I had a very informative conversation with Jennifer Drummond aka JD who is the coordinator Concordia University Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC). The work that her and her colleagues are doing is elemental, especially in a university setting. She answered my questions on the kind of counselling they do for victims of sexual assault and harassment; how to deal with the grey areas of sexual aggression and violence and the impact our use of language has. She proposes new modalities of prevention and education that really should be implemented over the outdated suggestion that "women take self defence classes to not be sexually abused". The conversation switches directions when I asked JD about her research on sexuality and aging & disease. How do couples maintain a healthy sexual relationship when on of them is physically disable or terminally ill? How does a person with a visible disability celebrate their own sexuality? She gives beautiful and heartbreaking examples of people who are having intimate and sexual relationships in different ways. This is an intimate look at the highs and lows of being a sexual person in an over sexualized world fraught with taboos and abuse of power. We need people like JD out there on the frontline who educate & support. This conversation may be triggering for some listeners and may also be helpful to some.

SARC
Concordia University
Hall Building 6th floor, room 345
Jennifer Drummond ext. 3353
sarc@concordia.ca

Montreal Sexual Assault Crisis Line
514-933-9007