community. My intention was to only walk in that role,” he said in the post.

“I felt a responsibility to share this publicly, as many people would wonder why I wasn’t participating in the parade in an official capacity. It was important to me to be transparent about that, while also being clear in my continued support for Pride and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Kingston,” Gerretsen said in a statement to The Journal.

In a statement shared with The Journal, Bee Dupuis, chair of Kingston Pride, clarified that this decision reflects community feedback. While elected officials were not allowed to “register to walk” in the parade, they emphasized that all were welcome to join as community members.

See Elected Officials on page 3

because she’s found community through friends. She said Kingston lacks some more specific queer spaces such as lesbian-focused events, but she credited students with helping create community.

“It’s there and it’s meaningful, but it is limited,” she said. “You won’t find things like you’d find in Toronto.”

For Kelly, the changes he sees now are part of a longer history of queer people at Queen’s and in Kingston building community for one another.

He said Queen’s is a flawed institution, but one that has been “trying to do better.” @thequeensjournal

NEWS

2 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

NEWS

MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2026

Queen’s celebrates National Indigenous History Month with a focus on learning

June highlights the role universities play in both celebrating and teaching Indigenous histories

Indigenous Peoples Day on June such as The Aunties Dandelion, in Iqaluit with family roots in a n d a c k n o w l e d g e t h e i m 21, coinciding with the summer hosted by Kahstoserakwathe Kinngait, Nunavut, Parsons comes pacts of colonization. But we solstice, which holds cultural and Paulette Moore, a Mohawk wom- from a lineage connected to Inuit must also show up and take a spiritual significance for many an whose conversations draw on whaling and traditional ways of stand to show that we are here,” Indigenous communities.

Haudenosaunee ways of knowing. life.

Parsons said.

Queen’s, situated on the Programming throughout the In a statement to The Journal, Jacqueline Davies, an adtraditional territories of the month included events like the Parsons said she felt a deep con- junct associate professor of phiAnishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Community Fire for Peace and nection to her middle name, Miali, losophy and gender studies at peoples, marks the month through the Good Mind on June 24, which inspired by Inuk artist Mialia Queen’s, said in a statement to The events and initiatives that cele- aimed to bring community mem- Jaw. She said the name serves as Journal that it is important to unbrate Indigenous cultures. bers together to learn from one a constant reminder of the im- derstand the impact of European In a statement to The Journal, another in a shared space. portance of community and and Canadian settlement on Lola Hustins the Queen’s Office of Indigenous The OII, in partnership with storytelling.

Indigenous peoples and the land.

Assistant News Editor Initiatives (OII) explained they Queen’s Thrive 365, also held Parsons said she aspires to She said she makes it a perprovided learning opportunities Raccooning Walk Talks on June 18 pursue a career in “Aboriginal sonal goal to challenge her At Queen’s University, National throughout the month, aimed at and 23. The walks were designed l aw,” a n d re c o g n i z e d t h a t assumptions derived from Indigenous History Month is being helping students and community to encourage participants to en- Queen’s has made efforts to incor- Western academic traditions and marked by encouraging students members expand their knowl- gage with the natural environment porate Indigenous perspectives encourages her students to conand community members to en- edge of Indigenous histories and and deepen their relationships into class discussions. tinue learning about Indigenous gage with Indigenous knowledge cultures. with the land.

She added that the University traditions and philosophy. and its role in present-day society.

On June 22, the OII’s Instagram Both events began at Tsi has room to improve Indigenous “I encourage my students to According to the Government account posted a list of reading Yakwanahstahsontéhrha, also representation and strengthen re- commit to lifelong learning, reof Canada, June serves as a time to and podcast recommendations, known as Queen’s Outdoor lationships with local Indigenous spect, and relationship-building recognize and reflect on the histo- highlighting works by Indigenous Indigenous Gathering Space, a communities and the lands on as fellow ‘lovers of wisdom.’ ries, cultures, traditions, and con- authors including Anishinaabe curved structure near the south which it is situated.

Indigenous History Month is antributions of First Nations, Inuit, writers Waubgeshig Rice and end of Tindell Field.

“This month provides us an other opportunity for this; it’s also and Métis peoples in Canada. The Mazina Giizhik.

Nicole Parsons, ArtSci ’29, is opportunity to learn about something we can and should do month also celebrates National The post also featured podcasts an Inuk student at Queen’s. Born I n d i g e n o u s a c h i eve m e n t s year-round,” Davies said.

Faculty association pushes compensation, workload reforms in bargaining Negotiations set to continue into July as current agreement nears expiry

Kingston sees steady rent growth as Ontario markets cool The city saw one-bedroom Reports suggest units settle at a median of $1,920 and two-bedroom units at $2,410, Kingston continues demonstrating an average monthly increase of 1.6 per cent and an to foster one of 11 per cent year-over-year inCanada’s most crease for one-bedroom units.

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY KAREN RUDIE Karen Rudie, president of QUFA. According to the Zumper recompetitive port, Kingston, Québec City, and set bargaining dates to con- G r o u p , w h i c h r e v i e w e d rental markets Montréal led the country in rent tinue into July,” Rudie said. the University’s merit system. growth, with Kingston posting the

“If bargaining is proceeding well, I don’t think either side tends to strike over a minor word choice.”

According to QUFA Bargaining Alert #1, released May 12, the parties began negotiations on May 4 and had completed four Emmet Paradis days of bargaining by that point.

Senior News Editor Members approved the association’s Collective Bargaining The Queen’s University Faculty Mandate and Principles 2026 on Association (QUFA) has entered April 13 following consultations, a new round of collective surveys, and town halls held earbargaining with Queen’s, out- lier this year. lining priorities including Q U FA s t a te d t h a t fairness in the workplace, i t s i n i t i a l p r o p o s a l s workload, job and employment a d d r e s s e d i s s u e s i n c l u d stability, information technology i n g d i s c r i m i n a t i o n a n d and privacy, and merit reform. accommodation, grievance Q U FA P r e s i d e n t K a r e n procedures, discipline, emRudie, professor of electri- ployment equity, and working cal and computer engineering, conditions. said bargaining is the process Workload is one of the key where QUFA and the University concerns in bargaining. negotiate changes to their col“With the austerity polective agreement. s i t i o n t h e U n ive r s i t y h a s The bargaining process had, people are [dealing with] c o m e s a h e a d o f t h e ex p i - class sizes increasing, fewer ry of the Current Collective resources, fewer teaching asAgreement on June 30, following sistant hours, fewer staff a one-year renewal. people in a department,” Rudie In an interview with The said. “All of that leads to increased Journal, Rudie said that if workload for faculty members.” an agreement isn’t reached Ru d i e s a i d t h o s e wo rkby June 30, the parties can ing conditions also affect agree to continue under the students. “It’s overwork for us, current collective agreement but it’s also not good for you.” while bargaining proceeds.

Merit compensation is also S h e s a i d a s t r i k e expected to be a topic during or lockout would require addi- negotiations. tional steps, and would involve I n M a y, Q U FA m e m faculty members withholding b e r s v o t e d 6 0 p e r c e n t their labour. in favour of recommenda“At the moment, the University tions developed by the LOA#6 and our bargaining team have Joint Compensation Working

According to the rent rehighest year-over-year increase at port , members expressed Lola Hustins 11 per cent, ahead of Montréal at concerns that the current Assistant News Editor 7.6 per cent and Québec City at process was cumbersome, 5.7 per cent. unpredictable, and demotivating. Kingston is being deemed Zumper’s report attributes Ru d i e s a i d t h e c u r re n t Ontario’s “outlier” with increas- Kingston’s resilience in part to m e r i t s y s t e m c a n c r e a t e ing rent growth amid declines its geographic insulation from the equity concerns because merit in other municipal markets, “immigration decline that is weighincreases are added to base according to a Canadian Rent ing on overall Ontario and B.C.” salary. This means an increase Report.

S​​ tatistics Canada r​ eported that earned early in a career affects The report, posted by the Canada’s population declined by every future year of pay, since later rental marketplace platform 0.1 per cent in the first quarter of cost-of-living increases are cal- Zumper, showed that while rents 2026, reflecting, in part, a result culated from that higher salary. declined across nine of Ontario's of lower levels of immigration. A R u d i e a d d e d t h e c u r - largest rental markets, Kingston 2026 CTV News article also noted rent system can also make has continued to climb the ranks. that Ontario “saw fewer permamerit dependent on the per- It’s now the sixth most expensive nent immigrants move there than formance of other faculty rental market in Canada as of May the number of temporary foreign members within a depart- 2026, up from seventh in 2025. workers and students leaving,” unm e n t . S h e s a i d i f s eve ra l Additionally, the city is seeing derscoring the demographic shifts faculty members produce increased renter engagement, ris- affecting rental demand across major work in the same year, ing eight positions to rank third the province. individual achievements may ap- nationally in the first quarter pear less impressive. of 2026, according to a Canada Continued online at T h e Q U FA B a r g a i n i n g Renter Interest Report published www.queensjournal.ca Alert #2, released May 26, by the property management platsaid parties had completed form, RentCafe. s i x d ay s o f n e g o t i a t i o n s .

RentCafe’s report also ranked QUFA Chief Negotiator and Kingston third among the 25 CORRECTIONS Professor in the Faculty of largest Canadian cities attract— A r t s a n d S c i e n c e , J o rd a n ing the most attention to their Queen’s approves 2026-27 budget, Morelli, described discussions rental markets with rankings projects $8.5 million deficit as “collegial and collaborative.” based on indicators such as A previous version of this story incorrectly The update states that QUFA available listings, listing views, reported that Queen’s operating budget was and Queens have exchanged favourited apartments, and saved projected to finish the year in a surplus. most initial proposals on non- personalized searches made monetary issues. QUFA said its through their website.

Additionally, a previous version incorproposals have been organized Demand for rental spaces in rectly reported that the Faculty of Arts into five broad categories: fairness Kingston continues to be sup- and Science was projecting an $8.5 million in the workplace, workload, job ported by steady enrolment at deficit. In fact, Queen’s overall operating stability, information technology Queen’s, stable public-sector budget is projecting an $8.5 million deficit. and privacy, and compensation. jobs, and relative affordability — Rudie said QUFA is mindful compared to larger centres such Incorrect information appeared in the May of the University’s financial con- as Ottawa and Toronto, according 25 issue of The Queen’s Journal. The Journal straints during bargaining. to RentCafe’s report. regrets the errors.

MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2026

NEWS

How QUAQE became a home for queer employees at Queen’s

Employee resource group began as a social network before being formally recognized

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 3

Elected officials ...continued from front page

“ T h e B o a rd o f K i n g s t o n Pride is disappointed this situation has developed into a false narrative that insinuates we banned any politicians or elected officials from participating in Kingston Pride events. We want to make one thing extremely clear: No one is Emmet Paradis ever banned from Kingston Pride,” Senior News Editor they said.

This is the second year elected The Queen’s University officials have not been included.

Association for Queer Employees “Last year, we laid out the same (QUAQE) began as a social netconditions, and several elected work for Queer employees in officials joined us in an unofficial 2005. capacity with no issues,” Dupuis The group was originally said. created to serve as a profes“The community has expressed PHOTO SUPPLIED BY QUAQE to us that they do not want elects i o n a l s o c i a l n e t wo r k fo r Members carried their original Pride banner at this year’s march.

Queer faculty and staff before After those conversations, or- more advocacy work. The group people on your team,” they said. ed officials registered in the employee resource groups ganisers applied for formal has a seat on the Principal’s Action That emphasis on connec- parade or community fair, as they were formally supported by the employee resource group rec- Group for Gender and Sexual tion has stayed central to the wish to see their advocacy beyond University, according to QUAQE ognition and funding from the Diversity (PAGGAS), which gives organization. the month of Pride in this difficult organizing committee member University. the group a direct line to raise Although he is no longer political climate,” Dupuis said.

Indigo Bunting.

QUAQE became a formally rec- concerns affecting Queer staff involved in QUAQE’s day-toSpeaking to The Journal, I n i n te r v i e w s w i t h T h e ognized employee resource group and faculty. day leadership, Kelly said see- Sydenham District Councillor Journal, Bunting explained the in 2020.

“Having a representative on ing QUAQE continue today Conny Glenn, whose ward encomgroup held social events in its Since then, Bunting said PAGGAS has been really great is meaningful because the passes Queen’s main campus, said early years and created an email they have focused on build- for us to be able to advocate group served an important she understood the decision. list and website, both of which ing community among Queer for issues that we’re seeing with purpose when it was founded. “ U n f o r t u n a t e l y, w h e n continue to connect mem- employees, especially during staff around gender and sexual “They’re carrying the baton, or something like this gets pobers today. Stacy Kelly, co- the COVID-19 pandemic, when diversity,” Bunting said. torch, in a great way,” he said. liticized, it takes away from th f o u n d e r o f Q U A Q E , s a i d the group’s early programming O n e i s s u e Q UAQ E p re Q UAQ E’ s u pcoming pro - e primary message,” Glenn said. the group was created in a differ- took place virtually. viously advocated for was gramming includes Queer While she hopes politicians will ent campus climate, when being The group continues to hold Queen’s name-change process. and Ally Song Circle: Singing be included again, she emphasized publicly visible as a Queer em- regular social events, includ- Bunting said employees who for Connection and Wellbeing, a this was “a decision that the comployee could feel more difficult. ing monthly happy hours and changed their names could Thrive 365 program open to stu- munity makes together.”

According to Bunting, the in-person gatherings. Bunting still be required to log in using dents and employees.

“I really think it's important original group became less said QUAQE has also publishes NetIDs based on their initials tied “ Q u e e r v o i c e c a n b e s i - that we continue to have these active after some of its main a monthly newsletter high- to their previous name. lenced so often, either by our- conversations and that we conorganizers left Queen’s or moved lighting both its own events “That can be traumatizing,” selves or by others,” Bunting tinue to move the needle forward,” on from the institution. By the and broader Queer community Bunting said. said. “Having a space where you Glenn said. “Oftentimes, I think, time Bunting returned to Queen’s programming.

QUAQE advocated for changes can come and bring your voice in we believe that things have as a staff member in 2017, QUAQE QUAQE’s mandate includes to the process, and NetIDs are a safe way […] is a really impor- been fixed or taken care of when had gone dormant. faculty, staff, and students who now assigned as random combi- tant piece.” they haven't.”

However, in 2019, Bunting be- have an employment relation- nations of letters and numbers.

Looking ahead, Bunting said In a statement to The Journal, gan working to restart the group. ship with Queen’s. The group’s Beyond policy issues, one of the they hope to continue build- Kingston and the Islands MPP Ted “I thought, I’d really like to get Microsoft Teams space is for main reasons people join QUAQE ing community while exploring Hsu said he did not march in his a Queer employee resource group Queer employees, while its email is the sense of connection it mentorship, intersectional pro- official capacity this year. up and running,” they said. list is open more broadly, includ- provides across a large and some- gramming with other employee “I do think it’s important, esBunting reached out to the ing allies. times siloed institution, according resource groups, and more events pecially at this time, for elected Human Rights and Equity Office W h i l e t h e g ro u p b e g a n to Bunting. open to allies. officials to stand with those and helped organize lunchtime with a social focus, Bunting “Sometimes you can only work facing threats to their right to events for employees inter- s a i d f o r m a l r e c o g n i t i o n within your own team, and there live and love authentically,” he said. ested in seeing QUAQE return. has allowed QUAQE to take on might not be any other Queer “While I missed being able to, once again, join our local 2SLGBTQIA+ community, I respect the decision of organizers to do what they think is best and to keep the event non-political.”

Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson told The Journal while he was gap in which the progress the society, who will then continue and alumnus, Pedersen describes disappointed, he chose to celUniversity has made with Pride the fight for those who come after.” Queen’s as a place that has taken ebrate Pride in other ways. was going unrecognized and as I n a n i n t e r v i e w w i t h both “steps forward and steps K i n g s t o n P r i d e , h o we vsuch, dedicated a ceremony to The Journal, Simpson said backward,” acknowledging the er, remains concerned about the flag’s raising. p r o t e c t i n g q u e e r s p a c e s people in the past that have where the public conversation has During her speech, Simpson, comes down to avoiding com- pushed for change while also been centred.

Jacob Kranjac said the flag acts as a “reminder of placency, instead arguing the noting the pushback change has “We are disappointed the narBusiness Manager the work that has been done, that University should strive for more received. rative seemed to be focused on continues to be done, and the inclusivity and progress.

Simpson described Queen’s as the personal feelings of these For years, Queen’s has raised work that needs to be done.” All Alexandra Pedersen, co-chair being on a “forward path with [di- elected officials, rather than a Pride flag. This year, the of this, Simpson said, is to ensure for the Principal's Action Group versity, equity, and inclusion], and focusing on the impact they University held a ceremony to people thrive at the University. for Gender and Sexual Diversity it matters to so many people in can have on the futures of celebrate that tradition.

A M S V i c e - P r e s i d e n t (PAGGAS), said the raising of the community that we’re present the 2SLGBTQIA+ community,” Kicking off Pride Month at (University Affairs) Edward Sy the flag is a “great success for and we’re standing up for [their] Dupuis said.

Queen’s on June 1, the Intersex- also gave a speech reflecting on visibility at Queen’s.” She de- rights.”

“To focus on themselves has Inclusive Progress Pride Flag, their experience as a queer and scribed Queen’s as a space where P e d e r s e n c r e d i t s t h e done harm to the unpaid volunthe most inclusive Pride flag to gender-diverse student, accessing you can be your authentic self, Simpson’s office as part of why teers of the board.” date representing all groups un- Yellow House services for the and that is a kind of joy she hopes the University is in a season of Kingston Pride remains comder the 2SLGBTQIA+, was raised first time and finding community to share. embracing visibility, describing mitted to its long-term goals and in front of a crowd of around 200 within those yellow walls.

Pedersen al so sees t he Simpson as a person in her corner grassroots origins. onlookers.

Sy called for action say- g a p s Q u e e n ’ s s t i l l m u s t to support this kind of change.

“Our plans for next year and The flag has been raised ing “for everyone that walks f i l l ; s h e s a i d t h e a i m o f P e d e r s e n a l s o w a r n s beyond remain the same. To for several years now, but by this pole, I ask that you PAGGAS is to “bridge the gaps to that “without an office to listen and engage with our comV i c e - P r i n c i p a l , C u l t u r e , see this Pride flag as a promise, make sure people are included ensure equity and inclusion we munity, who make Kingston Pride Equity, and Inclusion (CEI) rather than a performance, to in working and learning spaces.” could see more backsliding like special,” Dupuis said.

Stephanie Simpson identified a invest in our future leaders of As both a current staff member we see across the country.”

A new tradition takes flight as Queen’s holds first-ever ceremony celebrating the raise of the Pride flag

Pride flag raised in front of a nearly 200-person crowd

4 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FEATURES Kingston’s only dedicated gay bar closes after six months, citing unsustainable turnout Bottoms Up has gone bottoms down,” owner says

Aaliyah Signoretti Features Editor

Kingston’s sole dedicated gay bar, Bottoms Up, has closed its doors after only six short months.

S i n c e t h e e a r ly 1 9 7 0 s , Kingston has seen a number of gay bars come and go. Bottoms Up was the first dedicated gay bar in Kingston in nearly 20 years, with many establishments long preceding it. After six months, the bar has closed for good this pride month, on June 18.

Before closing, the bar hosted its first and final Pride After Party, marking a bittersweet end of an era that brought in over 100 guests. It was the venue’s busiest night since opening in January.

Paul Fortier, co-owner of Jessup Food & Heritage and founder of Bottoms Ups, told The Journal his bar, Bottoms Up, has gone “bottoms down.”

The bar hosted a Kingston Economic Business Mixer on June 18 as its final official event.

For Fortier and his partner, the venture was inspired by a mission to create a dedicated 2SLGBTQ+ space in Kingston after witnessing the city’s queer nightlife scene dissipate over the years.

“As we have grown older, we were saddened by the fact that there had been no dedicated ‘gay’ establishment in Kingston for the last 20 years; particularly when many clamoured for one,” Fortier said in an interview with The Journal.

Motivated by nostalgia and a sense of community, they made the decision to rebrand their under-utilized venue, the University Tavern, into a dedicated gay bar this January.

The University Tavern, located on the lower level of the Renaissance building, served the city well as a popular hub for university students. After the failure of Bottoms Up, Fortier noted the venue will be reverting back to the well-known University Tavern, remaining part of Kingston’s nightlife scene.

As Bottoms Up’s journey comes to an end, The Journal took the time to reflect on the elusive history of queer nightlife in Kingston.

The secretive era of “gaytolerant” spaces

The rapid rise and fall of Bottoms Up follows a long history of queer spaces in Kingston.

Before the concept of dedicated, openly gay bars existed in Kingston, the city’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community built social networks within mainstream establishments. From the 1950s through the 1970s, local patrons subtly

FEATURES that housed the Plaza.

The Office represented a shift from the secretive spaces of earlier eras, allowing local patrons to socialize openly. Over the next 15 years, the building at 46 Montreal St became a revolving home for various queer spaces, culminating in Dreammakers, a dedicated lesbian bar that operated until 1997.

Following the initial success of The Office, the 1990s brought an expanded commercial queer nightlife scene to Kingston.

“Robert’s Club Vogue then 477 was a popular bar and club in the 90s,” Fortier recalled. “Then came Wally’s in the west end and later Shay Foo Foo on Princess Street downstairs from the former Don Cherry’s.”

Yet, beneath the busy weekend crowds lay a challenging financial reality.

“While they were well attended on Fridays and Saturdays, they all struggled financially,” Fortier explained. “It is difficult to survive with one or two busy nights a week, and those nights would last for 3 or 4 hours of strong business.”

By 2009, Shay Foo Foo closed its doors for good. The wellknown gay bar disappeared from Kingston’s nightlife scene, leaving a multi-decade gap.

In its absence, the community turned to pop-up events. As Fortier noted, there was Beers for Queers over the last ten years, hosted by Monte’s at Tir Nan Og on most Saturday nights.

“While the kick off was strong with great DJs and lots of dancing, this too faded in popularity and proved to be not viable,” Fortier said.

MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2026 place,” Fortier said. venue stemmed directly from For previous generations, gay watching the city’s nightlife opbars were an essential commu- tions shrink. But upon opening, nity hub. They served as the pri- Fortier and his partner “realized mary physical space where indi- it was a long reach to success.” viduals could feel safe expressing “Twenty years without a gay interest in someone of the same bar is telling,” he said. sex. Apps effectively distributed As the initial excitement of that role into the digital world. opening Bottoms Up gradually At the same time, a broader slowed down, Fortier and his socio-cultural shift toward main- partner ran into the same finanstream acceptance began alter- cial walls that faced venues deing nightlife habits. There was “a cades prior. greater acceptance and integra“Since opening attendance has tion of members of the LGBTQ dwindled to a hand-full of cuscommunity into mainstream bars tomers who come and go on the and clubs,” Fortier explained. “I Saturday night which is the only remember earlier days when night open,” Fortier explained. two men dancing together in a “With few customers, we covclub would lead to their eviction. ered the costs of staff, DJ, go-go These days have passed.” [dancer], overhead and product.

Reports cite this intersection It was unsustainable.” of digital dating, soaring comThe venture was also met mercial real estate costs, and with varied community feedback, inflation has made running a highlighting different ideological niche identity-based venue an perspectives within Kingston’s incredibly risky business venture modern 2SLGBTQ+ community. across Canada. When community “Bottoms Up was met with a members can connect from home variety of reviews,” Fortier said. and socialize comfortably in gen- “The typical my porridge is too eral establishments, the economic hot, and my porridge is too incentive to sustain a dedicated cold and the anticipated nastigay bar decreases. ness of segmented radical ele“Today, I know that there are ments in our community that are many members of the LGBTQ against anything that smells of community in Kingston that commercialism.” wish to live a very discreet life The era of Bottoms Up came and would never be seen out in to a close on June 18, following a public at any gay affiliated event well-attended event that served or establishment despite their as a closing celebration. “While orientation,” Fortier said. our recent Pride After Party saw “Still, members of the LGBTQ more than 100 guests, we realcommunity call for a dedicated ized that this would be a bangbar.” up ending for our failed attempt,” Fortier said.

The final curtain for Despite the struggles and ultiBottoms Up mate closure, Fortier maintained a positive outlook, emphasizIt was against this complex ing “nothing ventured; nothing historical background that Paul gained!”

Fortier and his partner, Denis Upon reflection, Fortier hopes Leblanc, attempted to bring the experience of Bottoms Up is back a dedicated space for the “telling to those who advocated community. for opening a local gay bar and a Fortier trusted his decades of warning to those who may conexperience operating different sider it in the future.” venues around Kingston, menWith the space now set to tioning to The Journal that Jessup be used “for other purposes,” Food & Heritage has been operat- Kingston is once again without ing restaurants in Kingston since a dedicated gay bar.

1994.”

“We were first to hold pride Want to contribute to events, drag shows and fly the The Journal? pride flag on our establishments.

While we never hosted a ‘gay’ bar Email per se, our venues were widely journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca frequented by members of the LGBTQ+ community as it evolved over the years.”

The decision to rebrand their

negotiated space in “straight” drinking establishments.

These early environments were shaped by a delicate balance: venues needed to be recognizable enough for queer people to find each other, while remaining low-profile enough to blend into the crowd.

Historically, Kingston served as a geographic anchor.

“Kingston, since the 70s and into 2010 had a reputation of meeting in the middle,” Fortier told The Journal “For those in the LGBTQ community who wanted to socialize and not travel to Ottawa, Montreal or Syracuse, Kingston was a viable option and drew from the regional community,” he stated.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the list of “gay-tolerant” bars in Kingston included local establishments such as the Elbow Room, the Cat’s Meow, the Indian Room, the Wagon Wheel, The Grand, Chez Piggy, and the Black Sheep Inn. One of the most popular hubs for gay men during the 1960s and 1970s was the Cat’s Meow, situated off the lobby of the LaSalle Hotel on Princess St. It was designed as a long, narrow room with entrances at both ends, How technology and mainallowing customers to casually stream integration changed enter from Princess St, scan the nightlife habits room, and leave through the back lobby. The bar sat approximately The decline of dedicated queer 18 people. bars in Kingston is not unique to the city; it mirrors a broader Campus catalysts and cultural shift influenced by techthe first dedicated nology and changing social norms.

LGBTQ+ spaces “With the introduction of Grindr in 2009, the gay male comA critical turning point to- munity separated, finding that ward public visibility occurred social media provided a more efon October 2, 1973, when a let- fective and discreet way to conter signed by “Three Campus nect with like-minded individuals,” Homophiles” was published in Fortier observed.

The Queen’s Journal.

“Clearly the rise of dating apps The letter was written in re- and increased mainstream accepsponse to a piece titled “Fred tance of our lifestyle has had an Fudpucker” that had run in the impact and there is no longer that engineering student paper, Golden need for a community meeting Words. The student authors pointed out Queen’s is one of the few universities left in North America which still does not have its own homophile association.

By late October of 1973, the Queen’s Homophile Association (QHA) was officially born, and by 1977, the QHA was successfully organizing licensed dances in the basement of the Queen’s Law School.

These events regularly drew crowds of upwards of 150 people, at least half of whom were women, and many others who travelled from the broader Kingston community and surrounding rural towns.

This growing desire for open socialization paved the way for Kingston’s first dedicated gay bar. In the early 1980s, The Office opened its doors on the corner of Montreal St and Queen St. It operated in the upstairs section of 46 Montreal St– the building Bottom’s Up old venue, located at 285 Queen Street.

PHOTO BY JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

5 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

EDITORIALS

EDITORIALS

MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2026

lost or obscured by of coloniThe Journal’s zation.

European settlers and Perspective Christian missionaries actively THE QUEEN’S suppressed Indigenous gender

Gender non-conformity is nothing new, and my culture proves it

Daniel Gill-Sitoski QTBIPOC Advisory Board The growing push to enforce a strict gender binary ignores not only the lived realities of transgender and non-binary people today, but also the long history of Indigenous gender diversity on Turtle Island.

On U.S. President Donald Trump’s second day in office last year, he signed Executive Order 14168, which prohibited the federal government from recognizing the gender identity of transgender people. The order required the American federal government to replace the term “gender” with “sex,” which is defined as an immutable male-female binary determined “at conception”.

It also disallowed gender selfidentification on federal documents, and ended federal funding for gender-affirming care and the promotion of what it called “gender ideology.”

W h i l e i t ’ s te m p t i n g fo r Canadians to watch this from across the border and file it as

an American political issue, Canadians themselves are far from united on questions of gender identity. According to a 2023 survey conducted by the Angus Reid Institute, 56 per cent of Canadians believed people should identify only as male or female, while only 36 per cent believed the binary is too limiting and 10 per cent abstained from answering.

The growing popularity of these views can make it easy to assume the gender binary is universal, timeless, or rooted in historical fact. However, it is not.

Long before Canada and the United States ever existed, many Indigenous groups across Turtle Island recognized forms of gender diversity that existed outside the categories of man and woman.

While Indigenous cultures are not monolithic, and gender systems varied significantly among nations, many communities recognized people who occupied social, ceremonial, and spiritual roles beyond those assigned to their gender at birth.

systems, imposing rigid understandings of gender and sexuality that reflected European social norms rather than Indigenous traditions Yet, despite centuries of suppression, gender diversity remains a poignant part of contemporary Canadian society.

Today, many Indigenous peo- Statistics Canada reported that ple and cultures use the term in 2021, 1.3 million Canadians Two Spirit to describe some of aged 15 and older identified as these identities and traditions. part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, The term was adopted in 1990 as and more than 100,000 Canadians a pan-Indigenous umbrella term identified as transgender or nonto describe pre-colonial gender binary, a number that is growing identities in English, though the at a faster rate than any time in specific meanings and roles asso- modern Canadian history. ciated with gender diversity differ Debates about gender tend to between nations and individuals. cast gender-diverse people as a At least 150 Indigenous new phenomenon challenging groups have documented words long-established traditions. In or terms describing identities reality, the opposite is often true. that extend beyond male and Denying the existence of genfemale. In Ojibwe communities, der diversity does not simply ikwekaazo referred to men who invalidate the identities of transfulfilled women’s roles, while gender, non-binary, and Two Spirit ininiikaazo referred to women people living today, It also erases who fulfilled men’s roles. Both cultural traditions and histories were often viewed as spiritually that have existed on Turtle Island gifted and honoured within their for generations. communities.

At a time when both anti-InSimilar concepts existed in digenous racism and hate crimes Cree, where înahpîkasoht referred targeting LGBTQ+ communities to a woman who dressed, lived, continue to rise across Canada, and was accepted as a man, while understanding this history is ayahkwêw referred to a man who more important than ever. Not dressed, lived and was accepted just during Pride Month and as a woman.

Indigenous History Month, but Much of this history has been during every day of every month.

Bill C-36 finally regulates your data, but it doesn’t go far enough After 25 years, Ottawa has finally caught up to the data economy, but not yet to the companies running it.

On June 15, the federal government tabled Bill C-36, the first overhaul of Canada’s privacy law in more than 25 years. The statute it replaces, Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, is older than the technology it now has to govern, written for a web of static pages and dial-up commerce, not targeted advertising and machines that make decisions about people on their own.

For years, corporations have had almost unimpeded access to collect, buy, bargain, and sell the data of unsuspecting Canadians, unchecked by law. That access has bought them an unprecedented, intimate understanding of our shopping habits, our daily routines, our search histories, cross-referenced and resold until the firms holding it know us more completely than we know ourselves.

To say this arrangement is unacceptable is an understatement, and federal regulation protecting Canadians’ private data is years overdue.

Yet, as the old saying goes, better late than never.

Make no mistake, the provisions of Bill C-36 reflect tangible progress. Two provisions in particular, the first being that companies are required to treat the data of Canadians under the age of 18 as sensitive by default, and the second being that Canadians now

possess the legal right to demand companies delete their data records upon request — will materially provide more protection to Canadians, especially those least equipped to protect themselves.

Bill C-36 is also a pointed assertion of Canadian sovereignty.

The companies that are the target of Bill C-36 are almost exclusively US-based corporations, with many of their executives openly courting Donald Trump’s circle. In an age where Trump is all too willing to wage economic warfare on Canada, the case for American appeasement, which has traditionally been the stopgap for like-minded legislation in the past, simply doesn’t hold as much weight anymore.

The last time Ottawa moved against American tech, over the digital services tax, Trump called it a “direct and blatant attack,” tore up trade talks, and Canada folded within days. Asserting sovereignty is the easy part, but holding it under pressure is the test, and Canada has failed it once already. Bill C-36 is a notable, and positive, deviation from this trend.

Yet, for all it gets right, Bill C-36 regulates how corporations gather and store our data, not whether that data should be harvested in the first place. The systemic engine, an economy built on extracting and reselling the details of people’s lives, is left running untouched. A bill that polices the terms of collection can only do so much when collection itself is the problem.

JOURNAL Volume 154, Issue 2 www.queensjournal.ca Publishing since 1873

Editorial Board Jonathan Reilly Eva Sheahan Emmet Paradis Lola Hustins Ana Maria Mitroi Kavina Sathiyanarayana Features Editors Alexandra Gromova Aaliyah Signoretti Editorials Editor Taylor Fountain Editorials Illustrator Anna Van Raalte Opinions Editor Sophie Campbell Arts & Culture Editor Chloe Nunes Assistant Arts & Culture Editor Mayah Ricketts Samuel Shaffer Postscript Editor Julia Ludden Business, Science, & Technology Editor Murray Halpin Uroosa Imitaz Sports Editor Noah Cyr Assistant Sports Editor Malek Benemeur Jacksen MacLean Mulimedia Editor Lilly Meechan Assistant Multimedia Editor Drew Gabrille Cuencaho Photo Editor Claire Bak Assistant Photo Editor Eve Linden Production Manager Jordan Medulan Copy Editors Elizabeth Poidevin Ananya Sharma Jaimeson Terada Graphics Editor Angelina Liu QTBIPOC Advisory Board Member Merab Ali Daniel Gill-Sitoski Rohaan Malik Editor in Chief Managing Editor News Editor Assistant News Editors

Business Staff Business Manager

Sales Representatives Fundraising Representative

Jacob Kranjac Kate Wong Emily Zhang Sophia Varga

Want to contribute?

For information visit: www.queensjournal.ca/contribute or email the Editor in Chief at journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca Contributions from all members of the Queen’s and Kingston community are welcome. The Journal reserves the right to edit all submissions.

The Queen’s Journal is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University, Kingston.

Situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. The Journal’s Editorial Board acknowledges the traditional territories our newspaper is situated on have allowed us to pursue our mandate.

We recognize our responsibility to understand the truth of our history.

Editorial opinions expressed in The Journal are the sole responsibility of The Queen’s Journal Editorial Board, and are not necessarily those of the University, the AMS or their officers.

Queen’s Centre, 3rd Floor, Rooms A620/A616 284 Earl St, Kingston, ON, K7L 3P4 Email: journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca Please address complaints and grievances to the Editor in Chief and/or Managing Editor.

The Queen’s Journal is printed at KT Web Printing Inc. in Toronto, Ontario.

ILLUSTRATION BY ANNA VAN RAALTE

Surveillance pricing, where a company quietly charges you more based on what it knows about you, goes effectively unaddressed, and the price gouging that data enables is barely slowed.

No single piece of legislation was ever going to close every gap, and that is the point. C-36 is a start, and the work of protecting Canadians demands far more regulation than this.

The firms on the other side of this legislation are some of the largest on earth, with budgets that dwarf most provinces and infrastructure sitting in the pocket of nearly every Canadian. Against opponents that size, the bill’s penalties barely register. A fine of $10

million or three per cent of global revenue is a figure the biggest of them will pay without blinking, a rounding error weighed against what the data itself is worth.

These are companies that have spent decades treating the law as an obstacle to route around rather than a limit to respect, and a single bill does not reverse a power gradient that steep.

So, support the bill and pass it without delay. But see it for what it is, a first concession from an industry that gave up nothing for decades, and a floor to build on rather than a finish to settle for.

– Journal Editorial Board

Contents © 2026 by The Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of The Journal.

Find us on social media Instagram: @queensjournalnow Facebook: @queensjournal X (formerly Twitter): @queensjournal TikTok: @queensjournal

6 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

OPINIONS

OPINIONS

MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2026

Your Perspective

How Kingston Catholic hospitals quietly restrict trans healthcare In the operating room, your identity should never dictate what care you can access Zi Han Li Contributor

As medical students, we are taught that patient-centered care, health equity, and accessibility are the foundational pillars of our future profession. The Queen’s MD Program explicitly aims to train physicians who are prepared to champion the needs of equity-deserving groups, while promising a community where equity, diversity, and inclusion are embedded in everything we do.

Yet, as a second-year medical student spending more time within the walls of our local healthcare system, I have quickly learned about a hidden curriculum — a set of unspoken forces and administrative constraints that dictate what type of healthcare is accessible, who is allowed to receive it, and who is allowed to speak about it.

Here in Kingston, we have three operational hospitals, but two of them — Hotel Dieu Hospital (HDH) and Providence Care Hospital (PCH) — are Catholic-affiliated organizations.

Despite being publicly funded, these institutions are legally permitted to limit access to essential forms of healthcare that do not align with Catholic religious principles.

While these limitations are often seen as historic anomalies, their modern applications actively undermine patient autonomy and health equity.

Catholic affiliated hospitals utilize their religious principles to selectively and disproportionately affect transgender patients. These Catholic ethical guidelines, while initially appearing to affect only a marginalized community, in reality complicate hospital logistics, which compromises medical access for the broader Kingston community.

The most problematic aspect of these Catholic guidelines is not that the surgeries are technically complex or unavailable, but that the restriction is based purely on the identity and medical motivation of the patient.

The gynecologic portion of gender-affirming surgery for individuals assigned female at birth typically involves a total laparoscopic hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy.

This is an OHIP-funded, medically necessary intervention that yields documented, significant improvements in quality of life, body image, and mental health for trans patients.

These exact operations are performed routinely every single week at HDH for indications such as abnormal uterine bleeding,

RECTOR'S DIGEST:

Convocation’s case for humanity Why speeches are still focused on what only people can do Niki Boytchuk-Hale Staff Writer

If you’re worried about the future of the humanities — or humanity in general — in this age of generative AI, go to a Queen’s graduLi reflects on of trans healthcare in Kingston Catholic hospitals.

IMAGE SUPPLIED BY ZI HAN LI ation and you’ll walk away with fibroids, and early-stage can- because HDH restricts proce- demand public compliance with renewed hope. cers. Yet, they are explicitly pro- dures tied to contraception and federal healthcare rights. A sucI’ve presided over 47 ceremohibited if the indication is gender gender-affirmation, these routine cess in this B.C. trial is expected nies now. That adds up to over affirmation. This manifests as an operations are forced onto KGH's to create a legal domino effect, 20,000 handshakes (plus a couunwritten administrative rule: operating tables. emboldening Ontario physicians ple hundred hugs) and roughly if a surgeon writes "fibroids" on KGH’s limited operating room and patients to challenge these 35 hours of speeches that have an HDH operating room referral space is traditionally reserved archaic regulations. everything to do with purely form, the surgery proceeds with- for complex, highly comorbid KHSC’s website proudly states: human capacities and nothing to out issue; if "gender-affirmation" patients and cancer cases. When “We treat each person with do with artificial intelligence. is written, the surgery is silently straightforward, day-surgery respect and dignity... by caring I learn a lot about people, and flagged and canceled. procedures are systematically for the whole person, when and life, while listening and watching A parallel injustice occurs with offloaded onto KGH due to reli- where they need it most.” Yet, the from centre stage. reproductive care. Procedures gious policies at HDH, it creates current reality of surgical access First, an observation from the like bilateral salpingectomies an artificial bottleneck. Patients for contraception and gender- handshake line: I had no idea how and intrauterine device (IUD) requiring complex gynecological affirming care stands in stark many people are double-jointed. insertions are routinely blocked surgeries, who are already facing opposition to the organization's My unscientific estimate is 15 per at HDH if performed for the pur- extensive wait times, are forced to professed values. Institutional cent of Queen’s graduates who pose of contraception, despite wait even longer as KGH absorbs religious restrictions on gender- extend their hand out to me presbeing freely permitted for can- the routine surgeries turned away affirming and reproductive care ent with a double-jointed thumb. cer prevention or other non- by HDH. directly discriminate against This is absolutely unrelated to contraceptive indications. These Faith-based restrictions do not transgender patients while cre- the point of this piece, but I have practices directly mirrors insti- exist in a vacuum; they strain sec- ating systemic bottlenecks that always wanted to share it. tutional mandates outlined in ular institutions and compromise compromise healthcare access Now, back to humanity. the Catholic Health Alliance of systemic care for every resident for everyone.

Aside from a brief few minutes Canada's Health Ethics Guide. in communities where catholic As medical trainees, we are I get at the podium, mostly, I lisThis is a clear contradiction of hospitals are dominant health- entering a profession with a ten. It’s fascinating to hear what the Canadian Human Rights Act care providers. historically troubled legacy the few who are privileged with a of 1985, which mandates that all Unfortunately, Kingston’s regarding the mistreatment direct line to graduands choose to individuals should have an equal struggles are part of a broader, of marginalized groups, par- say. I tend to think that what these opportunity to have their needs systemic issue across Canada ticularly patients of colour and very successful people spend their accommodated without being where the 2013 Catholic Health queer individuals. Frontline phy- time conveying in front of people hindered by discriminatory prac- Alliance of Canada’s Health Ethics sicians speaking out on these on the threshold of a new life says tices based on gender identity Guide continues to cast an ambig- injustices often operate under a whole lot about who they are or expression. By offering iden- uous, unwritten shadow over a professional spotlight, taking and what they think matters in life.

In all of the serious, funny, tical anatomical procedures for public hospital policy. The con- turns in their advocacy to shield cisgender indications while ban- sequences of these institutional themselves from administrative reflective speeches I’ve sat ning them for transgender indica- barriers are perhaps most visible, backlash or professional conse- through from writers, lawyers, tions, Kingston Health Sciences and tragic, in end-of-life care. quences from the hospitals they artists, scientists, politicians, and Centre (KHSC) is passing moral Because PCH operates under are employed at. business folks alike, there were judgment on the worthiness of a Catholic principles, it comThis leaves medical students none that did not focus on values patient's medical needs. pletely bars Medical Assistance and trainees with a unique and principles for bettering the Transgender individuals are in Dying (MAID) on its premises. responsibility. Because we sit out- world around us. already among the most vulner- Terminally ill, fragile patients side the administrative hierarchy, Just this week alone, Smith able in our society, facing dispro- must be heavily sedated and we have the distinct freedom to Engineering Dean Kevin Deluzio portionate rates of discrimination transferred via ambulance to KGH name these injustices loudly. emphasized the importance and violence. Denying them equal simply to exercise their legal right Advocacy around this issue of engineering for humanity. access to a medically necessary to a dignified death — a logisti- stands on the foundational work Principal Patrick Deane said the procedure at a publicly funded cal hurdle that causes immense, of Dr. Chris Vicenza and Dr. Emma most eminent faculty we have is facility only perpetuates this sys- documented distress to families Denison. Hospital administrators imagination — to be able to imagtemic violence. and providers alike. often rely on the short memory of ine a better future for ourselves A common misconception is This institutional obstruction medical training, expecting advo- and society at large. Vice-Provost that faith-based medical restric- is finally facing legal action. In cacy to fade as leaders move on in Fahim Quadir urged that we spend tions only impact patients seeking the British Columbia Supreme their careers to new institutions. our lives making our communities niche or highly specific religious- Court, a landmark lawsuit As a second-year medical student equitable for all. confronting care. In reality, insti- brought by the family of 34-year- inheriting this torch, I wish to not The first Honorary degree tutional religious mandates old Samantha O’Neill, alongside let these systemic injustices be re c i p i e n t , M o n i q u e Fr i z e , disrupt the efficiency of the entire Dying With Dignity Canada, is forgotten. explained the necessary skills municipal health infrastructure. challenging the right of publicly I hope that by highlighting this heading into the workforce are In Kingston, HDH holds funded, faith-based hospitals like issue during Pride Month, we “being able to think outside of the roughly 60 percent of the city’s Vancouver's St. Paul’s Hospital can reflect on which members box and an ability to incorporate gynecological operating room to enforce "forced transfers" of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community the social, political, and economic space. Because general gynecol- for MAID. O’Neill, suffering KHSC, and subsequently Queen’s context into your work.” ogy is allocated six times more from stage four cervical cancer, University, deem acceptable to operating room time at HDH endured a traumatic and agoniz- celebrate as they promote their Continued online at compared to the secular Kingston ing transfer in her final hours due allyship this June. www.queensjournal.ca General Hospital (KGH), routine to institutional religious policies. operations are designed to be Her family's Charter challenge Zi Han (Henry) Li is a secondcleared through HDH. However, argues that public funds should year medical student.

MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2026

BUSINESS, SCIENCE, & TECHNOLOGY

<BIZ-SCI-TECH> Queen’s PhD student’s lake photo wins global science competition

A leftover drone battery and years of research on a lake local to Kingston led to international recognition Murray Halpin Business, Science, and Technology Editor The lakes north of Kingston don’t exactly look like the site of an international science story. But for Queen’s PhD student Haolun (Allen) Tian, that was the point.

Taken on Dog Lake in 2021, Tian’s drone photograph was named one of the top five winners of the “Scientists at Work” category in Nature’s international photo competition, announced June 10.

The image depicts a small boat gliding across a lake, covered with layers of thick bright green algae.

On the boat, Queen’s master’s

student, Kelly Estrada Piedrahita, is collecting water samples.

For Tian, who is defending his PhD in the Queen’s Department of Biology in late June, the photo wasn’t originally meant to be world renowned art. His drone’s original purpose was to survey the bodies of water he was researching, while taking environmental DNA, or eDNA, sampling. He would then study algae blooms, but specifically why they are an environmental concern and a growing problem along the Rideau Canal corridor from Kingston to Ottawa.

“Algae blooms are an emerging issue on freshwater small lakes,” Tian said in an interview with The Journal. “They’ve only started appearing regularly in the last 15 to 20 years, and we weren’t exactly sure why.”

The usual cause of runoff pollution from sources like phosphate detergents, do not explain what he has been seeing. “Our lakes are fairly not disturbed, we don’t have that many people,” Tian said. “So, my research was to find out why.”

The blooms can have dangerous consequences once they die

off and rot. “This rotting takes away oxygen from the water, which suffocates all the fish,” he said. “They also produce toxins, which can hurt drinking water supplies, and cause dogs and local wildlife to suffer.” The photo itself came out of leftover battery life after a long day of surveying and sampling. “After each survey, I would just begin flying around with whatever battery life I had left, and then just randomly taking photos,” Tian said.

When he showed his images to fellow students and professors, they were extremely impressed and encouraged him Tian’s winning photo of Dog Lake. to continue pursuing photography he said. “This photo to me shows and to submit his photos into com- my workspace.” petitions. He then won the Queen’s These experiences have helped Art of Research photography con- shape what Tian wants to do after test and used the prize money to he finishes his PhD. He plans to purchase an actual camera. launch a startup business aimed What stands out to him about at making eDNA sampling more winning the competition isn’t the accessible to the same communialgae, but the photo’s relationship ties he has been studying for years. with his research. “I really like “What I want to do is empower this photo because it shows the individuals and empower commusense of scale between the envi- nities to do their own monitoring,” ronment and us,” Tian said. “The Tian said. He described the goal environment is so much bigger as building “a lab in a suitcase,” than us. We’re only one part of the which would be simple enough food web.” for landowners to test for invasive This idea is the reason why species and toxic algae themselves.

Tian became so passionate about “For us to do something imcapturing his research through pactful and meaningful, we don’t photography. “Fieldwork is a have to go out to another country huge appeal of ecology to me,” or somewhere remote,” he said.

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 7

PHOTO BY ALLEN TIAN

“There’s many issues impacting our local communities, and one of the ways that we as researchers, as students, can do the best is the work in our local communities.”

For Tian, his startup is the next step in the project that began by accident on a dock in Dog Lake. As he finishes up his PhD this month, the algae bloom he set out to understand years ago have led him many places from an enriching master’s project to winning an international photo competition, and will soon lead him to a business of his own. It all started with something as simple as looking at a toxic algae mat that most people would have driven right past, not knowing the hours of research and significance behind it.

Kingston’s first transgender health clinic closes following physician’s retirement Gradually, she began seeing

Dr. Ashley more patients referred to her for menstrual suppression related to Waddington, gender dysphoria.

Around the same time, a cola Queen’s OB/ league who had quietly been providing gender-affirming care to a GYN who helped small number of patients within open the clinic, is his reproductive endocrinology was retiring and lookretiring this month. practice ing for someone to take over their Uroosa Imtiaz Business, Science, and Technology Editor Dr. Ashley Waddington, MPA ’13 is a Queen’s OB/GYN who helped open Kingston’s first Transgender Health Clinic and is retiring this month.

Waddington began offering gender-affirming care in 2017, operating a monthly transgender health clinic and connecting other physicians with resources to provide gender-affirming care within their own practices.

The clinic provided hormonereplacement therapy (HRT), approvals for surgery, and postoperative care. While the clinic will close in June after nine years, other services Waddington helped establish remain.

Waddington, who has played a key role in efforts to expand access to gender-affirming care in Kingston, said the clinic’s closure will have a “relatively limited” impact on the community in an interview with The Journal.

“I never set out to be a gender affirming care expert. It was more so that I started to see a need in my practice, [providing] contraceptive care,” Waddington said.

care.

Waddington completed training through Rainbow Health Ontario, an organization that supports LGBTQIA+ health equity through health-care provider training, educational resources, research, and policy work.

Waddington opened Kingston’s first Transgender Health Clinic in 2017 alongside two colleagues.

A lot of the work was already familiar to Waddington due to her work as a gynecologist. “I prescribe tons of reproductive hormones for a variety of reasons, so for me it was just a different indication to prescribe hormones for,” she said.

The clinic ran once a month and quickly received an overwhelming number of referrals, with a yearlong waitlist forming within a few months.

Waddington was part of a group called Trans Health Connectors, an informal group of local physicians and social workers that began discussing the possibility of a transgender health clinic at Kingston Community Health Centres (KCHC).

One of the group’s goals was to “normalize [gender-affirming care] being part of primary care” which made KCHC a “logical place”

Dr. Ashley Waddington is retiring in June after 13 years at Queen’s.

for the clinic, Waddington said.

“The more that people were coming to me as a specialist in the hospital, the more that was kind of making it seem like this care is too extra, […] like it’s not something that a family doctor or a nurse practitioner could do,” she explained.

The KCHC transgender clinic opened in 2019 with a full-time nurse practitioner, social worker, and administrative staff member.

“As the community health centre started doing more of the hormone prescribing, my practice started to have a little bit more focus in surgical care,” Waddington said.

Patients primarily came to her for help navigating the process of accessing gender-affirming surgery and for post-operative care. However, patients still had to travel to Ottawa or Toronto for surgery.

“Throughout all of this time, in an effort to normalize this care and make it seem less daunting, a lot of our efforts were also going towards education, so I’ve done

a lot of teaching,” Waddington added.

She taught residents in obstetrics and gynecology and family medicine, as well as primary care providers, about providing gender-affirming care, often referring them to Rainbow Health Ontario’s clinical guidelines and resources.

Her work educating physicians led to her appointment as assistant dean (professional development) in the Queen’s Faculty of Health Sciences in 2024.

Despite these efforts, gaps in access to gender-affirming care remain.

Waddington said the biggest barriers for her patients include the primary care crisis and a shortage of primary care providers offering gender-affirming care, which can force patients to seek referrals to specialists.

In her experience, many providers’ reluctance to offer gender-affirming care comes down to a lack of training rather than transphobia.

She also pointed to long surgical wait times, the need to travel

PHOTO BY UROOSA IMTIAZ

for care, and lack of OHIP coverage for medications and procedures such as chest contouring, which can be needed to achieve a patient’s desired result after top surgery.

Although the clinic’s closure will reduce access, Waddington mentioned the impact will be modest, as she has not been taking new referrals for some time and her current patients have either been referred to colleagues or have care plans in place.

She added that Kingston’s gender-diverse community is a major force behind improvements in local care.

“A lot of the credit for any improvements we’ve made goes to the community for advocating for themselves,” Waddington said.

“We’re lucky because we live in a centre where we have a very active and engaged gender-diverse population, and that kind of drives the system forward.”

8 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

SPORTS

Men’s Volleyball setter leading by example ‘I appreciate that I can be a role model for other student athletes,’ player says Noah Cyr Senior Sports Editor Chris Zimmerman, ArtSci ’27, is making an impact on and off the court.

Zimmerman, a setter on the Queen’s Men’s Volleyball team has been a big reason for their oncourt success. However, not only does he lead by example when

SPORTS

the bright lights of the ARC are on him, but he also shines even when nobody is watching.

Throughout high school, Zimmerman was always heavily involved in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) work, making his community a better place, and that continued when he arrived at Queens. His impact in Kingston has been immeasurable through his commitment to the Varsity and Leadership Council (VLC), where he now serves as copresident. The VLC is a group of seven student-athletes who aim to support student-athlete culture, advise Athletics & Recreation using their insights, and promote community engagement.

With continued guidance from Zimmerman, the VLC has worked to support the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Kingston, while also contributing to initiatives focused on Truth and Reconciliation and mental health. In recognition of his commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, Zimmerman received the OUA EDI Award, which honours student-athletes who demonstrate leadership in these areas.

Zimmerman sat down with The Journal to discuss his commitment to Queens and Kingston communities. He explained how moving from British Columbia allowed him to be who he wanted to be.

“Coming to Queen’s was a great opportunity, and that opportunity

was a really big catalyst for me,” Zimmerman said. “I felt really comfortable to be who I am, which I attribute to our environment and culture [on our team].”

Off the court, his EDI work has always been something that has shaped his life and, Queen’s gave him a lot of opportunities that continued that line of work. “[EDI work] just got to a higher level. I started off doing it with the VLC in my second year, and more opportunities just kept falling in my lap,” Zimmerman explained.

“It’s pretty cool to have such an impact, and I really do appreciate that I can be a role model for other student athletes.”

Both Gaels men’s and women’s volleyball teams hosted a pride night during one of their home games in early January, which Zimmerman proposed and accepted with open arms.

Zimmerman admitted that he had seen the University of British Columbia do them and have big success. He thought to himself “man, we gotta do one of these.”

“My teammates and coaches were super supportive and really into it, which was really cool to do with those guys.”

Going into his fifth and final season, Zimmerman is excited about the opportunity to focus on volleyball and “pass the torch to the next student athletes.”

Moving into the season, the men’s volleyball will look for its third straight OUA championship, with Zimmerman being an essential part of that daunting feat.

March, the team finished second at the Match Racing National Championship in Vancouver, losing again to Dalhousie.

Powick credited a lot of her individual and team’s success to the group’s inviting and supportive environment.

“It’s definitely competitive, but I just always felt like there was a very big emphasis that we all grow together as a team.”

Despite being a rookie, Powick was able to get along with the other sailors right away, even using their experience to help her own sailing.

“I was definitely nervous going into it but once I kind of met everyone, I never felt like anyone was ever gatekeeping or anything.

People were always super willing to talk through what made them fast, or how they had success” Powick said.

While Powick states that her teammates are her biggest supporters, she also gives credit to the team’s coach Danielle Boyd, as well as her parents, for helping her throughput her sailing career.

Powick also made sure to

emphasize that her awards reflected the team’s accomplishments, and not just her own personal success.

“I was happy that it brought recognition to the team” Powick noted. “Yeah, I ended up with [the awards] or whatever, but none of that could have been possible without the people I had around me.”

Despite school being out, Powick still trains and coaches with the Kingston Yacht Club over the summer and travels across Canada with the club to keep her sailing skills sharp.

Powick is optimistic about what the next season holds for the Queen’s Varsity Sailing Team.

“I know for certain that next year the team is going to continue to push to do well and be really competitive in the fleet.

Our presidents this year have a really strong plan for us moving forward [to continue] representing Queen’s,” Powick said.

She’s hopeful for more smooth sailing for both her and the team as next season approaches.

Queen’s Sailing rookie Anna Powick wins multiple national awards

Sailor claims the awards would not have been possible “without the people I had around” Jacksen MacLean, Assistant Sports Editor

In a season full of strong winds for the Queen’s Varsity Sailing Team, it was a rookie sailor that made the biggest splash.

Queen’s sailing member Anna Powick, Sci ’29, was awarded both the 2025 Canadian Intercollegiate Sailing Association (CICSA) Rookie of the Year Female and the 2025 CICSA Female Crew of the Year awards.

In an interview with The Journal, Powick expressed that she was “super honoured” to be given both awards.

“I’m really flattered that people voted me for [the awards], but I wasn’t expecting that at all.

The league is very competitive, and there’s a lot of really good people who were nominated who were also very deserving of the awards,” Powick stated.

The awards come after an already successful year for Powick and her teammates. In October the team hosted and won the CICSA Team Racing National Championships, as well as winning the Women’s Fleet Racing Event in Montreal. They followed that up with a second place finish a month later at the Fleet Race Nationals in Halifax, losing only to Dalhousie University. In

Anna Powick prepares her boat for sail at Keelboat Nationals.

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY ANNA POWICK

MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2026

Women’s Flag Football to join U SPORTS in 2027-28

Queen’s Women’s Football has already seen provincial and national success ahead of U Sports recognition.

GRAPHIC BY CLAIRK BAK

The sport will enter as a pilot sport ahead of its Olympic debut Malek Benameur, Assistant Sports Editor Women’s flag football is getting a bigger stage in Canadian university sport.

U SPORTS announced June 3 that women’s flag football will become a pilot sport beginning in the 2027-28 season. The move gives the sport a clearer place within the national university system and adds another championship opportunity for women student-athletes across Canada.

For Queen’s, the announcement comes at a time when its women’s flag football program has already built a strong competitive record.

At the 2025 OWIFA 5v5 Provincial Championships, Queen’s Gaels won the provincial title, while Queen’s Blue finished fourth. The team is divided in half during the 5v5 season to keep their entire squad involved, expanding back to 11 in the winter. Both Queen’s teams reached the semifinals, giving the program one of the strongest showings in Ontario.

The program has also carried that success beyond the province.

Queen’s finished fourth at the 2026 Canadian Collegiate Flag Football Championship, placing the Gaels among the top teams in the country.

For Brooke Macaulay, ArtSci ’27 and corner on the Queen’s Women’s Flag Football team, the sport has become one of the most meaningful parts of her university experience.

“Before coming to Queen’s, I didn’t even know women’s flag football existed. Now, I can’t imagine my life without it,” Macaulay said in an interview with The Journal.

Macaulay said the team has given her friendships, confidence, and a place where she feels supported. She described the program as something built through years of work from players, coaches, and supporters who believed in where the sport could go.

Women’s flag football has already had a national collegiate structure through Football Canada, which has hosted the Canadian Collegiate Flag Football Championship since 2022. The sport has also had a varsity presence in Quebec’s RSEQ since 2021.

Now, U SPORTS recognition could help move the sport into a new phase.

The pilot sport designation gives emerging sports a chance to develop within the U SPORTS structure before becoming permanent fixtures. Women’s flag football will hold that status for five seasons while U SPORTS works with member schools, conferences, and Football Canada to decide competition standards and championship requirements.

Macaulay said the announcement feels like recognition for the work already being done in the sport, but not the end of that work.

“One phrase [Women’s Football] Coach Lib has always said is, ‘Keep laying the bricks, one brick at a time,’” Macaulay said. “To me, that means trusting the process and believing that every challenge, every season, and every small step forward contributes to something much bigger than yourself.”

For Queen’s, that process has already been visible. The program has grown into a two-team structure, competed at the top of the province, and pushed onto the national stage. U SPORTS recognition could give that momentum more visibility on campus and beyond.

As U SPORTS grows into the woman’s game, recognition could also bring greater visibility to women’s flag football at Queen’s.

While football on campus is often connected to the varsity tackle program, women’s flag football has created its own culture and identity, which Macaulay calls ‘a sisterhood.’

Flag football is also set to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, giving the sport more attention than ever before.

The details are still being worked out, as U SPORTS has not yet announced which schools will take part, how teams will qualify, or where the first Football Canada or U SPORTS Women’s Flag Football Championship will be held.

Still, the announcement gives women’s flag football a direction it has not had before in Canadian university sport.

Want to contribute?

Contact journal_sports@ams.queensu.ca

DIVERSIONS

MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2026

DIVERSIONS

As Summer continues, so does your Summer horoscope

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19) For you, this summer means ghosts of situationships past might return to haunt you. Exes, old friends, the guy who ghosted you after two weeks, they may all show up in your life for a return feature. But you can take it and roll with the punches. With Cancer season starting mid-month, your body may react negatively to stress. Take a spa day, go out to bottomless brunch, hang out with your friends at a patio! Focus on yourself, ignore the noise of the past, and the universe will reward you.

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 9

Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20) You spent a fair amount of time at the pier soaking up the sunshine, but that isn’t the only thing that you soaked up.

Pisces, you have been absorbing the energy around you all year and you only have two months left to rest and recover before the emotional turbulence of the year ahead. Don’t feel guilty for needing to escape. Do it. Run. Make a decision and stick to it for the rest of the summer. It may be tough but you can go with the flow and use your unparalleled imagination.

Aries (March 21 – April 19) Right now, your friends are down bad for their summer flings, and you already know you hate their partners. Don’t be apologetic for your true self. You may be blunt and insensitive, but that’s just a part of your spunk! You are probably staring at your lovey dovey friends in envy, but fear not, you can run your own show.

Don’t forget the mantra: “You’re you!”

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) Gemini, this is the summer to get things together! You’re used to being the type B friend but now it’s time to lock in. Clean your room, the warm weather is begging you to come out of your hibernation and get a fresh start. So pick up the rogue socks off your floor and bring those mugs down to your kitchen sink, it’s time to buy a planner.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21) Summer’s heat. July’s sun. Your passion. What do the three have in common? They are all unyielding. Take this time with your long-distance besties to form a true soul to soul connection. Don’t let your summer love drag you down. You think you know them, but you don’t. You will easily fall into obsession if you let yourself slip. When you find out they’re cheating, don’t be too jealous, they’re just doing them and you should just do you!

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22) These energy shifts are making you think ahead. Your summer started with a toxic situationship but don’t worry, it happens to the best of us.

There are two paths before you.

One is letting go, becoming the hot girl summer needs you to be. The other is locking in and figuring out a solution to whatever mess you have been stuck in. There is a secret third option for Libra’s who strike a balance in every situation.

You could continue this casual arrangement, but watch out for heart breakers — whether that’s you or your lover.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20) Let’s be for real, not much has changed for you this summer, but stability is a virtue. Enjoy a carefree life and prioritize the simple luxuries in life.

Downtown strolls. Late night ice cream. Take some time to relax before the school year starts, because things may start to tip the opposite way come September.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21) Going into July, Sagittarius is going to have a month as fiery as their personality. For those in a committed relationship, expect to have a boost in your passion this month, matching the burning energy of the hottest month of the year. Make sure to keep your communication open and honest, but watch out for trouble when Mercury goes into retrograde. If you’re single starting this month, someone new is entering your life, specifically when you’re in a new environment! They may seem blunt, but their intentions are genuine, so keep an open mind.

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22) Entering into July you need to lower your standards. There’s only two months of summer left and you do not want to enter into September alone. Use your ability to notice anything and everything as your superpower. Notice that a girl likes flowers or that a boy likes chocolate croissants to attract the most positive of energy.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18) You had a vision for the summer; it may or may not be going to plan. But this Canada Day stare up at the bright flashing fireworks and dream!

Gather your friend group and get those plans out of the group chat. Europe. Mexico. FIFA fan events.

Go wild! While you’re out there thrifting, pick up that hat that your friends say think twice about.

There’s no such thing as too many feathers.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22) Mercury is in retrograde again, but I’m sure you already know. Your sensitive heart has experienced far too many emotional shifts. Maybe a first date didn’t go to plan, or you’ve run out of Hinge likes for the day. As you stay strong during these desperate times, remember that retrograde inspires us to reflect to prepare for positive changes. So, slow down, take a deep breath, and have a sweet treat — love awaits us all until we are truly ready to accept it.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22) Currently, Venus is in Leo. The planet of love is in alignment with your confidence, manifesting your deepest desires and pleasures. This summer, dramatically display your love through grand gestures. Take the ride of your dreams by hopping on a fairytale horse carriage to find your happily ever after.

Surprise them with a romantic getaway. Or, plagiarize Shakespeare’s greatest sonnets and pretend you wrote them to woo your boo — “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” Don’t worry about these actions giving Obsession, Leo’s are known for their passion, and that’s nothing to be ashamed about!

ARTS & CULTURE

10 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

ARTS & CULTURE

PHOTO BY MAYAH RICKETTS

Four of the night’s performers (from left to right): Tyffanie Morgan, Rowena Whey, Street Meat, and Yuni-Verse.

Performers serve both looks and the community at Drag in the Park Confederation Park hosts six local drag artists Mayah Ricketts Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

On June 9 at 7:00 p.m., Kingston hosted its 6th annual Drag in the Park.

Open to people of all ages, Drag in the Park platforms queer identified local artists by bringing two hours of music, colour, and joy to Confederation Park.

Members of the Kingston community came together behind the Visit Kingston building with lawn chairs, picnic blankets, and lots

of cash, ready for a night full of remarkable performances and high energy. Needless to say, they weren’t disappointed.

The show featured six performers, including the two hostesses, Tyffanie Morgan and Rowena Whey. The pair have been hosting Drag in the Park since their first show on a friend’s back deck six years ago. But their commitment to the drag scene didn’t start there; Tyffanie Morgan has been performing in Kingston for 25 years and is considered a drag mother to many.

The annual performance is in support of Trellis HIV and Community Care. Established in 1988, Trellis is a local organization that supports and provides harm reduction services for people living with, at risk of, or

‘Stop! That! Train!’ is a stormaganza of fun and controversy

Two train stewardesses go off the rails Claire Bak Senior Photos Editor

Does Stop! That! Train! get cute?

Or is it drop dead gorgeous.

On June 12, Stop! That! Train! became the first film from the RuPaul’s Drag Race universe to hit theatres across North America.

The action-comedy-disaster film was highly anticipated by fans of the cult-classic reality competition television series, myself included. I walked out of the theatre still laughing at the Queen’s jokes and thought about the film’s zinging one liners for the rest of the day.

As a long-time fan of the show, I wondered if the feature film would be as good as its promotions were or if it would end up feeling like a “Drag Race” acting challenge that has run on too long.

While sitting in the theatre at a matinee screening, I realized it was sure to be a success.

Stop! That! Train! had all the

foundations to create something that would gag its audience.

Directed by Hairspray’s Adam Shankman and chock-full of past Drag Race competitors and celebrity cameos, Stop! That! Train! is set to become a time capsule of 2020s queer culture.

The movie follows budget train stewardesses, DeeDee and Tess, played by RuPaul’s Drag Race alums, Jujubee and Ginger Minj, as they work their first shifts on the Glamazonian Express, which boasts “opulence, excess, and hot people.”

Whilst aboard the high-speed train, DeeDee and Tess navigate working with elitist stewardesses, eclectic passengers, and even finding love, all while driving through a fictitious natural disaster, dubbed a stormaganza, that threatens everyone aboard the Glamazonian Express.

Throughout the screening, it was clear how well the creators of the film knew their audience.

affected by HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted and BloodBorne Infections (STBBIs).

“I not only get to financially support underserved members of the community, [but] I also get to share a message of love and support for the queer community,” Whey wrote in a statement to The Journal.

Volunteers from Trellis were present throughout the show to collect donations from audience members. The drag performers themselves also collected cash tips and immediately deposited them into Trellis’ red collection buckets. Every dollar raised was donated to the charity.

The hosts emphasized the diversity that comes with drag performances and proved it with appearances from a variety of

Instead of expanding viewership by generalizing humor, Stop! That!

Train! retains its fanbase by focusing on 2SLGBTQIA+ centred comedy, self-referentiality, and a lack of self-seriousness, preserving quintessential aspects of the cult-classic television show.

The benefits of Stop! That!

Train! preserving Drag Race’s humor allows fans to feel in on the story, often referencing gags and bits that they’ve seen on the show previously. For instance, the iconic ‘tell it to me straight, now tell it to me gay’ joke is employed a handful of times throughout the film. While the joke is played out several times, the response lines are changed, creating a piece of self-referential humor where audiences feel in on the joke.

Although Stop! That! Train! received many positive reviews from fans, there have been multiple controversies surrounding the film.

Since its release, fans have speculated online that visual effects and landscape shots seen in the film were created with generative AI. In response, Shankman took to Instagram, writing that, “there are a sum total of ZERO shots conceived by AI in the movie.” Despite Shankman’s

MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2026 performers, including Yuni-Verse, Sundae Mourning, Whiplash, and Street Meat. Each performer brought something new to the stage and with a wide range of artists, there was truly something for everyone to enjoy.

“Our drag community is so diverse and special in its performers,” Yuni-Verse wrote to The Journal. “We’re a rarity in Ontario and it’s something people should seek out.”

Despite having a stage, the performers all maneuvered through the crowd, giving almost every audience member a great view. They lip-synched and danced skillfully to popular hits, even acknowledging that a drag show wouldn’t be complete without The Weather Girls, “It’s Raining Men.” Halfway through the show, the hosts introduced Amanda Girling, the executive director of Trellis Community Care. Calling Drag in the Park Trellis’s biggest fundraiser by far, Girling told the audience that it has raised over $25,000 for the organization since they started six years ago.

“I can’t believe we are Trellis’s largest fundraiser, thanks to the generosity of the many spectators out there willing to give and experience a lively drag show,” Morgan told The Journal.

The night was stacked with everything from outfit changes to somersaults, to coordinated dance routines to ABBA’s greatest hits. Each performer invited the audience to sing, dance, and celebrate along with them.

When the show ended at 9:00 p.m., the audience lined up for pictures. Despite being tired from their show, the drag performers posed fabulously for each one.

With performances like these it’s clear that Drag in the Park has a long future ahead of it.

What started off as an intimate gathering of friends six years ago has evolved into an annual experience which draws in massive crowds every year and spreads awareness for Trellis and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. statement, some fans are not convinced, critiquing his post’s specific wording.

User ‘gloriamoonchild’ commented under Shankman’s post, “are you able to state that ZERO generative AI was used in ANY shots in this film?” Despite further inquiries from fans, Shankman has not made any other statements on the AI use in the film.

Beyond the AI scandal, there have been controversies within the Drag Race community surrounding lead actress Minj.

The tenured contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race has been accused of lying about other queens, as well as lying about aspects of her life during her media tour after her win on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season ten. While on the Kelly Mantle Show, Minj commented on her close friendship with fellow All Stars competitor, Mistress Isabelle Brooks, which was later denied by Brooks in a YouTube video titled, “Dear Ginger Minj, Please Stop Lying,” spilling the tea only a month after the announcement of Stop! That!

Train!

However, as a long-time fan of the franchise, I believe Stop!

That! Train! is a hit despite the controversies. It’s fun, campy, and

Kingston Pride Parade ... continued from front page After the speeches, thousands arrived at the Basin by 1:00 p.m. to carry celebrations over to the Community Fair, where everyone gathered to connect with the community.

Gay pop boomed on the speakers, Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!” and Hayley Kiyoko’s “Girls Like Girls” pumped everyone up as they all coursed through crowded alleys. Booths stretched from Springer Market Square all the way to the Waterfront Pathway, offering attendees everything from sweet treats to prideful art to community resources.

At the Sexual Health Resource Centre (SHRC) booth, passionate volunteers distributed free condoms, pins, and informative pamphlets about the resources their centre offers.

“We are an open space so people can come up and talk to us and literally ask anything. We make sure we are accessible to everybody, especially the Pride community,” SHRC’s Events Coordinator and former Internal Educator Olivia McPherson, ArtSci ’27, said in an interview with The Journal.

A few booths down, the Yellow House Student Centre for Equity and Inclusion invited attendees to interact with their collaborative community mural and receive face paint to commemorate their experiences at Pride.

Along the fair’s artist alley, artisan vendors tended the booths, as they celebrated Pride by selling art to raise donations.

Queer Collage Collective, a queer-led, anti-oppressive arts collective sold colourful Pride themed prints and re-imagined vintage buttons, raising a total of $300 dollars to support Palestinian refugee families in Lebanon.

After an eventful afternoon, crowds dispersed around 5:00 p.m. to continue their Pride elsewhere, with some lingering around the Basin for Kingston Pride’s fundraising cruise to watch drag and burlesque along the St. Lawrence River.

As proven by Saturday’s turn out, standing together as a community is how Kingston uses resilience to create liberation. The crowd’s countless displays of camaraderie is why thirty-seven years of Kingston Pride and counting has been made possible.

doesn’t take itself too seriously.

I mean, how many feature films are in theatres right now with multiple choreographed dance numbers?

Stop! That! Train! has drama, humor, and Sarah Michelle Gellar, making it the perfect movie for Pride Month.

Follow @queensjournalnow on Instgram to stay up to date on The Queen’s Journal

MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2026

POSTSCRIPT

POSTSCRIPT

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 11

You’re right, being gay is my whole personality I love myself out loud to liberate myself from respectability Chloe Nunes Senior Arts and Culture Editor

I’ve been told that I talk about being gay every five minutes.

Well, I overheard a friend saying it about me behind my back.

Although I consider myself confident in who I am, sometimes I slip up. After hearing that comment, for the first time in years, I worried about how others perceived my identity. Since I am not confrontational, I stayed up that night writing in my journal, questioning whether being gay really is my whole personality.

I concluded that my personality is queer.

I unapologetically talk about being gay all the time, and I am a better person for loving myself out loud.

My queer identity influences why I hold certain values, what hobbies I have, how I dress, and who I love. My sexuality forms these characteristics, and in turn, composes elements of my personality. Although there are other components that shape who I am, a defining aspect of the unique qualities that characterize me as an individual is that I am “a” lesbian.

If people have a problem with how my personhood developed, they view my queerness as a character flaw: an unrespectable quality that an acceptable individual must overcome.

Our heteronormative world functions on the idea that there are respectable ways of being queer. The framework of respectability politics relies on us conforming to socially respectable versions of ourselves, annihilating any unacceptable aspects of our identities through assimilation.

Respectable queerness falls on the condition that one silences their true selves to perform queerness in “acceptable” ways, submitting to homonormativity by complying with heteronormative ideals to achieve social acceptance.

In the process, we disrespect who we are to be accepted by those who do not respect us.

Leave carabiners at home, turn backwards caps around, and love out loud only the parts of yourself that society deems lovable.

Before I accepted myself, I tried to be respectable. I kept

crushes to myself instea d of gush ing about them at sleepovers. There where nights when I went to bed, hoping I wouldn’t wake up as a lesbian again. That day never came.

Adhering to society is the most straightforward way to forget who you are.

My personality can’t be too gay if I don’t have one at all.

Looking for a respectable version of myself was like chasing the end of a rainbow.

I never found it.

No matter how much I repressed myself, I could not assimilate without being perceived as d i f fe re n t . U n d e r the structure of our world, achieving respectability is always a losing battle.

Now I love myself out loud to liberate myself from respectability.

One of the ways I achieve this is by clipping a carabiner around my belt loop.

Last year, I vowed to never take it off and keep it as a visible marker of my lesbian identity.

I promised this to myself when a classmate, who I had nev- Queerness is a virtue, not a vice. er spoken to, came up to me af- Mulholland Drive is in my top ter class, sharing how she knows four films. whenever I enter a room because Even common topics of conof the music my keys make. versation turn “gay” when I disIn that moment, I realized that cuss my girlfriend, my favourite my carabiner is my leitmotif — movies, or songs I love. While we my recurring musical phrase that might discuss the same topics, shows how my identity and per- my fear is that my contributions sonality are entangled like a com- to a conversation are deemed plex arrangement of notes that unrelatable, unacceptable, sound best when played together. and unrespectable.

As liberating as it is to live When I have been told that I openly, letting identity affect am making my identity my “whole your individuality comes with personality,” those harmful comchallenges because it outs you ments don’t always come from as different. straight people policing queer I never have to bring up my expression. sexuality to receive the comment I have met queer people who that my queerness is my “whole internalize these heteronormative personality.” When I discuss as- ideals, then direct their fears onto pects of myself that happen to be others who embody traits they recoded as queer, I contribute to pressed within themselves. Those the idea that my whole selfhood who hope they’re not like “other” is my queerness without having gays by performing respectable to say the word “lesbian.” queerness and unaccepting their For example: I love watching community in the process. women’s hockey. Arts and crafts Their pick-me problem stems nights are everything to me. from being afraid of anyone who

has accepted their identities. In that sense, we have all been “other” gays.

I have been “baby gay who came out in middle school,” whose lexicon consisted of telling the world who I was — a problem for those who wish I could have stayed quiet like them. I have been “blue hair and pronouns.” While my hair is back to brown, I still use they/them — a problem for those who act like gender neutral pronouns aren’t in the dictionary.

My lived experiences are not dictated by respect. They are controlled by acceptance for whoever I am and have been, which is why my personality being gay isn’t all that bad.

If we perceive queerness affecting our personalities as character flaws, we risk perpetuating our own social exclusion by discriminating against members of our own communities.

Although I can attest that

ILLUSTRATION BY ANNA VAN RAALTE

my lesbian identity does not make up my entire personality, it would be wrong to say that my queerness does not shape my character. Through my process of self-acceptance, I have become confident, resilient, and compassionate.

When anyone complains about my personality being too gay, I see that comment as a sign that I am not silencing who I am. There’s nothing wrong with being proud of who you are and choosing to be loud about it.

I am privileged for not having to be accepted by everyone around me. I am lucky that my queerness does not require respect. I am reminded that pride is a celebration of our differences, not a call to painstakingly assimilate.

12 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

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MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2026

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