Ben O’Keefe speaks at second annual Pride Culture Conference
Tuesday, Oct. 20 marked the first event of UFV’s second annual Pride Culture Conference. This series of virtual events is held as a joint effort between UFV Student Life and the Peer Resource and Leadership Centre. Topics for upcoming events will include intersectionality, allyship, and body and sex positivity, and will continue until April 2021.
Due to the current precautions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will continue to be hosted on a virtual platform. Keynotes will be presented via YouTube live stream with a Zoom question-and-answer period following.
The organizers have clearly taken the time to consider all possible technical issues and learned from past events, as this is one of the best virtual events UFV has hosted this semester. Links to meeting places were sent out to attendees early, directions to audience members were simple and clear, and moderators were skilled at addressing audience questions. The event was very inclusive, which, according to UFV president and vice chancellor, Dr. Joanne MacLean, is one of the university’s core values. The live stream was highly accessible for all audiences, with the entire video captioned and non-intrusive music to set the tone.
The keynote speaker of this event was Ben O’Keefe. According to Education News Canada, O’Keefe is a human rights activist, progressive strategist, and founder of Give A Damn, an impact entertainment company; O’Keefe is helping to build the body positivity movement as we know it today and is a respected voice in the #BlackLivesMatter movement. He spoke on the intersectionality and complexities of the LGBTQ+ experience, drawing from his own life and experience to do so.
“In simpler terms: intersectional theory asserts that people are often disadvantaged by multiple sources of oppression,” said O’Keefe during the keynote. “These complexities of oppression and experiences are so critical to how we experience the world. There is no one LGBTQ+ experience.”
O’Keefe touched on how intersectionality has touched his own life. In telling his story, he adheres to the simple principle of “We all have a story, and our stories have the power to change someone else’s, or if we give them a chance to — to change the world.”
O’Keefe also introduced the audience to a concept he calls “radical empathy.”
“I explain radical empathy like this: when someone sees a person who committed murder they say, ‘That person is disgusting.’ When I see a person who committed murder, I say: ‘Murder is so disgusting; I wonder what happend to that person to make them do it, and what I can do to fix it to make sure that they never do it again and so that no one else becomes a murderer for the same reason.’ It’s the idea that no one is beyond repair.”
The keynote also touched on O’Keefe’s advocacy work and how we can encourage empathy and change in our communities. The question-and-answer portion had insightful questions on how COVID-19 has contributed to people’s sense of community, finding empathy for people who tear you down, cancel culture, and how to apply the concept of radical empathy to one’s self.
Overall, the first evening of the Pride Culture Conference was a delight. It stimulated insightful thought and conversation and was a preview of upcoming Pride Culture Conference events. Students can still RSVP for future events through Connect UFV. Talks will continue through April 2021 with upcoming talks from Emily Bailey from YouthCO and Reverend Tim Bowman who will be talking about the intersection of queer and transgender identities and mental health and gender, sexuality, and Christianity. Also, on Nov. 3, Jas Basra from Health Initiative for Men will be speaking on power and privilege.
(Jasmin Sessler/Unsplash)
