White men are apparently being ‘silenced’ by LUU

An idea has been put forward to the Better Union Forum asking “Is equality really equality?”

It asks that the union gives a voice to those who are being “silenced by those who claim that their voices are too loud”.

The motion argues that currently equality for minorities has come at the expense of the majority – aka white, straight men.

The text itself, submitted by Philosophy fresher Gary Heyes, uses “the majority” to refer to the perceived victims of Union equality.

He continues: “For a movement which is meant to be so inclusive, incorporating each minority group, there is one group represented differently from the rest.

“Either accidentally or intentionally, the majority are looked upon as the enemy whose issues are minuscule by comparison and have life almost too easy.”

It also asks that “Unions campaigns help everyone by asking the Union to focus on issues that attain solely to men.”

Florence Scott, third year History student and president of Green Soc, posted the idea of FemSoc.

She said: “I think the motion comes from a feeling of entitlement from privileged groups.

“To pass this motion would only be pandering to groups who are threatened by equality. Equality campaigning is about giving groups a voice who don’t already have one; privileged and majority groups like white, heterosexual, cisgender men already have a very loud voice.

“His proposal relies on the assumption that in equality campaigning an effort is made to give certain groups more of a voice solely because they are minorities, rather than because they face extra barriers at university and their needs have often been neglected in the past.

“If he has a specific campaign idea that helps men, for example encouraging men to speak about mental health, why not propose that, rather than complaining about all the equality campaigning that’s happening for other groups?

“I don’t think he has any particular grievance other than the fact that attention is being given to oppressed social groups that he isn’t part of.”

Gary Heyes, who submitted the idea, told The Tab: “Having just returned to university after being on temporary leave with severe depression and social anxiety, I found a number of campaigns, events and support for various groups on all sorts of issues, and even some societies too.

“These are great for feeling trying to create as comfortable and safe an environment as possible, knowing similar people have experienced similar things makes you feel a little less different.

“However, in searching for a group in which I could take part in for issues similar to mine affecting people like me I could only find generic workshops and the like. Although massively helpful, I’m sure, they are quite different to the kind of event I have seen offered to others.

“It became apparent that no-one had thought to try it. Delving deeper I found various problems with the Union, in that there was no Men’s Rights society, no specific events, workshops or awareness for issues affecting men and no easy access platform on which to bring attention to the kind of problems faced by men, especially those who don’t fit neatly into any category of minority groups.

“I think it would encourage a healthy, open and supportive conversation on such issues if only the discussion was started and taken seriously. I hope to break down this kind of barrier and implore the union to show support and guidance to those who seemingly hitherto thought weren’t in need of such help.”

This idea will be debated next Monday in Room 6 of the Union.