Statement on Kirk Sneade’s candidacy in the UCLU Women’s Officer Elections

Edit: this page has been edited because Helen Chandler-Wilde (candidate for UCLU Women’s Officer) wished to remove her support for the statement until further notice.

TRIGGER WARNING for sexism, violence against women, homophobia and transphobia.

In light of Kirk Sneade’s recent statement regarding his candidacy for UCLU Women’s Officer I, Beth Sutton – one of the two legitimate candidates – have decided to issue a statement.

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On Monday the candidates for the position of UCLU Women’s Officer were announced. On the ballot paper were two self-defining women (Beth Sutton and Helen Chandler-Wilde) and somebody who, up until nominations had self-defined as a man, and continues to do so outside of his election campaign.

Since declaring candidacy, Kirk and Mark Stander (Kirk’s Campaign Manager) have created a campaign page on facebook entitled ‘Kirk Sneade for Womans [sic] Officer 2013’. On this page they published a range of highly offensive material. This included a photo with the words ‘memes are gay’ written across it and Sneade’s ‘campaign video’ which features Captain Kirk from Star Trek kissing a woman and then punching her in the face. Sneade’s, now retracted, manifesto was equally abhorrent – he suggested ‘herding up the pretty girls you see around campus and keeping them ready for emergency transport to the Roxy later on when things start to get a little dry’. Today they released a statement saying they ‘would like to apologise to the feminist, gay and trans communities for any offence caused by material submitted under the Kirk Sneade for Womans [sic] Officer campaign page.’ This post can be seen below:



It is clear to us that this apology is insincere. If Sneade were truly sorry for the offence they have caused then they would have withdrawn his candidacy. Earlier today at candidates’ breakfast Sneade and Stander met with several feminists who voiced their disgust at their plans to run for Women’s Officer. An argument ensued in which Sneade made a comparison between UCLU’s refusal to publish his manifesto and the persecution of communists in Nazi Germany. It was made clear to the pair that this and other comments were completely unacceptable. We believe that the only reason they have issued an apology is because they have realised the effect that publically running such a misogynistic, homophobic and transphobic campaign would have on them personally in the future. This backtrack is entirely motivated by self-interest. The fact that Sneade and Stander ever started the campaign clearly shows their contempt for women’s liberation.

The material they published was very obviously misogynistic and homophobic and transphobic. We have no doubt that this was clear to them from the moment they added it to their facebook campaign. The fact that they ever thought it was acceptable demonstrates their true feelings towards liberation campaigns and equality.

At the time of writing the ‘Vote Kirk Sneade’ page still features misogynistic material in the form of a post in which Sneade says that every time he hears Chris Brown he feels the need to ‘punch the nearest woman in the face’.

Sneade and Stander have not backed out of the elections and their intentions remain the same. They have always said they plan to abolish the position of Women’s Officer and in their latest post they say that they will ‘save the funds of the union by amalgamating the position over the course of a year into an equalities officer’. This can be interpreted in two ways – either they plan to combine all the liberation officers into one position or they intend to substitute the role of Women’s Officer for an ‘equalities officer’. Whatever is meant by this vacuous statement it proves beyond doubt that they neither understand nor respect liberation campaigns and the people who self-define into them.

We are calling for Kirk sneade and Mark Stander to withdraw Sneade’s candidacy for the position of Women’s Officer and remove their online material. In addition to this, due to the number and range of people their campaign has offended, in order for them to remain members of UCLU we demand that they attend sensitivity and equality training (a service that the Union offers as and when it’s needed).

Signed by:

Beth Sutton – UCLU Women’s Officer, current candidate for full-time Women’s Officer

Ruth Nicolson – Feminist Library, London Student Feminist Network

Susuana Antubam – RHUL Feminist Society President

Wanda Canton – Founder/President QMEquality, former QMSU Women’s Officer

Lydia Cray – President KCL Feminist Society

Laura Terry – UCLU LGBT+ Officer

Sophie Thomas – Birkbeck Women’s Officer

Naomi Beecroft – NCAFC National Committee, NCAFC Women’s Committee

Hannah Keenleyside – UCLU LGBT+ Women’s Representative

Amberine Khan – QMSU Women’s Officer

Lawrence Uziell – VP QMEquality

Sidonie Bertrand-Shelton – RHUL Equality and Liberation Officer

Tom Robinson – LGBT+ Trans* Representative

James McAsh – EUSA President, NCAFC National Committee

Annie Tidbury – UCLU Women’s Network

Alice Dunbabin – UCLU Women’s Network Secretary

Sarah Jones – Glasgow University Coalition of Resistance President

Rosie Booth – Women’s Officer University of Birmingham Guild of Students

Hona Luisa – EUSA External Council Rep, NCAFC Women’s Committee

Jannat Hossain – QMSU Multicultural Rep

Francesca Manning – KU Feminist Society

Women’s Association University of Birmingham

Marina Merryweather – Former UCL Cheese Grater Secretary

Mirren Gidda – Pi News Editor

Stef Newton – UCLU LGBT Officer 2011-12

Alistair Hudson

Lauren Tapp – NCAFC Scotland Queer Women’s Rep

Annabel Jones, NUS Women’s Committee, former Birkbeck SU Women’s Officer

Mengqian Li – Women’s Forum Volunteering Officer

Caroline Hill, UCL, Young Labour national committee

Kali Ravel – Member of the Birmingham Fems

Izaak FK

Aisling Gallagher – NUS-USI Women’s Officer, NUS Women’s Committee

Hel Gurney, NUS Women’s Committee

Gideon Greig graduate Queen’s University Belfast

Ginger Drage – UCLU Women’s Network

Chris Sutton UCLU LGBT+ Media Officer

Kirstin Hay, Imperial College Union Feminist Society, Women’s Officer LGBT Labour

Anon

Morgan Hale – RHUL LGBT+ Representative

Mark Tomlinson – Former Treasurer UCLU Jazz and Drama Societies

Natalie James – UCLU Women’s Network

Clopin Meehan – President of Glasgow Uni Feminist Society

Nina Grant – Bangor University Senator, Women’s Society member

Ben Towse – UCLU Postgraduate Association President

Hannah Webb – UCLU Community Officer

Jeannie Hyslop Parsons – EUSA Trustee

Aurora Adams – EUSA

Matthew Hollinshead – UWE

Jenny Willis – UCLU Music Society

Alex Daish – Graphics Editor of UCL Cheese Grater.

Rich T – Bristol SWP

Thais Yanez – ULU SENATE. NCAFC National Committee

Safia Ebbatson – UCL gender and fem soc

Peter Walke – UCL

Hannah Sketchley – Cheese Grater Investigations Ed 11-12 and UCLU Student Media Officer 11-12

Anne Fitzgibbon

Joe Dewhurst – PPLS Postgrad Rep, Edinburgh University

Laurie Cannell – UCLU LGBT+ Forum

Jacob Mirzaian – Leeds University Union Feminist Society

Jon Wright – UCL undergraduate

Kaedi Harris – UCL

Claire McIntyre – LLC Rep, Edinburgh University

Becca Day-Preston, University of Manchester

Eleanor Penny – UCL Gender & Feminism Society

Mical Nelken – UCL Gender & Feminism Society

Victoria Butcher – UCL Gender & Feminism Society

Kerry Johnson – candidate for Birkbeck Women’s Officer

Hannah Wait- UCL Undergraduate

Stevie Rankin – candidate for QMSU Women’s Representative

Serena Mitchell- UCL Gender & Feminism

Lisa Whitehead – Labour Studens South East Regional co-ordinator

Chris Evans – University of Manchester

Aine Mullan

Charlie Hindhaugh – Warwick SU Social Sciences Rep

Abigail Lewis – University of Warwick, Deputy Editor of the Boar and Senior Editor of Feminspire.com

Andrew Robinson – Leeds Met.

Nicole Rowe – LSE Gender student

Harry Cross – Diversity Officer, Durham Uni Labour Club

Frederick Sullivan-Wallace – Greenwich labour society

Alex Sargeson – Leicester Labour

Jack Lay – Kent Union

Thomas Messenger – Warwick Labour

Ben Dilks – University of York Students Union

Jack Boardman – Nottingham University

Daniel Johnston – St Andrews Uni, Vice-Chair of Scottish Labour Students

Marc Geddes – Chair, South Yorkshire Young Labour

Jack Falkingham – KCL

Joe Whitley

Sam Woodcock – Labour Students

Brad Marshall – University of Leicester NUS Delegate

Callum Munro – Labour Students

Joe Ferreira – Kent Union Chair

Tony Richards – LSESU Labour Communications Officer

Tom Masters

Matt Davies – University of Warwick, UofWarwick Labour Society

Joe Anderson – Chair, LSE Students’ Union General Meeting

Ricky Hardy – University of Leeds

Emma O’Dwyer – National Chair of Labour Students

Michael Rubin, Education Officer Elect, University of Leicester Students’ Union

Tom Rutland – Labour Students National Committee

Joe Vinson – NUS NEC / President of Cornwall College SU

Tyron Wilson – University of Essex Students’ Union, Equality and Diversity Officer

Harry Langford – Chair, NTU Labour Club

Ben Murray – University of Warwick

Baris Yerli – University of Warwick

Sarah Webster – University of Manchester

Kevin McNamara – President of Kent University Liberal Democrats, Kent Union LGBT Campaign Committee member

Caroline Dubois – UCL Student & UCLU Women’s Rugby

Martha Gillespie – Ethics and Environment officer RHUL, RHUL Feminist Society

Emma Spowart – UCL, President UCLU SSAGO

Elliot Evans – former Trans Rep, NUS LGBT Committee

Rika Talukder – former RUMS VP for Welfare

Claire McIntyre – LLC Rep, Edinburgh University

Steven Pettitt – RHUL LGBT Society Secretary

Søren Goard – VP Education, Goldsmiths College SU

Lenny Hodges – UCL

Pouneh Ahari – Vice-Chair Leicester labour

NM Duffy, Kent Union LGBT Campaign Media Officer

Franziska Harbich – Warwick University Anti-Sexism Society VP

Sarah McAlpine – contributor to The Independent, former President of UKC Feminist Society

Rebecca Wright- member of Bristol University Feminist Society

Jade Symonds- Treasurer, LSESU Labour and Cooperative Society

Søren Goard – VP Education Officer at Goldsmiths SU

Annie Cooke, UCL

Catherine Bond-Harris – UCL Gender and Feminism Society

Eve Worth: Women’s Officer, Oxford University Labour Club

Faith Anderson- UCL Student

Emilia Antiglio – University of Warwick

Sam Conway- London Young Labour Committee Member

Samantha Castles – Chair of the University of Essex Feminist Society, Women’s Committee member and NUS Women’s Conference Delegate

Renni Eddo-Lodge – UCL MA Gender Studies Postgraduate

Ellen Doggett – University of Warwick Undergraduate

Miranda Brown – UCL ASHS Secretary

Eleanor Broadbent – Leeds University Union

Georgia Emblen – Leeds University Alumni

Kady Tee – Leeds Metropolitan University Union

Arthur Baker – Undergraduate Humanities Rep, University of Manchester

Abi Wilkinson – University of Bristol

Dominic Curran – Warwick Students’ Union Campaigns Councillor

Emma Glassey – LSE Student

Katie Dichard – Medical Women’s Federation BSMS representative

Embla Magnusdottir – LGBT* Society President at Leeds Met Student Union

Calum Cockburn – UCL

Olivia Lynes – UCL

Callum Strode – Head Publicist, PRpivot

Amy Reddington – Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge.

Harriet D. – UCL student.

Michael Thorns – Charity & Fundraising Officer, University of Essex Student’s Union

Sian Watson – University of Essex Fem Soc

Taisia Beleanina – UCL Student

Alice Stott – LSESU Women’s Officer

Chantel Le Carpentier – Labour Students National Women’s Officer

Ben Hawkes, University of Portsmouth

Rebecca Spaven – UCL Undergraduate

Sam Carpenter – Birkbeck student

Graham Clarke – Birkbeck BA Student

Hanna Stentoft – UCLU Nordic Society Social Secretary

Katharine Howard-Comber – University of Leeds student

Ellie Nelson – University of Bristol

Matt Corner – UCL student

Joshi Sidhu – Birkbeck Students’ Union

Stefani Kalife

Eleanor Griffiths – former Queen Mary QMEquality member

Robyn Sands, UEA Student

Lauren Brown – UCL

James Smith – Out Reach Officer for Leeds Met LGBT*

Aarti Sehdev – UCL

Charley Hasted – Lambeth College Student, Dulwich and West Norwood Liberal Democrats Exec (personal capacity)

Laura Martin, RHUL Feminism Society

Cel West – Queer Resistance

Sophie McKie – University of Sheffield

Grace Harvey

Ellie Cameron-Smith – QMUL

Thomas Hughes – Leeds Met LGBT* Treasurer

Ophelia Lai – UCL

Sarah Noble – Coordinator of Leeds University Union Feminist Society, candidate for LUU Equality and Diversity Officer

Vimbai Dzimwasha – UCL

Amanda Langston

Matthew Deaves – UCL and University of Iceland student

Matthew Smith – Ruskin College Student Union President

Olivia Walker – UCL Brain Sciences Faculty Representative

Amy Masson – Full Time Women’s Officer, University of Sheffield Students’ Union Rachel Tibbetts – Councillor, University of Sheffield Students’ Union

Rachel Merritt

Natalie King – Sheffield University Women’s Committee

Claire Roper – University of Sheffield Students’ Union, English Society President

Lucy Pedrick – University of Sheffield Women’s Councillor

Any Godwin – Secretary, Birkbeck Pride

Natalie Lloyd – University of Salford LGBT Society Secretary

Emma Barker – UCL

Yael Shafritz – Sheffield LGBT Campaigns Officer

Alison Moulds – Birkbeck Women’s Campaigns Committee

Ana Hine – Dundee University

Tris Rogers – UCL

Sarah Soormally – Queen Mary’s

Beth Sparks – Queen Mary’s

Tom Cowie – UCL

Patrick Cullen – Founder member, LSE SU Feminist Society 2006-08

Ananya Rao-Middleton – Goldsmiths University student

Laura Dunbabin – University of Leeds

Ross Speer – LSE NUS Delegate

Bethan Jones – UCL

Kristie Waller – Ruskin College, Women’s Officer

Daniel Bowman – UCL Debating Society

Sophie Willmington – Birkbeck College

Christopher Maurice Brown – Los Angeles

Steph Day – UCLBC Women’s captain

Heather P – Durham University

George McVicar

Gabriel Everington – LSE student

Lucy Yaqub – London School of Economics

Phoebe Hall – UCL

Sylvia H Goodrick – UCL student

Sally Bonsall – LSE Student and LSESU Feminist Society

Aislinn O Reilly – UCL

Hattie M – UCL, Pi Section Editor

Sabine Sharp – University of Sheffield, former Petroc (Barnstaple Campus) LGBT Officer

Samantha Hallett – UoM Student

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