Universities Condemn Off-Campus Sign Promoting 'Rape Culture'
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
St. Francis Xavier and Acadia University officials denounce a sign displayed during homecoming celebrations in Antigonish, N.S.
Two Nova Scotia universities have issued condemnations regarding a sign displayed at an off-campus property in Antigonish over a recent weekend, according to reporting from CityNews Toronto.
As reported by CityNews Toronto, the sign read, “Drop-off zone: Acadia girlfriends,” and appeared during the annual homecoming events at St. Francis Xavier University. On Friday, Tara Taylor, who is a professor at St. Francis Xavier University, shared a photo of the sign on social media. Taylor stated in an interview that the display was “incredibly tone-deaf” and felt like a “slap in the face.”
According to CityNews Toronto, the sign was removed Saturday morning but was put back up later that night. St. F.X. President Andrew Hakin released a statement noting that the university ensured the sign was removed a second time, describing the message as “degrading and deeply concerning.”
Acadia University, located in Wolfville, N.S., also addressed the incident in a Sunday statement. The university asserted that the sign encouraged sexual violence against its student body. Both institutions characterized the display as perpetuating rape culture.