Neha Verma is a queer South Asian writer and creative whose research explores abolitionist healing possibilities for queer and racialized survivors of gender and sexual violence.

We talk about challenging the dominant “healing narrative”, the tidy, linear story that moves from innocence to harm, to full recovery — and how this script, reinforced by the criminal legal system and respectability politics, can erase the messy, complex, and ongoing realities of survivorship.

Neha shares the idea of the “tolerable survivor,” how racialized and queer survivors navigate healing in systems not built for them, and what it means to imagine worthy survivor futures.

Referenced in this episode:
📘 Tanya Tagaq – Split Tooth
📘 Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha – Dirty River

Support & Resources:
Wilfrid Laurier University Gendered Violence Prevention & Support – students.wlu.ca 📧 [email protected]
Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres – https://www.ocrcc.ca
ShelterSafe Canada – https://www.sheltersafe.ca
Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region – 24-Hour Crisis Line: 519-741-8633

If this episode resonated with you, follow the show and leave a comment. We’d love to hear what you think.

In this short, reflective episode recorded the day after the verdict in the Hockey Canada sexual assault case, we take a moment to speak directly to those who are feeling the weight of this moment.

This isn’t a breakdown of the case or a call to action. It’s a space to breathe, to feel what you need to feel, and to be reminded that you’re not alone.

Community Care Drop-In – All are welcome
Location: SASC Office, 151 Frederick St., Kitchener
Date: Friday, July 25
Time: 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Many other sexual assault centres across Ontario are also holding space in their own communities. We encourage you to check in with your local centre to see what supports might be available nearby.

Support Resources:

Wilfrid Laurier University Gendered Violence Prevention & Support:

⁠[email protected]⁠ | ⁠https://students.wlu.ca
SASCWR 24-Hour Support Line: 519-741-8633
Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC): https://sexualassaultsupport.ca
Use the “Find a Centre” tool on their website to locate the centre closest to you.

Take care of yourself. We’re with you.

Jess Dixon is the MPP for Kitchener South–Hespeler and one of the leads on Ontario’s Intimate Partner Violence Subcommittee, a provincial initiative launched in response to the Renfrew County Inquest and the growing call to address intimate partner violence systemically.

In this episode, we talk about how the subcommittee is structured, what priorities are shaping its work, and how policy decisions, like those around mandatory charging, are being navigated in real time.

Referenced in this episode
86 Recommendations for Change from the Renfrew County Inquest – Luke’s Place
https://lukesplace.ca/86-recommendations-for-change-from-the-renfrew-county-inquest/

Support & Resources
Wilfrid Laurier University Gendered Violence Prevention & Support
[email protected] | https://students.wlu.ca

Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region (24-hour crisis line)
519-741-8633

Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC)
https://www.ocrcc.ca

ShelterSafe Canada
https://www.sheltersafe.ca

If this episode resonated with you, follow the show and leave a comment. We’d love to hear what you think.

Kasey and Jesse sit down for a focused unpacking of Episode  1’s conversation with Pamela Cross.

They explore:

• Real-world examples of coercive control, like quiet punishments and shifting supports disguised as care

• How queer harm becomes invisible—to systems, community, and sometimes ourselves

• Why reclaiming small moments—choosing your outfit, speaking your truth—is often the first step toward joy and self-trust

If you’ve ever wondered, “Was that abuse?” or felt like your experience didn't fit the stories others tell, this episode is for you.

Queer-Centered Resources

• Spectrum Waterloo Region – peer support, trans-affirming counselling, and community groups in KW

  https://ourspectrum.com/

• OK2BME (KW) – free counselling and peer groups for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth under 29

  https://ok2bme.ca/

• The Bridge Brant – Brantford’s queer community hub offering advocacy, safer-space training, and social events

  https://www.thebridgebrant.com/https://www.thebridgebrant.com/

• LGBT YouthLine (Ontario‑wide) – peer-support helpline for queer youth via phone, chat, or text

  https://www.youthline.ca/

More Support

• Wilfrid Laurier Gendered Violence Prevention & Support → students.wlu.ca | 📧 [email protected]

• Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC) → ocrcc.ca

• ShelterSafe Canada → sheltersafe.ca

Simona Jellinek is a civil lawyer who has spent decades working alongside survivors and advocating for legal pathways beyond the criminal system. In this episode, we talk about civil litigation—what it can offer, why some survivors choose it, and what it means to seek justice through a system that’s often misunderstood or overlooked.

Referenced in this episode:

🌐 Learn more about Simona’s work and services

https://www.gluckstein.com/sexual-abuse-lawyers/home

Support & Resources:

Wilfrid Laurier University Gendered Violence Prevention & Support

students.wlu.ca – Get Support📧 [email protected]

Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC)

https://www.ocrcc.ca

🏠 ShelterSafe Canada

https://www.sheltersafe.ca

If this episode resonated with you, follow the show and leave a comment—we’d love to hear what you think.

Pamela Cross is a feminist lawyer, advocate, and educator who has spent decades working at the intersection of gender-based violence and the law. In this episode, we talk about her new book, And Sometimes They Kill You: Confronting the Epidemic of Intimate Partner Violence, and what it means to seek justice in a system not built for survivors.

Referenced in this episode:
📄 Renfrew County Inquest Findings
https://www.ontario.ca/page/inquest-carol-culleton-anastasia-kuzyk-and-nathalie-warmerdam
📄 Ontario Domestic Violence Death Review Committee Reports
https://www.ontario.ca/page/domestic-violence-death-review-committee
📘 Pamela’s Book – And Sometimes They Kill You
https://btlbooks.com/book/and-sometimes-they-kill-you
🌐 More about Pamela
https://pamelacross.ca

Support & Resources:

• Wilfrid Laurier University Gendered Violence Prevention & Support
  students.wlu.ca – Get Support📧 [email protected]

• Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC)
  https://www.ocrcc.ca

• 🏠 ShelterSafe Canada
  https://www.sheltersafe.ca

  
  

If this episode resonated with you, follow the show and leave a comment — we’d love to hear what you think.

Introducing Unpacking the Impacts — a podcast about gender-based violence and the systems that define justice, accountability, and healing.
Brought to you by the Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management at Wilfrid Laurier University, and Consent is Golden.

***Episodes launch the first week of June.***
First up: a conversation with Pamela Cross, feminist lawyer and leading legal advocate for survivors, on what justice looks like in and beyond the courts.