University student tries to set up men’s rights group and is banned by student union
A UNIVERSITY student has caused a stir for trying to set up a men's rights forum - only to get rejected by his campus union.
University student tries to set up men’s rights group and is banned by student union
Will Styles, 21, argued he was being victimised over his gender because there was a women's forum on his campus - but no equivalent for men. He applied to set up a platform but the University of Plymouth Students' Union said equal opportunities legislation only applies to groups which have suffered "historic and ongoing discrimination".
Mr Styles, a third year architecture student, said: "I spent the last year and a bit collecting signatures and writing to the board of trustees.
"I felt they were denying opportunities to a group based on their gender."
Mr Style described his 'fury' after receiving an official response from UPSU Trustee Board
By trying to set up a forum, Will is arguing that men are marginalised
He added: "Then there are campus issues like men's mental health and male suicide. There is not a lot happening on campus for that, or for sexual harassment of men or false sexual harassment accusations."
Will faced a backlash on social media for suggesting men are marginalised.
One student, Esha Chand Bhandari, wrote on Facebook: "As a student of Plymouth University, I'd like to say that the UPSU FORUM system is specifically set up for marginalised groups. By trying to set up a forum, Will is arguing that men are marginalised."
Will faced a backlash on social media for suggesting men are marginalised
UPSU said: "The UPSU trustee board noted that references in the UPSU constitution to equal opportunities and the UPSU equal opportunities policy must be read in the context of the relevant equal opportunities legislation.
"That legislation, both in its initial form and as subsequently amended, is specifically designed to address equal opportunities for groups which have suffered historic and ongoing discrimination.
"Those groups did not, and do not, include men."