Statement from Dan, SU President
Tuesday 27-02-2024 - 08:39
I am appalled by the decision of the Durham Intercollege Christian Union (DICCU) to platform a known anti-LGBTQ+ speaker and the subsequent event that took place. The law protects the right of homophobic and transphobic people to have those views, and to speak on our campuses if invited by a student group. The law does not require me, on behalf of the students' union, to stay silent on how much I find those views disgusting, hateful and completely antithetical to the culture we need to build here at Durham. The right to freedom of speech comes with the responsibility to include more people in the conversation. The kind of rhetoric DICCU's guest speaker brought to campus does the opposite - it reinforces hatred and fear, marginalises people within our communities and freezes out quality conversations about modern faith amongst students. This invitation was a bad choice. At a time of intense hostility towards the LGBTQ+ community in wider society, it is vital we come together as a student community and stand against this hatred when it seeks to present itself on our campus.
