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Able-bodied straight white men have been barred from attending a lecturer’s union equality conference.

The University and College Union (UCU) will only allow members who identify themselves as gay, disabled, female, or an ethnic minority to attend their equality summit in November.

Disability campaigner Emma-Jane Phillips, who is on the union’s equality committee has strongly disagreed with the union’s stance and tried to have the motion overturned.

The Northumbria University lecturer told Times Higher Education: “Equality reps are passionate about equality regardless of their own situation.

“To infer that someone does not understand someone’s situation just because you don’t tick a box is insulting.

“It is ridiculous that people who regard equality as their life can’t attend our equality conference.”

This means that even equality reps elected by their union branch who did not meet the criteria cannot participate in discussions.

This issues was raised at the UCU congress in Liverpool last week where a motion to give equality reps the right to attend conferences without having to identify themselves as one of the minority groups was defeated.

A Union source told the Times: “There were strong views on both sides but in the end members felt that it was important that those from minority groups should be able to discuss their issues together.”

At last year’s event held in Eastbourne, Sussex, the union held separate conferences for women, black people, disabled members as well as an LGBT members’ conference.

A UCU spokesman said: "Members felt that it was important that those from different minority groups should be able to meet to discuss the unique hurdles they face together.

"This is nothing new and quite common practice."

Last year, Goldsmiths diversity officer Bahar Mustafa caused outrage when she allegedly banned all white men from attending a university diversity event.