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<th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">Subject: </th>
<td>academic solidarity letter for Hamilton 2SLGBTQ+ communities</td>
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<th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">Date: </th>
<td>Fri, 5 Jul 2019 17:37:41 -0400</td>
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<th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">From: </th>
<td>UTFaculty <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:openletterutfaculty@GMAIL.COM">
<openletterutfaculty@GMAIL.COM></a></td>
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<th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">Reply-To: </th>
<td>UTFaculty <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:openletterutfaculty@GMAIL.COM">
<openletterutfaculty@GMAIL.COM></a></td>
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<th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">To: </th>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:OPENLETTERFACULTY-L@LISTSERV.UTORONTO.CA">OPENLETTERFACULTY-L@LISTSERV.UTORONTO.CA</a></td>
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<div dir="ltr">Dear colleagues and friends,</div>
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<div>Many of you will be aware that there has been serious political struggle underway in Hamilton over the last few weeks. In short, extreme right wing groups descended on Pride celebrations, and rather than support the Two Spirit, queer and trans community,
the Hamilton police arrested <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Arial;font-size:14px;white-space:pre-wrap">2SLGBTQ+
</span> folks who erected a curtain shield to protect Pride participants from the hate. If you would like more context, there is a mainstream media overview <a href="https://www.thespec.com/news-story/9484291-a-primer-on-the-aftermath-of-hamilton-pride-what-has-occurred-since-the-violence-what-happens-now-/" moz-do-not-send="true">here</a>.</div>
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<div>We were contacted by community organizers in Hamilton and asked if we would write a letter of solidarity from academics in the region. A few of us have crafted the short letter below and would appreciate an enthusiastic response from List members! </div>
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<div><b>You can read the text below - <font size="4">and add your name <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fTY0GhBv4yf9B7oAhcGMS-GMePtz-XBTNuA4bsp73Zg/edit" moz-do-not-send="true">HERE</a>.</font></b></div>
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<div>Please feel free to share it through your networks via email, but we are not posting it on social media.</div>
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<div>Many thanks and have a wonderful weekend.</div>
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<div><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-59190cc4-7fff-ffc6-9ca8-eebfb35b735f" style="font-family:-webkit-standard;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:16pt"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Dear
Mayor Fred Eisenberger, </span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:16pt"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">We
write to you as scholars who live and work across our shared urban region - the Greater Golden Horseshoe in the territory of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum. We write to register profound concern about the recent treatment of members of Hamilton’s queer, trans
and Two Spirit community by your office and by the Hamilton Police Services. We are disappointed with your conduct, outraged by the unjust treatment of queer, trans and Two Spirit people, and insistent that Hamilton can and must do better. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:16pt"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Organized
hate groups descended upon Hamilton’s 2019 Pride celebrations in an attempt to intimidate and harass participants. In response, members of Hamilton’s queer, trans and Two Spirit community mobilized creative tactics to physically shield pride participants and
protect them from violence and hatred. Instead of supporting members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, your office and the Hamilton police aggressively targeted and criminalized them. This is a troubling reminder of the necessity of Pride, a global movement that
emerged out of the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion in which queer and trans New Yorkers, many of colour, resisted systemic police violence.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:16pt"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Recent
events in Hamilton are also just one episode in a much larger story of marginalization of local queer, trans and Two Spirit people. As an
</span><a href="https://labourstudies.mcmaster.ca/documents/mappingthevoid.pdf" style="text-decoration:none" moz-do-not-send="true"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-skip:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">important
June 2019 report</span></a><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> makes clear, members of Hamilton’s 2SLGBTQ+
community are experiencing deepening forms of socio-economic marginalization, and harassment in public spaces and services. The report documents that 51% of respondents have experienced discrimination or harassment in oudoor public spaces and 53% of respondents
have experienced harassment, violence or hate crimes at least once in Hamilton. For transgender respondents, this number was 61%. The report also highlights the lack of trust in the police; only 10% of respondents who had experienced harassment, violence or
hate crimes reported the incident. 26% faced barriers or discrimination in housing, and unemployment rates are nearly twice the level of the broader population. This is unacceptable.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:16pt"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">These
are serious times and the stakes are high. The emboldening of right wing extremism can have life or death consequences for 2SLGBTQ+ people. We implore you to show responsible leadership and to choose the right path by:</span></p>
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<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:decimal;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre">
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Releasing all queer,
trans and Two Spirit people incarcerated in relation to Pride events and dropping all charges against Pride defenders;</span></p>
</li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:decimal;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre">
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Consulting with Hamilton’s
established 2SLGBTQ+ advisory committee on ways forward;</span></p>
</li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:decimal;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre">
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:16pt"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Initiating discussions
with your 2SLGBTQ+ advisory committee about the creation of community space.</span></p>
</li></ol>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Sincerely,</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Cc:</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">
Chief Eric Girt, Hamilton Police Services; Hamilton Police Services Board</span></p>
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