Western celebrated homecoming this weekend with the Western Mustangs winning their first game of the 2024 football season against the Queen’s Gaels.
During celebrations that took place on Broughdale Avenue, posters were hanging from houses making light of P-Diddy’s alleged ‘freak parties’.
“Queen’s girls are slimy like P-Diddy’s floor,” is one of the sayings seen on these posters.
“There are people in London, Ontario, and in our communities and on our campuses, who have experienced sexual violence, who have been victimized by people in power, and they will read those signs and they will hear about it, and it can be really, really painful for folks to feel like their experiences are a punchline,” says Manager of Prevention and Education of Anova Women’s Shelter. Allison Preyde. “when we make jokes about sexual violence, we’re really kind of normalizing that that’s okay.”
Another sign hanging from a house said “Diddy went to Queens.”
“Dark humor can help us cope with hard things that are going on, but huge events like homecoming, where so many people see it and they don’t know you, they don’t know the context, they don’t know what’s going on,” continues Preyde. “I just think it creates such harm for victims and you know for people who take it seriously.”
The signs come after Diddy’s arrest and alleged abuse during his ‘freak off’ parties.
“I would love for people to stop picking the low-hanging fruit,” Preyde adds.
This is not the first time Western Homecoming has seen offensive posters. During the 2016 homecoming, posters were seen with the slogan “Western Lives Matter”.
These signs caused so much controversy that Western made a statement regarding the signage. As of right now, Western has made no comment regarding the signs used in this year’s homecoming.
Sean John Combs, better known as Diddy has been charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
“Today, we shatter any false notion of impunity as we uncover the defendant’s alleged pattern of manipulation, exploitation, and outright abuse,” says Homeland Security Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge, William S. Walker, in a press release. “Make no mistake: we are here today only because of the unwavering strength of victims and witnesses who have already endured unspeakable hardships.”
Diddy has not been granted bail and is currently at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn awaiting his trial.