Student outrage at Guild email warning "cross dressing is as offensive as blacking up”

Ahead of Exeter University’s Diversity Week, an email has been sent explaining that fancy-dress cross-dressing does not have the University’s approval.

Student Leaders claim they consider it as offensive to transgendered students as “blacking up” is to black students. 

The email has quickly found its way into the nationals. The Mail Online, the most read newspaper in the world with over 60 million visitors every day lead with the title:

‘Male students at top university banned from dressing as girls on pub crawls 'because it is as offensive as blacking-up'

Quotes from The Guild email

‘The Guild is aware that there are several trans-identified students at Exeter and more who express their identity as gender-queer (people who view themselves as neither wholly male or female),’ it said.
‘To parody this appearance is crass and offensive on the same level as ethnicity.’

It added: ‘The Guild is not demanding that all such performances stop. We are merely asking for your consideration in making sure that your own individual behaviour is not harming, insulting or mocking.’

Many students have expressed outrage at the University.

Read 2 Student’s responses here:

http://www.exeterdrop.co.uk/en/photos/news-update/2012-02-24/1113/cross-dressing-banned-our-reaction.html