NUS tells LGBT societies to drop gay men’s reps because they ‘don’t face oppression within community’
By Will Stroude
The National Union of Students (NUS) LGBT+ Campaign has come under fire for passing a motion urging LGBT societies to abolish gay men’s representatives.
The motion was passed at the NUS LGBT+ Campaign’s annual conference last week, which took place in Sheffield, and has been widely condemned on social media.
At the conference, delegates blamed white, cisgender, gay men for oppressing other sections of the gay community, saying that “misogyny, transphobia, racism and biphobia are often present in LGBT+ societies, and that this was “unfortunately more likely to occur when the society is dominated by white cis gay men.”
They added that “gay men do not face oppression as gay men within the LGBT+ community and do not need a reserved place on society committees.”
As a result, as part of ‘Motion 408: Defending Safe(r) spaces and No Platforming’, the conference officially adopted a stance to “encourage LGBT+ Societies that have a gay men’s rep to drop the position.”
What this many men for the many LGBT societies that have ‘Men’s Welfare’ officers who are not specifically gay men remains unclear, but the decision and language used has been roundly condemned by gay men online.
NUS passed a motion declaring that gay men don’t deserve representation in the LGBT community. Goodbye, sanity. pic.twitter.com/C9TjUi646G
— Robbie Travers (@RobbieTravers) March 20, 2016
@NUS_LGBT Your recent motion to abolish white cis-gay male reps is absurd, from what I have read. What is your justification on this?
— Dr. Mark McB-W (@MarkMcBW) March 22, 2016
Am I reading this wrong, or is NUS LGBT Motion 408 calling for the abolition of the LGBT+ Societies Mens Welfare position?
Surely not… (?)— Luke Renwick (@LukeRenwick_) March 23, 2016
@NUS_LGBT Absolute shame on you for your ridiculous motion on gay men & #oppression. Millions of gay men face physical violence daily.
— Douglas Jennings (@dougbjennings) March 23, 2016
@NUS_LGBT Gay men should aim to be and be viewed as allies – transphobia, racism won’t disappear if we’re kicked off the committees
— Adam Spawton-Rice (@Adam_SR) March 22, 2016
Attitude have reached out to the NUS LGBT+ Campaign for comment.
The news comes as US country singer Steve Grand faces a backlash after saying he receives criticism because people love to hate “young, good-looking, white gay men.”
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