Students across the UK are campaigning for “LGBT-only” accommodation in order to escape “victimisation” at the hands of their heterosexual peers.
The National Union of Students’ (NUS) lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) campaign is set to highlight discrimination against LGBT students in halls of residence and issue guidance that will recommend segregated housing be made available.
At Birmingham University first year students already have the option of being housed away from straight classmates, which proponents of the idea say helps LGBT people avoid “homophobia, biphobia and transphobia” from their flatmates.
Students at the University of York and at the Preston-based University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) are among those calling for flats in halls of residence to be allocated on an LGBT-only basis.
UCLan student James Hofmann said moving to university is a difficult time for any student but is “especially difficult for LGBT students who could be potentially moving into a dangerous environment”.
Sana Iqbal, chairman of the UCLan Student’s Council, disagreed with the motion, fearing the move could “isolate” and be a “barrier” to the integration of LGBT students.
Mr. Hofmann dismissed worries about “mass segregation” and argued the move would “give people the choice to live without fear and judgement”.
Readers of Pink News, an LGBT website, had a different view in the comments section to their coverage of the story. One warned: “Ghettoisation just makes it easier for the mob. I do hope these students study history.”
Another said: “Yes, what a great idea. Let’s have separation of men and women, Christians/Jews/Muslims/Atheists/Pagans, those with ginger hair – the list is endless. What planet are some of these students on?”
And yet another stated: “I think this is a step in the wrong direction and a reversal of what so many others have fought for over the course of decades.”
The Daily Mail reported that student Ashley Reed is submitting plans for LGBT-only accommodation at the University of York. Ms. Reed has previously spoken at the House of Commons in favour of people being allowed to “self-define” their own gender on legal documents such as passports.
Ms. Reed has previously spoken out against perceived harassment of LGBT students on campus. The transgender student has previously accused York Union, a non-ratified debating society of “not caring about debate” and only wanting to “upset and make trans students miserable”.
The proposal follows the NUS LGBT+ campaign’s conference in March at which, Breitbart London reported, a motion was passed to urge university LGBT+ societies with a gay man’s representative to drop the role, as “gay men do not face oppression as gay men within the LGBT+ community and do not need a reserved place on society committees.”
At the conference, students also condemned the UK’s Home Office for “imposing the Western gender binary on asylum seekers”.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.