On January 29, the Department of Philosophy鈥檚 Equity Committee hosted a panel event on philosophical and legal questions concerning hate speech in Canada. With over 40 undergraduates, graduate students and faculty members from across Queen鈥檚 attending, the event was a tremendous success.
The panelists were Meena Krishnamurthy, assistant professor in Philosophy, Wendy Phillips, elder-in-residence in the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, and Jacob Weinrib, assistant professor in Law. Sofie Vlaad, an MA student in Philosophy, moderated the session.
After fascinating presentations on the distinction between hate speech and problematic speech, hate speech jurisprudence in Canada, and Indigenous understandings of hate and justice, the panelists and the audience had in a robust discussion. The Equity Committee hopes to continue a conversation that can provide inspiration and insights on how best to address racist and homophobic hate speech, and the history of hate speech at Queen鈥檚.