Lifestyles Dousing female flames Double-standards applied to women in the workplace highlighted by lecture series. = By JENNIFER WILSON n unconscious bias in work culture continues to hold back women’s careers, according to female business leaders at the second part of a lec- ture series at the Kerrisdale Com- munity Centre last week, The Threat of the Uppity Woman. e lecture, presented by Reema Faris, a PhD Stu- dent in Simon Fraser Univer- sity's Department of Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies , aimed to address and challenge workplace bias against women who exhibit ambition and leadership. Last year, The Mi- nerva Foundation for BC Women released a report saying that only 12 per cent of B.C. businesses had a female CEO, while 50 per cent had no women on their board. Julia Chung, CEO of Admin Slayer Services in Vancouver said that in ma- jor businesses, women have been made to feel they have very few options to succeed. “People think T . JuliaChung = youre either CEOOFADMIN. gonna be a SLAYER SERVICES bossy, _ bitchy woman or you're going to sleep your way to the top,” Chung said. “The nice girls don’t get ahead because ‘this business is tough, that’s the general belief.” Holly Burton, a Vancouver- based career counselor, said that her female clients often face subtle forms of gender bias. “It’s not that someone has come out and said you're too ambitious or you're too uppity in the moment, but that [my clients] have watched it unfold implicitly throughout their lives,” Burton said. Kristin Vandergriend, founder of counselling service Career Story, said she remembered countless times throughout her own career when she didn’t speak up for herself. “Hands down women have a harder time owning their strengths, and that impacts your ability to further your career,” Vandergriend said. Burton said women are often criticized more harshly for their management of interpersonal relationships which can affect their willingness to put themselves forward. “It’s a pretty natural reaction to what is more common for women, getting called out more aggressively if they are out of line. People are actively trying to hide their ambition for fear what will happen,” she said. According to Faris, raising awareness of unfair biases in the workplace is important but change comes from action, not theorization. “So, speak up, speak out, challenge, question, and work together,” Faris said. “Find com- mon cause and make progressive change because that is what will benefit everyone." EDITORKURTIS GREGORY | THURSDAY, NOV. 23, 2017 | THE VOICE 9 (L — R) Justin Ring and Courtney Rice practising for the WMAA’s core class at Valkyrie's Kingsway location on Nov. 20. 1/S4 TAHN PHOTO Gym goes nude for char Martial artists kick off cheeky calendar for LGBTQ+ youth = By LISA TANH women-owned and op- erated western martial arts school in Vancou- ver is launching a nude 2018 calendar for the first time to support a housing program for the city’s homeless LGBTQ+ youth. On Dec. 4, the Valkyrie West- ern Martial Arts Assembly (VW- MAA) will be shipping out a calendar featuring 15 male and female students recreating full frontal nude fencing poses from a fencing manual. Paul Dean, a Valkyrie core pro- gram student and the co-creator of Shut Up & Sit Down, a popular YouTube ch*annel featuring board game reviews, called the calendar a brash and be donated to RainCity Housing, an organization that offers a housing program for LGBTQs+ youth. “We made a list of charities that really fit with lively way to Ton ~ | our values and get the public’s ‘When you want to vision — so a cWhen you | 2248e Money fora good | fo, Teer want to taise cause, it never hurts to and that sort money for a . 0 thing, good cause, it get noticed.” Courtney Rice, mee hurts - PAUL DEAN, VALKYRIE STUDENT F BSN get noticed, — o Dean said. said. “We did a vote and RainCity The calendar is being sold for $20, and 20 per cent of the proceeds will won by a fair margin. Housing is such a huge issue in Vancouver and they're one of the only places that [help] at-risk LGBT youth.” Bill Briscall, communications manager at RainCity Housing, said the organization was excited to hear they were chosen for the calendar. “The fact that they're queer- friendly and want to do something that shows bodies come in all shapes and sizes is wonderful,” Briscall said. Rice said she hopes the calen- dar delivers the message that the VWMAA has a diverse student body. “We've got LGBT people, non- binary, people of colour, women and men. We're all different.” Unusua Exotic animals inspire buyers remorse in unpre- pared owners m= By NATALIA BUENDIA CALVILLO ocal reptile connoisseurs say people are giving away their reptiles after discovering how high- maintenance exotic pets are. The owners of Circus SideShow Reptiles, who hosted a snake han- dling workshop Nov. 15, said they often get people dumping their scaly, cold-blooded pets on them. Co-organizer Tristan Risk and her workshop partner have adopted four snakes, a bearded dragon and a roughneck monitor lizard — all from disillusioned owners. “People know that you have these animals, that you care for them, and then ™& sometimes you are the first person they’ hit up when they are looking to rehome,” Risk said, addingthatpeoplerenounce pets need unusual care them during lifestyle changes, like pregnancy or relocation. Vancouver SPCA research coordinator Erin Ryan said that the SPCA receives a number of unusual pets, including peacocks and chinchillas. Some people buy them as a symbol to show off their wealth, she said, while others buy them for the novelty or the thrill. “Kind — oflike the idea of ‘I’m ; so cool, I ie. have this said Ryan, ho discour- ages own- ing exotic pets because they are high- maintenance, Amythest the redtail > boa climbs a statue. em NATALIA BUENDIA CALVILLO PHOTO undomesticated and “take a lot energy a lot of resources, a lot of specialized knowledge.” According to the SPCA, exotic animals are non-domesticated, non-indigenous wild animals, captured from the wild or bred in captivity. It is illegal to possess large dangerous exotic animals such as crocodiles, tigers or primates but small unusual pets such as some reptiles, arachnids or chinchillas are allowed. Emily Seidal, 21, has a mini potbelly pig and said that researching Penelope’s caretaking ahead of time was essential. “You need to be able to expect a lot of what it is [involved] prior because you won't be able to find the information as easy as it is for any household pet,” she said. She said Penelope has been different than regular pets. “She is very scared of s trangers; so, if you don't know her very well, she will come up to you | and she will bark, a & ‘bark-oink’ that’s really loud.” Emily Seidal's mini potbelly pig, Penelope. PHOTO SUBMITTED BY EMILY SEIDAL ISSUES WITH EXOTIC ANIMALS IN THE HOME >»High Mortality When exotic animals are taken out of the wild their life expex- tancy drops rapidly because they aren't adapted to domestic life. »Hidden health problems In the wild, animals often hide diseases and injuries in order not to attract predators, so owners often have a hard time noticing issues. » Self Harm Once placed in captivity, these animals become stressed and start to feel depressed, some- times resorting to self mutilation. SOURCE: SPCA. BC.CA