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A graduate of Oxford University has handed back his degree to protest the University’s Exeter College deciding to host an anti-gay conference that is run by a religious group, Christian Concern, which has backed a “gay cure” along with routinely seeking to curtail gay rights. Michael Amherst returned his English degree to Exeter College on February 29; according to Pink News, Amherst said that he no longer wishes “to be associated” with the University.
He is not alone. The Oxford Student reports that numerous students and faculty have joined with the LGBT community and international gay rights organizartion Stonewall in demanding that Oxford cancel the Wilberforce Academy. While the conference’s materials do not mention homosexuality, Christian Concern has frequently opposed measures for marriage equality. In addition, the organization’s founder, Andrea Minichiello Williams, is listed as the director of the Coalition for Marriage, which opposes marriage equality. Williams is also the founder and director of the Christian Legal Centre, which is defending psychotherapist Lesley Pilkington, who faces being removed from the British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy (BACP) for offering “corrective” therapy.
Oxford University administrators have defended their decision to allow the conference to be held on its grounds, telling the Oxford Student that the Christian Concern “has signed a contract with us stating they will follow our policies. They’ve signed the contract and as long as they abide by it we’re content.” But a spokeswoman for Oxford said that the university will not be “undertaking any effort to police or monitor the extent to which the conference conformed to college regulations.” Allowing the conference to be held in its facilities is allowable, says the university, because “Freedom of speech is something Oxford stands for.”
The University seems to be deliberately overlooking the extent to which organizations such as Christian Concern exist to limit the freedoms of those who do not share its views, such as its wish “to see the United Kingdom return to the Christian faith” and its objections to “secular liberal humanism, moral relativism and sexual licence.”
In no small part because of the prestige associated with Oxford, the University lends an imprimatur of approval to organizations that are hosted on its grounds. Regardless of what university spokespeople may say, Oxford is giving tacit approval to the views of those whose efforts have led to “intolerance and hatred against gay people in the UK and the US,” says the head of policy at Stonewall, Sam Dick. One student interviewed by the Oxford Student said that “I’d rather that Exeter was known for having some drunk students than anti-gay, anti-Muslim, anti-toleration Christian fundamentalists,” while noting that allowing the conference to be held at Oxford seriously undermines how “forward-thinking and tolerant of everyone” the University is.
In addition, in a letter to the rector of Exeter College, Alun John wrote that
This is a simple question of Exeter’s priorities: do they care more about respecting their lesbian and gay tutors, students and staff – the people who pay their fees, teach their tutes and clean their floors – or is their focus on profiting financially from the very people who say that those members of Exeter are “evil” and need to be “cured”?”
Sadly, Oxford seems on course to showing that it cares more about the latter. Michael Amherst may well be only the first of many to publicly declare that he wishes no longer “to be associated” with the University.
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Read more: corrective therapy, gay marriage, gay rights, homophobia, lgbt britain, lgbt europe, lgbt uk, marriage equality, oxford, same-sex marriage
Photo of Exeter College by dichohecho
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Recent Comments from Causes
Great article. Thanks for sharing.
Hey John here wants to tell me how to spend the money I work for every day. You must be a socialist,…
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56 comments
+ add your ownAs for Oxford - there are more important issues to discuss rather than listen to a bunch of homophobics telling young people that they are going to hell if they don't find Jesus and get straight. (I didn't know Jesus was lost, can't they hold on to Him?)
I agree with Lydia P. I can't think of a much bigger gesture to make in protest than to hand back a, no doubt, hard-earned degree from one of the world's highest ranking universities. Free speech is one thing, but it's a bad sign to see such an establishment hosting a hate group. Poor show.
That means that a group that do not like gay style can not talk? Isnt this a brach of human rights also, why only one side of the coin?
Is not fair only hearing one side...If guy wants to be hear, also group that does not like their style!
Oh no!
Wow! Michael Amherst really puts his heart-felt convictions into action. How very brave and self-sacrificing. There is no "cure" for being gay any more than there is a cure for being human.
Oh - and Tim R, too.
I agree with Robert H. And I trust Oxford's professors and students to give 'em hell!
Thanks for sharing.
Contempt is the weapon of the weak and a defense against one's own despised and unwanted feelings. -Alice Miller, psychologist and author (1923-2010) Shame on Oxford!!!
Believing homosexuality is wrong is not homophobic.
Why are you allowed your opinions but anyone who disagrees with you not allowed their voice?
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