6 THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCT. 15 , 2015 EDITOR: ALEX HOEGLER lewpoints LGBTQ club needed angara College shouldn’t have an [cere club. It should not need one. Since the gay movements of the *60s in North America, we would think that our society has moved forward much faster. We would hope that our society has evolved enough that anybody would feel safe to search and express their gender and sexuality openly without fear of discrimination. But we're far from it. Until then, studies from UBC and University of Toronto show that Gay-Straight Alliances, the term generally used in Canadian schools for queer clubs, remain essential in schools. GSAs reduce discrimination and suicidal thoughts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, or questioning students. Several provinces, such as Ontario in 2012 and Alberta in 2015, have adopted rulings that make queer clubs mandato- ryin schools where students ask for it. Even though these policies only 4 apply to post- secondary institutions, Langara’s example proves that they don’t go far enough. Students should not have to request a club or aroom. Over the past few years, Langara’s queer community has struggled to maintain a club and its access to safe space. Students don’t stay at the college for very long. Besides, the paperwork and administration required to renew and run a club every year can be discouraging. Most of all, the nature of difficul- ties encountered by queer students, such as bullying or discrimination, call for discretion. Why ask students to put their name out there when they’re after a safe space? Luckily this year, some students seem to be ready to stand for their community. But we cannot count on it and we cannot afford another year without a safe space for a club. Langara heeds to protect the existence of an LGBTQ club. Until our society makes more progress on the queer cause, GSAs need to be in schools, and without students having to ask for them. _.. OPINION ANNE-SOPHIE RODET We want to hear from you Did we get a fact wrong? Tell us. Got a different point of view? Write to us. Problems with something we've said? Let us know. Journalism instructor Ethan Baron oversees The Voice. Email him at ebaron@langara.be.ca Langara acts safely and smartly to stop assaults pon request, Langara College’s campus security offers 24/7 service to escort anyone safely off of campus. This is a safe and smart step at the college to ensure that everyone is protected. SexAssault.ca reports that one in four North American women will be sexually assaulted in their lives. Those are staggeringly high numbers that need to be addressed. Langara is making a decision that could save countless others from being assaulted in their lifetimes. One of the worst crimes imagin- able is sexual assault, and having security available is a step in reducing such incidents. As a person who knows victims who have been sexually assaulted, you feel devastated for not being able to do anything to help. Society has to take every precaution it can to save the lives of others. No one should feel vulnerable; they should feel free to go wherever, whenever without being attacked. Everyone has the right to feel comfortable wherever they go, and no one should be able to do anything harmful to citizens. If you are feeling the slightest bit unsafe, you should take advantage of this program that they have installed. I take my hat off to the college and Langara Security for offering this. I’m hoping it will pave the way for other public places to put in similar programs. But the most important thing is that society works together to keep on fighting against sexual assault. OPINION ALEX HOEGLER arijuana legalization is a hotly M debated topic, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper decided to put in his two cents last week. On Oct. 3 after the French-language leaders’ debate, Harper stated that marijuana is “infinitely worse,” than to- bacco. Harper said that there is “over- whelming and growing scientific and medical evidence about the bad long- term effects of marijuana.” The public shouldn’t be misinformed. This kind of blatant fallacy in politics is irresponsible, especially coming from the leader of a nation. Science and research should be em- braced to inform and move a nation for- ward, not ignored and condemned to push a political agenda. But while his claims are not com- pletely wrong, scientific research has proved his statement isn’t totally accu- rate either. Recently, research has been emerg- ing about the potential negative effects of marijuana. A 2014 analysis of exist- ing data published by the Society for the Study of Addiction stated that chronic cannabis use “appears to pro- duce cognitive impairment,” and that chronic use may lead to higher risks of developing chronic bronchitis. Regarding cancer, the Canadian Can- cer Society states, “more research is needed to better understand the cancer risks associated with long-term recre- ational smoking of marijuana.” However, there is also clear evidence and research that the link between to- bacco use and cancer is very real. The World Health Organization has called- tobacco the “single greatest cause of preventable death globally.” Tobacco SEAN LEE comic Harper needs to start doing his homework has been proven to be a major risk fac- tor for many heart and respiratory dis- ease. Harper’s exaggerated statement is another case of him ignoring scientific research and evi- dence. It’s fair to pro- mote his platform and ideas to his supporters, but is it really necessary to make such a ey misleading _State- OPINION: wicca on rea SEAN LEE facts? Despite emerg- ing research on marijuana, the hard evidence that’s been found doesn’t show marijuana be- ing “infinitely worse” than tobacco at all. [ NON ice The Voice is published by Langara College's journalism department. Editorial opinions are those of the staff and are independent of views of the student government and administration. We welcome letters to the editor. All letters must be signed. They may be edited for brevity. Names may be withheld in special cases, but your letter must include your name and phone number. HOW TO REACH US PHONE 604-323-5396 FAX 604-323-5398 E-MAIL thevoice@langara.be.ca DROP-IN Room A226 Langara College There is a mailbox at the entrance to the journalism rooms. SNAIL MAIL The Voice 100 West 49th Ave. Vancouver, B.C. 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