Ali P Photography

HAPPENING RIGHT NOW! Our very own Fortune Favours will be performing tonight! Can’t wait! Don’t miss this it’s going to be AMAZING! Www.twitch.tv/Paris gore

This is long. I do not often share my thoughts on social media, but I have been unsettled by some comments that I have been seeing. So I will just leave this... here. __________________________________________________________________ The diversity at Algoma University will certainly be one of the most endeared aspects of my undergraduate education. We are unique in that we have more International students than domestic students that attend. The International folks of Algoma have enriched my education and have broadened my ways of knowing and seeing the world. The students that I have had the opportunity to know are brave, resilient, strong, and determined, travelling, thousands of miles independently, to a new country, to better themselves. Many of these students come from places where violence and unrest are commonplace and they have chosen to make Sault Ste. Marie, home away from home. Living and working in our community, they offer a unique perspective, graciously share their traditions, and are undeniably an intricate part of our economy and an asset to our communities. Many of these students due to distance of travel and cost have not returned home since they started their studies and now remain far from home for a variety of reasons. Some fear not being able to return if they leave, determined to succeed. Some of our students have seen the borders of their countries close, others are unable to return home due to a cancelled of flights, and for some the conditions at home are far worse than what we face here. During these unusual and unprecedented times we need compassion. It is easy to fall prey to stigmatized thinking, more so as tensions mount, as we watch the COVID 19 pandemic irrevocable change the world. We are naturally afraid of illness; it’s unpredictability discomforts, historically we perceive disease as something that originates elsewhere and attacks us. We have long standing histories of attaching the fear of disease to our discomfort in foreignness. These factors combine with the current climate of unpredictability, intensifying stereotypes and stigma. These antiquated ways of thinking will not serve us or our community through challenging times. Our resilience comes from connectedness, compassion and the common goal of the wellness of our community. I implore you to see each person that you meet as an individual. To see their strength, and resilience, to understand that for many the current situation is confusing and frightening. Many in our community are far from home. Often studying, working and living experiences that are new and unusual at the best of times. We all feel the uncertainty that we are facing. I can only Imagine how much harder navigating the current climate would be without the comforts of home and family. These feelings are magnified by derogatory and stigmatizing comments in the community and on social media posts. When we are afraid, we tend to lash out at difference. Please open your heart instead to the similarities. I am proud to call these students, professors and employees, their families and loved ones, my friends. Through sharing their experiences I have become a better person. The strength and fury of COVID-19 leaves me feeling vulnerable in a city where I have family and friends, a home, a car and have a strong support system. I weather this storm from a place where I can walk down the street and no one will judge me for the colour of my skin, my accent, or assumption of my origin. Though, as a Queer* woman, I have experienced the sanction of not fitting into the dominant group and not belonging feels vulnerable. I am accessing my white privilege to have my voice heard, asking that we recognize, that we are at home, that we have our families, the comforts of our cultures and our traditions. Please remember to be a gracious host. We are amidst trying times. No matter where we are from or how long we have been here, the colour of our skin, who we love or how we fit in the world, we all deserve to feel safe and be respected. We are all in this together, we are all human, and we all feel fear and uncertainty. I know that if I was far from home, in a strange place, the kindness and generosity of others would make a world of difference. This virus does not see colour. It does not care where we are from. Any of us, at any moment, could become sick. This is a time that calls for us to think about the safety of each other, to stay home and engage in social distancing. Use social media to build each other up rather than to tear them down, call attention to strengths instead of weakness and to look to new and creative ways to connect and support each other. We need understanding and to be cognizant that we do not all have the same privilege. Many people in our community must go to work to provide for their families. There are many who live pay cheque to pay check and are terrified. Our family, our friends and community members are going to work each day to protect and care for our city, be mindful of how we can make their jobs safer. Now is the time to stay home if you can, to safeguard our vulnerable and to put humanity foremost in all of our interactions, both in person and on social media. Please, in these trying times, be kind. Ali

Less then a week to go! Don’t forget to sign up at www.theprideproject.ca so we have numbers for food! Super excited!

While the Queer* Folk in Focus exhibit might have come down today, I'm not done yet! Firstly I want to say that I couldn't have done it without my amazing partner Helen Scott. I have been overwhelmed by the support that this project received and I will continue to photograph Queer* identifying folk, couples and families through the year with plans of another exhibit in 2018. ... So if you are interesting in becoming a part of this project, please reach out to me.