Unpacking the Impacts is a podcast about what happens after harm—and what justice could look like. Host Kasey Politano explores how systems respond to gender-based violence, who gets left behind, and how communities are building care and accountability in their place. Grounded in survivor support and made accessible for students, it’s brought to you by Wilfrid Laurier’s Office of Human Rights and Consent is Golden.
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 (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/534654/split-tooth-by-tanya-tagaq/9780143198055)
📘 Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha – Dirty River (https://arsenalpulp.com/Books/D/Dirty-River)
Support & Resources:
Wilfrid Laurier University Gendered Violence Prevention & Support – students.wlu.ca 📧 svinfo@wlu.ca
Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres – https://www.ocrcc.ca (https://www.ocrcc.ca)
ShelterSafe Canada – https://www.sheltersafe.ca (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.
25 Jul 2025
After the Verdict
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:
svinfo@wlu.ca | https://students.wlu.ca (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.
16 Jul 2025
Episode 4: Inside Ontario’s IPV Subcommittee – A Conversation with MPP Jess Dixon
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/ (https://lukesplace.ca/86-recommendations-for-change-from-the-renfrew-county-inquest/)
Support & Resources
Wilfrid Laurier University Gendered Violence Prevention & Support
svinfo@wlu.ca | https://students.wlu.ca (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 (https://www.ocrcc.ca)
ShelterSafe Canada
https://www.sheltersafe.ca (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.
25 Jun 2025
Episode 3: Hidden Scripts — Queer Love & Coercive Control (Unpacking Episode)
Hosts KASEY and JESSE analyze a conversation with PAMELA CROSS, revealing how coercive control manifests in queer relationships through subtle punishments and manipulated support systems, emphasizing the importance of reclaiming personal choices as a path to self-trust; this is an analysis episode.
18 Jun 2025
Episode 2: What Even Is Civil Court? – Simona Jellinek on Civil Litigation and Survivor Choice
Civil lawyer Simona Jellinek defines civil litigation and its potential benefits for survivors seeking justice outside the criminal system in this interview episode.
4 Jun 2025
Episode 1: "And Sometimes They Kill You" – Pamela Cross on Violence and the Law
Feminist lawyer Pamela Cross discusses her book about intimate partner violence and seeking justice for survivors within a flawed system in this interview.
23 May 2025
Introducing: Unpacking the Impacts
Feminist lawyer Pamela Cross discusses justice for survivors of gender-based violence in and beyond the courts in this interview episode.
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