Campus Celebrity: Shriya Hari

This week, I caught up with Shriya Hari, co-founder of V-Talks, a discussion series part of McGill Students for V-Day.

What is V-Talks?
V-Talks is one of several portfolios falling under the jurisdiction of the campus club, McGill Students for V-Day. Its goals include providing an open, candid, and non-oppressive forum that is a safe space to talk about women’s issues. We strive to be an inclusive group, open to all perspectives, backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, and sexual orientations. 

V-Talks explores ideas and principles that relate to women’s advancement in society. While not of our members identify as feminist, many do and hold the belief that men and women are inherently equal and therefore deserve equal opportunity. Thus, it is safe to say that we at McGill Students for V-Day and V-Talks, advocate several principles of certain types of feminism. We also recognize that such principles can be contextualized differently in different cultures and appreciate the diversity of attitudes related to women’s empowerment. We recognize the diverse opinions on contentious issues, such as abortion and pornography, and want to facilitate discussions about these topics in a way that is inclusive. 

So far, we have had the pleasure of collaborating with campus groups related to our cause, including the Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS), the Eating Disorder Program, and Think Pink. We are also collaborating with the Union for Gender Empowerment (UGE) in the winter semester. 

How did it begin?
Last year, we conducted professor-led discussion series leading up to our annual production of The Vagina Monologues. We decided at that time that continuing some sort of forum for discussion for the 2011-2012 year should be an integral part of V-Day. I thought it would be a great idea to continue the spirit of those discussions this year in a peer-led setting. We have had workshops facilitated by SACOMSS and the EDP. I hope to also incorporate professor-led discussions this year, as well as film screenings.

What do you cover in your meetings?
Our meetings cover a diverse array of topics—we try to start with a focal point but it often branches into related areas. Some of the topics we have covered are sex-positive pornography/sex work/sexual agency vs. sex trafficking, modesty, body image and beauty, sexual assault, slutshaming, trans issues, rape culture, queer/LGBTQ modes of approaching these issues, intersectionalities of privilege and oppression—there really is a lot of ground to cover! 

What do you wish to convey, and ultimately accomplish, with V-Talks?
V-Day at McGill is a nonhierarchical organization—so I’m sure if you asked this question of any of the executive members, you’d get a slightly different answer. For my part, as Events Coordinator, it’s always been important for me to raise awareness along with raising money. V-Day may be considered a charity in some respects, as we at McGill do raise over $10,000 dollars every year for local and international shelters/aid agencies, but we are an activist group at heart. The ultimate goal of V-Talks, for me, is to act as a space for people to become informed about gender disparities that still exist, and what we can do to combat these disparities. These elements intersect with race, religion, culture, class, sexual orientation, non-normative gender identities, and it’s important that we not dichotomise, or start applying rules to situation; we are not prescriptive in our approach. That being said, people are free to voice their opinions, and disagreements are perfectly allowed, as long as it still facilitates healthy discussion. Ultimately, I want it to be a space where change starts. Change in how we approach gender binaries, understanding that women’s empowerment lies in sociological change and not just policy-based change, understanding the wider concept of gender empowerment in general. When people leave V-Talks, I’d like them to think about what we’ve discussed, and have it stay with them for the rest of the week, until they start noticing elements of those topics in everyday life. 

How can McGill students get involved in the initiative? 
Easy! Come out every Monday from 5:30 to 6:30 to V-Talks! For November, the location is M217B, second floor of McLennan Library—but this is subject to change for the winter semester.

If you’re interested in helping out, or be part of the events committee, send an email to events.vdaymcgill@gmail.com. Organizer.vdaymcgill@gmail.com is also great for getting in touch with the executive committee of McGill Students for V-Day (formerly known as V-Day McGill). If you are interested in helping out with our annual production of The Vagina Monologues, feel free to get in touch with producer.vdaymcgill@gmail.com for more information. We hope to hear from you! We always need help with bake sales, postering, and getting the word out. 

Before we end, what is your favorite hangout spot on campus?
Probably the SSMU Lounge—since Science doesn’t have one.

And in Montreal?
Lola Rosa in downtown Montreal. They have amazing food, their brownies are the best, and one of the waiters, David Martell, sings so well!

Finally, what advice do you have for McGill collegiettes™?
Hmm…I don’t think I’m in any real position to advise, but, here are a few things to consider. The following points are, in general, loosely related to things I discuss on a regular basis. You have other media for access to things like “getting a good sleep before exams,” so I’m going to focus on something a little different: our roles as women, and/or as female-bodied persons:

1.      Your worth is not measured by the scale or by the inch-tape, but by what is in your head and in your heart.  Friends who tell you otherwise are not your friends.
2.      Society will always tell you that your worth is measured by the scale, the inch tape, your bust size, how much pubic hair you shave off, and the symmetry of your features. Society tells you that beauty is only skin deep and yet it’s all it cares about. Resist this attitude with everything you have. It will be irritating and annoying for most of your life. Resist it anyways. Resistance is not futile. 
3.      Reach out to women not usually represented in media: Lesbians. Women of color. Sex workers who choose their profession. Sex workers who don’t. Trans women. Asexual women. Bisexual women. Recognize that their stories are not told without heavy doses of stereotypes, and that there is a huge chunk of women not represented at all in day-to-day life. Learn that society teaches you what it means to be a woman while ignoring so many stories of womanhood. Learn to fight this. Reach out to your sisters.
4.      Read. Read these blogs, among others. Read in general.
·        http://racialicious.com
·        http://www.therotund.com
·        http://feministing.com
5.      There is nothing shameful about a smart, strong, kind woman who is totally comfortable with her sexuality. There is only radiance (so long as you’re willing to fight the world when it tells you you’re wrong). There is nothing sexier than a confident, kind, assertive woman. To me, anyways. If you find yourself deliberately playing dumb around certain people, or acting less sure, ask yourself why this is happening, and if it’s for the best.
6.      Question dogma.  When someone tells you “That’s just the way it is” ask yourself, “but does it have to always be the way it is? Why is it this way? Is this beneficial to all people, or only to a privileged few?”
7.      Live life on your terms.
8.      If you find yourself policing other women’s choices, beliefs, bodies, clothing, make-up, accessories, etc—stop. Recognize that women are policed for these things day in and day out—recognize that our bodies are often political minefields where wars take place every election—in a way male-bodied persons never are. Be a part of the solution, not the problem. Stay supportive.
9.      If you’re interested in awesome TV shows that feature capable and fantastic women, I recommend: “Battlestar Galactica” and “The Killing.” Enjoy!
10.   Find ways to preserve your happiness. Happiness is a worthy goal.
 
 
V-Talks takes place every Monday at 5:30. For more information, check out our weekly event posting here!