A pair of Cornell University student organizations recently hosted a discussion about the abolition of police departments within a “queer framework.”<\/p>\n
The event, led by the LGBTQ group Haven and the Cornell Abolitionist Revolutionary Society, also looked at how the “exclusionary practices” of campus Greek organizations mirror those of the justice system, The Cornell Daily Sun<\/em><\/a> reports.<\/p>\n The discussion moderator, of the social justice group Ithaca Pantheras (who wished to remain anonymous due to fear of “targeting”) said societal “obstacles” contribute to mass incarceration of LGBTQ people. They (the moderator uses plural pronouns) also alleged a connection between colonialism and homophobia\/transphobia.<\/p>\n \u201cTo successfully subjugate the colonized people, the European colonizers force the colonized to let go of their cultures, their practices and beliefs in order to usher in a more binary version of society,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n Law student Serene Kabir followed up by saying \u201cWhen I think of policing, it\u2019s really trying to control people and have them fit within a certain standard of behavior and identity. I think queerness is really just inherently pushing those boundaries.\u201d<\/p>\n MORE:<\/strong> University offers workshops for \u2018kink,\u2019 \u2018queer sex\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n From the story<\/a>:<\/p>\n Nadia Vitek \u201922, a member of CARS, said they believe that capitalism thrives on oppression and exploitation through categorization. They mentioned the story of Chanel Hines, a Black trans woman who was shot in Canandaigua, N.Y. in November 2020 by her parole officer, as an example of how the queer community is marginalized in the justice system.<\/p>\n Breanne Kisselstein grad posed a question to the group about how the Cornell University Police Department relates to the conversation of the power structure that exists in policing.<\/p>\n \u201cWe aren\u2019t free until we\u2019re all free,\u201d the moderator said. \u201cEven if it is [CUPD\u2019s] own jurisdiction, it\u2019s operating within the city of Ithaca. Being able to abolish the police in Ithaca, as a whole, if we could do that, abolishing the police on campus really won\u2019t be that big of a next step.\u201d …<\/p>\n Jenn Reed \u201923 shared their experience with rushing. Greek life made Reed feel excluded based on their gender and sexuality after they came out as non-binary and lesbian. Due to the social dynamics of Greek life, Reed said they felt forced to perform within more traditionally feminine and heterosexual boundaries.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The discussion was part of Cornell’s “Queer Month,<\/a>” the last two weeks of which feature the themes \u201cqueerness on campus\u201d and LGBTQ history.<\/p>\n Read the article<\/a>.<\/p>\n MORE:<\/strong> Students can earn credit for attending \u2018Queer Sex Ed Workshop\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n IMAGE: Alexmia \/ Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n