The UCU has defended the decision to have an admissions policy for the lectures (Picture: File/Getty)

Men who are straight, white and have no disability have found themselves excluded from a series of lecturers on equality, in a move that has been branded ‘ridiculous’.

The ruling by the University and College Union requires members to state whether they are gay, disabled or from an ethnic minority when applying to attend the annual equality conference.

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The conference will see lectures on four different topics ethnic, disabled, LGBT and female fights for equality.

However, members are not allowed to attend the debates that they don’t identify with effectively banning straight, white men with no disability from attending any lectures.




The ruling is designed to ensure a safe space is preserved to talk openly about situations;.with those that backed the idea saying it would guarantee the sessions aren’t dominated by people with no personal experience on matters relating to equality.

https://twitter.com/missbolshie/status/738018534652051457

But it has been criticised by others; including equality committee member Emma Jane-Phillips who called it ‘ridiculous’.

‘Equality reps are passionate about equality regardless of their own situation,’ she told Times Higher Education:

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

The @ucu bans straight people from it's conference on LGBT equality. Yeah, that's definitely how "equality" works.https://t.co/JgkQQZup9r — Caelan Conrad (@CaelanConrad) June 9, 2016

A spokesman for the University and College Union told metro.co.uk: ‘Members voted to continue the convention whereby different groups meet at a conference to discuss the unique obstacles they face in the workplace.

This is standard practice throughout the trade union movement and certainly not a new initiative.

‘This year those conferences take place on the same day at the same venue. There also plenary sessions and workshops, which anyone can attend – despite some press reports suggesting otherwise.

‘There is also a UCU equality reps conference on a separate date that anyone interested in equality can attend.’

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