Pinkwashing: Notes From Palestine with ASL interpreters

When: Saturday, July 15th, 2017

Time: 10:30am-4:30pm

Where: SFU Burnaby

ASL interpretation is booked for this event. Please register by June 28th at noon to confirm if you need ASL. If no confirmations are received by June 28th at noon, ASL interpretation will be cancelled.

We acknowledge that this event is taking place at SFU Burnaby, located on unceded Indigenous land belonging to the Coast Salish peoples. Unceded means that this land was never surrendered, relinquished or handed over in any way. Based on our current knowledge, this includes the territories of the Musqueam, Skxwú7mesh, Kwikwetlem & Tsleil-Waututh nations. When discussing settler colonialism abroad, it is integral to recognize and work to dismantle settler colonialism on the lands we currently occupy.

What is pinkwashing? What does it have to do with Palestine? Let’s talk about it. This workshop will introduce you to the basics of 100+ years of Palestinian struggle against European Imperialism, Zionism and Israeli settler colonialism.

We will be screening a movie called Pinkwashing Exposed, made by our friends in Duamish territories (also known as Seattle). After that, there will be a chance to discuss how Palestinian queers in Palestine are resisting Israeli pinkwashing, what’s happening here locally, and what we can all do to end pinkwashing.

Accessibility Info:

ASL interpretation is booked for this event. Please register by June 28th at noon to confirm if you need ASL. If no confirmations are received by June 28th at noon, ASL interpretation will be cancelled.

The event space is wheelchair/scooter accessible with access to accessible washrooms nearby.

A gender-neutral washroom is available just down the hall from the event space.

In order to enable people to attend without experiencing hardship, bus tickets and money for dependent care (this can include childcare, eldercare, etc.) are available upon request. Please email admin@sfpirg.ca with inquiries.

While we cannot ensure a fully scent-free event in this setting, we’re aiming to create a scent-reduced environment by not bringing additional scents into the space. Exposure to laundry products, colognes, hairspray, and many other scented products can trigger serious health reactions in individuals with asthma, allergies, migraines, and/or chemical sensitivities. We ask that you not wear/ apply/ or bring any scented products into this space. If you do so, we may need to ask you to leave so others can safely stay in the space. If you find yourself being impacted by someone’s use of scented products during the conference, speak with any one of the organizers. We know that this can be a big step for many people. As Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha says in Fragrance Free Femme of Colour Realness, “Cutting out scents may seem like a pain in the ass, but it means that awesome, ass-kicking community members you love can attend events you’re at and make out with you without having seizures, throwing up or otherwise getting really sick.” Please, bring your amazing self, and keep the scents at home!

(More info here: http://thinkbeforeyoustink.com/howtogofragrancefree.html, http://www.brownstargirl.org/blog/fragrance-free-femme-of-colour-realness-draft-15, http://eastbaymeditation.org/accessibility/scentfree.html)

The event is nut-free and peanut-free. Absolutely no nuts or peanuts will be permitted within the event space in order to create an allergen-free environment for all participants. This includes (but is not limited to) products like hazelnuts, cashews, almonds, coconuts, walnuts, coconut oil, coconut milk, and peanut butter.

If you have any other allergies or sensitivities that we need to know about so that you can participate fully and safely, please let us know at admin@sfpirg.ca.

Some folks are sensitive and/or get sick from electromagnetic frequency radiation (EMF). This can include radiation from cell phones, Wi-Fi, fluorescent lights, and more. SFU Burnaby has Wi-Fi set up throughout its campus, including in theevent space. In order to reduce EMF exposure, we will strive to minimize fluorescent light usage and utilize natural lighting whenever possible.

If there is any other way we can make this event more accessible for you, please let us know at admin@sfpirg.ca!