The format of a My Take is 150 words – no more, no less – to express an opinion on a different topic each week. This week’s topic was Bill 32
Anyone else appalled by the provincial government’s get out of racism/sexism/homophobia free bill?
It basically insists universities legislate turning a blind eye to what professors say and do in the classroom in the name of academic freedom.
By doing so it destroys any possibility of an equitable educational experience and solidifies the very foundations of systemic racism and discrimination that institutions of higher learning were intended to upend.
It should go without saying that classrooms are filled with a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences, and I mean professors and students. And they should be safe spaces for everyone.
That doesn’t mean not talking about certain things. It means approaching potentially sensitive subjects in a respectful way. It means students who face daily micro aggressions and barriers on their way into the classroom shouldn’t have to tolerate more from a professor who can’t act responsibly.
