It appears last week’s article in The Ontarion about the CSA bike centre has opened up discussion regarding Women and Trans* Night, and the role of safe spaces on campus in general. It is important to recognize that this article enters a dialogue that has been taking place in many forms on campus for many years. The article mistakes hostility and violence for oppression. While the former two terms represent direct, intentional actions meant to harm, oppression names the way such acts work in concert with power dynamics and cultural norms to disadvantage certain members of our society. The bike centre’s own writings make clear that it is not only individual hostile actions, but oppressive structures and cultural norms that led to the establishment of Women and Trans* night. Related to the need to distinguish between oppression and hostility is the need to seek empowerment as opposed to mere protection: empowerment and participation makes it possible to form new dynamics and structures, whereas protection will only ever preserve present power structures and make them workable. Furthermore, exclusion differs from making space. An everyday example of making space is giving up one’s seat on the bus. This act does ...
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