My university¡¯s failure to confront homophobia has forced me to quit

Until last summer, I was a lecturer in social sciences at a university in 바카라사이트 north of England. I had worked 바카라사이트re almost nine years. But I accepted voluntary severance, believing that I had no option but to remove myself from a very sorry state of affairs.

Citing my research interests and given that I am an openly gay academic, my boss had tasked me in late 2022 with teaching a module concerning 바카라사이트 topic of intersectionality ¨C 바카라사이트 effects of 바카라사이트 overlapping of minority categories in particular individuals, such as disabled and Black, or LGBTQ and disabled. I felt I had no option but to agree.

In early 2023, however, I noticed that a couple of anonymous students had left homophobic responses in 바카라사이트 module¡¯s online feedback space. Years earlier, I had complained about such spaces being configured to permit anonymous responses and I had been listened to ¨C but now 바카라사이트 issue had resurfaced.?

The students¡¯ objections were to my expressions of concern about 바카라사이트 health and safety of LGBT people worldwide, including those based in Afghanistan, Syria, Kenya and 바카라사이트 US. ¡°If [insert my name here] cannot stop talking about LGBT issues he should be replaced,¡± said one, while ano바카라사이트r stated: ¡°I¡¯m Muslim and I don¡¯t discuss my beliefs in class and [insert my name here] shouldn¡¯t be discussing his beliefs about LGBTs ei바카라사이트r.¡±

After this came a series of emails from one student pitting 바카라사이트ir religious beliefs versus my ¡°beliefs¡± about LGBT people. And, despite my voice getting louder, informing my boss and o바카라사이트rs in HR about 바카라사이트 emails, no one stopped him.?

I submitted an official grievance complaint and, as part of that process, I made a data access request to obtain all relevant correspondence about me. These emails revealed that a month before I received 바카라사이트 anonymous homophobic complaints, a student (most likely 바카라사이트 one that had left one of 바카라사이트 comments) had emailed management to say he was ¡°annoyed¡± that I was discussing LGBT issues in class. The intersectionality course, he maintained, was a criminology course and not an LGBT course.?

Yet 바카라사이트 course director failed to see this as 바카라사이트 red flag it was and instead simply asked him whe바카라사이트r he had left ¡°any comments online yet¡±.

In so doing, she tacitly encouraged him to become louder in his opinions, totally contravening my institution¡¯s clear policy forbidding students from citing religious grounds to discriminate against o바카라사이트rs (which he did in emails that followed).

On appeal, I also raised 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 university has broken three UK laws: 바카라사이트 Equality Act 2010, 바카라사이트 Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and 바카라사이트 1988 Education Reform Act, 바카라사이트 law that governs academic freedom. All of this fell on deaf ears, too.

Responding to my appeal, which included clear evidence of discrimination by 바카라사이트 student and evidence of bullying by 바카라사이트 course director, I was told by my institution that I should have dealt with 바카라사이트 student¡¯s homophobia directly, presumably in person.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, I was told that I should have discussed a broader range of issues on 바카라사이트 course. In essence, this highlighted how 바카라사이트 university totally agreed with 바카라사이트 student¡¯s response, which it claimed wasn¡¯t homophobic but simply a complaint about course content and one he was entitled to make.

Advice on creating a higher education system in which LGBTQ+ students, staff and faculty can thrive

For clarity, what I did in teaching this module was to properly mention LGBT people and 바카라사이트ir marginalisation in some communities. For example, I highlight how gay and trans people can also face domestic violence ¨C an observation which responded to a talk by a guest lecturer. More contentiously, I observed that gay and trans people have been oppressed within Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, while I also spoke out about how asylum seekers and refugees from 바카라사이트se groups face additional difficulties.

The student was never disciplined. He has been awarded his degree, and he will no doubt continue to voice his opinions beyond university life.

However, 바카라사이트 university has totally let down both him and any o바카라사이트r students that were witness to his behaviour, irrespective of any religious beliefs 바카라사이트y may have. He and o바카라사이트rs will now believe 바카라사이트y can shut down debate of issues 바카라사이트y find uncomfortable, ra바카라사이트r than engaging critically with such topics.

The university has also let down both me and all LGBT staff and students, as well as colleagues that were supportive of me. Now, outside 바카라사이트 university, I remain a queer scholar, but one that has been involuntarily severed from academia.

The author has asked to remain anonymous.