Petition calls for removal of Lancaster student confessions page over ‘misogynistic’ posts

A petition has been launched calling for the removal of a Lancaster student confessions page after it was accused of posting inappropriate content.

The Instagram account @lancscenes, which posts anonymous submissions related to Lancaster University, has come under fire for giving a platform to “misogynistic” and “vulgar” confessions.

The petition was launched in response to an Instagram post shared on Wednesday 11th February containing sexually-charged comments about a female student in the library.

The post, which has now been deleted, read: “The African girls that pull all nighters in the library make me so hard when they speak and I cum when this particular girl laughs wow. […] I love you my African queens.”

The confession emphasised the fantasy was “not racially motivated”.

via Instagram @lancscenes

Speaking about this post, the petition’s organiser argued its content is “completely inappropriate for any one to be posting about, especially since it deals with blatant sexual harassment.”

The post also attracted criticism in its own comments, with one person arguing: “This just makes black women on campus feel unsafe because of someone’s confession that should have probably been reported to the uni and not fking platformed”.

Others advocated for the account to face repercussions, saying: “The moderator who deemed this suitable to the post should be replaced with someone less misogynistic immediately” and “genuinely hope the uni shuts down with fucking account”.

The petition also refers to an incident 12 months ago when the account received backlash for posts that used “inappropriate language” to describe women’s appearances.

One post read: “Hooked up with an extremely tall girl in vibe who looked like a man and had very manly features, can’t stop thinking about her. Is this bad?”.

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Once several accounts affiliated with Lancaster University condemned the posts, Lancaster Scenes issued an apology saying: “Two of our admins were carelessly posting ALL confessions and looked to be sabotaging this page”.

After claiming they removed the admins who posted the confession, the account said: “From here on our Lanscenes will be managed with the utmost care, serving as a free speaking but safe platform for all Lancaster students.”

However, the organiser of the recent petition claimed the account’s “behaviour has changed very little” since the apology was issued.

via Instagram @lancscenes

Since the recent post concerning a female student in the library was shared, other Lancaster-based Instagram accounts have voiced their opposition to the Lancaster Scenes page.

Jeremiah LeCrouche, who posts gimmick photos on the Instagram account @jeremiah_of_lancaster, claimed the account is “making Lancaster an unsafe place to be” and that it has “no right to be on Instagram”.

A popular Lancaster student meme page with the username @badlancsmemes posted a story saying the account is “completely incapable of moderating their content”, arguing it promotes “an atmosphere of hate and discomfort” for people in “vulnerable positions”.

Since the establishment of the petition, Lancaster Scenes has edited its account bio to include “unofficial, no affiliation with the uni”.

Following this change, the petition updated its description to argue the account is  “trying to save face” and “hoping we forget about this and move on”.

The Lancaster Scenes confessions page has made no official statement since deleting the post.

Victoria Nyoni, Chairperson of Ethnic Minorities Committee said: “I understand the appeal for confessional pages, like a sense of community for example, but the posts shared can also endorse inappropriate attitudes towards people of colour and especially women.”

A Lancaster University Students’ Union spokesperson said: “The Lancscenes Instagram account, like all confessional pages online are neither affiliated to, nor endorsed by the Students’ Union. We will continue to support our student representatives in their efforts to tackle misogyny and racism and will endeavour, as always, to make Lancaster a safe and welcoming place for all students. If the university is able to investigate and discover who is responsible for  this, we hope that appropriate action will be taken.”

A Lancaster University spokesperson said: “While the account is not affiliated with Lancaster University and we cannot remove its content, the posts referenced raise concerns that extend beyond inappropriate commentary.

“Where content suggests behaviour that may constitute sexual harassment, stalking, or other forms of misconduct, we take this extremely seriously. We are reviewing the information available and will take appropriate steps, including involving law enforcement if we identify conduct that may be unlawful.

“Lancaster University is committed to ensuring that our campus remains a safe and respectful environment for all. Racism, misogyny, and any form of harassment are wholly unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

“We encourage anyone affected by online content or concerned for their safety to report it and seek support through our established university channels.”

@lancscenes Instagram account has been contacted for comment.

If you have been affected by the contents of this article, you can contact access Lancaster University’s support services here. 

Alternatively, you can contact the Samaritans at any time by calling 116 123, or contact Shout, a 24/7 text messaging service, by texting the word “Shout” to 85258.

Featured images via Instagram @jermiah_of_lancaster, @badlancsmemes and change.org petition.