Hello, my name is Olivia and I am the Student Community and Societies sabbatical officer at Cambridge SU. I am writing to address widespread student concerns regarding the rights of our trans students and the registration of a single-sex society. This post seeks to clarify the SU’s position.
Firstly, I would like to reiterate the SU’s full support for trans rights and trans students. The SU is, and has always been, very clear on this - we value, support and celebrate trans-inclusivity. Our Welfare and Liberation sabbatical officer in particular has been doing lots of campaigning work for trans rights - such as raising issues facing our trans students in University committees and speaking with the Good Law project. You can also find our past statements on trans rights on our website (see here for our most recent update).
However, aside from being a campaigning body, the SU is also:
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the recognised Union for all Cambridge University students, which makes us accountable to the Education Act
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a registered charity, which makes us accountable to the Equality Act and to the Charity Commission.
As a result, our role and legal responsibility is to register all eligible societies - even if they contradict our ethos. This is why you find societies for parties across the political spectrum, and other societies with conflicting interests - our role is to provide equitable support and resources to all of our students, regardless of political belief or difference in values.
The single-sex society was registered by the University on the 28th November. Registering with the University Proctors’ office allows a society to use the University name and branding, to access funding from the Societies Syndicate, and to be covered by the University insurance. The SU, in turn, has registered the society on the 12th December - registering with us gives a society access to Freshers' and Refreshers' Fair stalls, finance accounts, and society promotion.
Students have contacted us, concerned that a registration of the society would contradict our following policy:
Registered Cambridge SU Clubs and Societies shall not; (1) engage in, allow, or encourage their members to engage in, behaviour that is abusive, offensive, violent or criminal; (2) publish or otherwise distribute material that is grossly inaccurate, defamatory, deliberately misleading, harmful, or menacing.
Under the Equality Act of 2010, gender critical beliefs constitute protected philosophical beliefs - this means that gender critical beliefs are not legally considered harmful. However, harassment directed at individuals, on whatever basis and whomever it is directed to, is considered harmful, and is against our democratic code of conduct. This is applicable to all registered societies.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Olivia Ledger, VP (Student Community and Societies)