04/06/2022
IMPORTANT STATEMENT REGARDING EPIC CONDUCT IN THE PLANNING AND PROMOTION OF PLAN C
(TW: Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault)
It has recently been brought to our attention that our venue for Plan C, TRH Bar, has publicly supported and fundraised on behalf of a man who was accused and convicted of gendered and s*xual violence. When planning this event, we were not aware of this news, which was an oversight on our part that we must address. We absolutely do not support this behavior, nor do we wish to continue any partnerships with any venues or companies that support such behavior. On behalf of EPIC and the AUS, we would like to sincerely apologize for all the pain we have caused. Our intention was not to hurt anyone in this process, but we acknowledge that our actions speak louder than our words.
We also take full responsibility regarding the promotion of this event: It was grossly inappropriate, and we deeply regret our wording and marketing. Our usage of memes regarding recent events and uncouth language was reckless and damaging to survivors of domestic abuse, especially considering our intention to support an organization that at its core opposes gendered and s*xual violence against marginalized women. In the future, we will build our social media presence much more carefully in conjunction with our stated values of equity, diversity, and inclusion. We are ashamed to have marketed the event in this manner and send our deepest condolences to those who have been harmed by our promotion.
As a result of these missteps, we have made the decision to cancel Plan C in order to begin the process of repairing the damage we have done. For those of you who have purchased a ticket, you can either choose to have your money donated to Chez Doris or fill out a refund request (which can be found in your purchase confirmation email). Regarding our next steps as an organization, we will be donating the contents of our budget dedicated to planning the event to Chez Doris. In addition, we will be re-evaluating our methods of promotion and venue selection and partaking in sensitivity and EDI training. If you have any questions, concerns, or require any support, you are more than welcome to reach out. We have also provided a list of relevant resources below.
In solidarity,
Sam Baron, AUS VP Social ([email protected])
Event Planning and Involvement Committee (EPIC)
SACOMSS
“The Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS) is a volunteer and student-run organization committed to supporting survivors of s*xual assault and their allies through direct support, advocacy, and outreach.”
Services: Drop-in and Line (DIAL) - non-judgemental and confidential s*xual assault helpline and drop-in service, Support groups, advocacy, and outreach.
Languages: English
Address: 680 Sherbrooke Street W, room 150, Montreal, Quebec. H3A 0B8.
(514) 398-8500
[email protected]
More info: https://www.sacomss.org/wp/
OSVRSE
“The McGill Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support and Education (O-SVRSE) provides confidential, non-judgemental, non-directional support for people impacted by s*xual or gender-based violence.”
Services: Support for members of the McGill community who have been impacted by s*xual harassment or assault, gender-based violence, cyberviolence, etc. which has happened both on and off-campus.
Languages: English and French
Address: 550 Sherbrooke O. Suite 585
(West Tower elevators 1-11)
Montreal, Quebec H3A 1E3
(514) 398-3954
[email protected]
More info: https://www.mcgill.ca/osvrse/
McGill Office of Religious and Spiritual Life
“At MORSL, we welcome all students, of any faith or religious denomination - and also those with no religious affiliation at all! All of our resources and activities, including our workshops, events, publications, lounge and meditation space are free of charge and open to all McGill students who pay student services fees. No appointment is required to come to visit us to use our space to meditate, relax, be inspired, learn, connect and recharge your batteries.”
Services: Holds activities and events for McGill Students.
Hours of operation: (summer)Monday - Thursday: 10 AM - 4 PM
Address: 3495 University Street, 2nd Floor, Montreal, QC H3A 2A8
514-398-4104
[email protected]
More info: https://www.mcgill.ca/morsl/
Union for Gender Empowerment
The Union for Gender Empowerment provides services for anyone who identifies with their anti-oppressive, feminist, trans-positive principles, regardless of gender identity. They act as the center of gender advocacy and take on initiatives to challenge gender binary enforcements.
Services: selling alternative menstrual and safe s*x products, referrals for health and legal issues, feminist, queer-positive and trans-positive resources, a library lending service for contents regarding gender and issues intersecting with gender, a drop-in center and lounge, and has workshops and action groups.
Hours of operation: Summer hours are by appointment.
Address:680 Sherbrooke Street West, Room 110, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8
[email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/UGEMcGill/
More info:https://unionforgenderempowerment.wordpress.com/
First People’s House
The First People’s House at McGill provides a center of community for Indigenous students pursuing their post-secondary education at McGill. They provide cultural support, academic support, and campus support for students through programming and activities. Welcome are all Indigenous students including Métis, the Inuit, & First Nations (both "status" & "non-status"), Maori and Aborigines.
Hours of operation:
Address: 3505 Peel Street, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1W7
514-398-3217
More info:https://www.mcgill.ca/fph/
McGill Domestic Violence Clinic
The McGill Domestic Violence Clinic trains graduate students who have studied Social Work and Psychology to provide services and counseling on all issues relating to violence in intimate relations.
Address: Wilson Hall, 3506 University Street, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2A7
514-398-2686
More info:https://www.mcgill.ca/dvc/
Home COVID-19 UPDATE (April 13, 2020): SACOMSS phone services are now running with limited and irregular hours. Please see below for our updated schedule. Please click the “DIAL” link to see our hours. On this page, you will find brief summaries of each of our services. More information about u....
