This article includes descriptions of antisemitism and transphobia and may be triggering for some readers. The Peer Support Centre offers drop-in services and empathetic peer-based support and is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Online services can be accessed here.
Students, staff, and admin alike are speaking out against an offensive street interview video.
Posted to the Instagram account chris_nearchou, now renamed to chris_interviews, the video shows an interviewer and three interviewees, two of whom were wearing Queen’s affiliated merchandise, answering various questions at an off-campus gathering on fauxcoming weekend.
The video—which The Journal has elected not to publish due to mental health concerns of the groups targeted—has received widespread attention after the interviewer asked whether the interviewees would rather date a Nazi or transgender person, using a slur against members of the community. One interviewee claimed he’d choose the transgender individual, using graphic sexual reasoning. The other two claimed they would choose the Nazi, with one saying, “That’s what, 100 years ago? That’s not real anymore.”
On Nov. 19, Queen’s released a public statement condemning the video and added they took action to have it removed once notified of it, adding that it “appears the primary people who lead and speak in the video aren’t affiliated with Queen’s.”
“The safety of transgender community members and indeed all campus community members is paramount for Queen’s. The harm caused by this video post is especially acute, because it surfaced during Transgender Awareness Week—a time dedicated to strengthening understanding, visibility, and support for the transgender community and the challenges its members face during this time of increasing anti-transgender violence,” Queen’s wrote.
In a follow-up statement to The Journal, the University wrote that they’ve identified the main individuals who spoke in the video but are “still working to identify a fourth individual.” The University added that the next steps in their investigation will depend on what they learn about the individuals involved.
PSAC 901—the union representing graduate workers at Queen’s—President Ikeoluwapo B. Baruwa, and Vice-President (Community) Elliot Goodell Ugalde released a press release on Nov. 19, linking the video to a broader pattern of campus issues.
The release cited past incidents such as the circulation of a racist image involving an AMS executive candidate, a coronavirus-themed party attended by a Board of Trustees member, a 2019 racist and homophobic note and theft of Métis and Pride flags in Chown Hall, racist caricatures at a “Beerfest” party, and a professor’s in-class use of a racial slur.
“These incidents aren’t only matters of campus climate; they’re workplace health and safety issues for our members, who teach, research, and support the academic mission of this institution. Our union isn’t interested in symbolic gestures or performative statements; we expect concrete actions and meaningful commitments that address the recurring harms faced by equity-seeking groups,” PSAC 901 wrote.
The union later added that they demand a meeting with the University “to discuss concrete steps to ensure a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace for all PSAC 901 members.”
In its statement to The Journal, Queen’s explained they “responded to the union, advising it of the published statement, and welcoming an opportunity to meet to discuss the steps being taken to address the incident, the reporting pathways available for any concerns involving health and safety, and to discuss how Queen’s can collaborate with the union to ensure its members are aware of the resources and supports available to them.”
The video also received attention from independent Queen’s content creators such as Tyler Doughty, ArtSci ’29, also known as the King @ Queen’s, and Naveini Vasikaran, CompSci ’28. The videos gathered traction on TikTok, with Vasikaran’s video receiving over 466 thousand views and Doughty’s receiving over 272 thousand views.
In an interview with The Journal, Doughty explained why he posted his video.
“I feel as though, since I have a platform and I realized it was from Queen’s, I should be talking about a video that dresses Queen’s in a negative connotation,” Doughty said. “[The video contained] transphobia and antisemitism, and that’s just nowhere near what Queen’s represents or any of the morals that [we] stand for.”
He later explained that within the first couple of hours of posting it, multiple individuals reached out and said they were planning to reach out to the principal with their concerns. Despite specific questioning from The Journal, the University didn’t address whether they received these concerns nor how they would respond to them.
Doughty stressed that he hopes that this video doesn’t discourage those who consider attending Queen’s from doing so, arguing that this is an isolated incident where most students stand firmly against what was said in the video.
“The majority of our student body is on the other side of this. They don’t promote this, [and] I’m basically representing everybody’s voices [by speaking out about it],” Doughty said.
AMS President Jana Amer also released a statement on behalf of the AMS’s executive team, condemning the video and encouraging the Kingston police to investigate the incident.
“We know that the rhetoric in the video doesn’t reflect the values or principles of our 21,000+ students,” Amer wrote.
The statement also pointed to various campus supports, including the Peer Support Centre, Yellow House, Student Wellness Services, the Human Rights and Equity Office, and Faith and Spiritual Life.
The Journal reached out to the original Instagram account for a statement, but didn’t receive a response.
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