http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2487763/Racist-Birmingham-Universit...
Union says it is standing against 'racism, ageism, sexism, ableism, homophobia and transphobia'
"A group of students have been banned from wearing sombreros and fake moustaches at a fancy dress night because they might be perceived as racist.
A sports team at the University of Birmingham had hoped to dress as Mexicans at a Halloween party until a union official told them they would not be allowed in with their costumes.
Students have criticised the ban as 'heavy-handed political correctness gone mad', as it also emerged that one person was denied entry to a party because he was dressed as the 'Native American' member of the Village People.
Ban: Students have been barred from club nights at the University of Birmingham Guild of Students, pictured, because their fancy dress outfits were deemed offensive
Ban: Students have been barred from club nights at the University of Birmingham Guild of Students, pictured, because their fancy dress outfits were deemed offensive
Earlier this year the university's student union, the Guild of Students, announced a clampdown on 'all forms of oppressive and discriminatory behaviour' at its club nights.
Since then, undergraduates have been barred from events simply because of what they were wearing, while the hit song Blurred Lines has been banned because of its 'distressing' content.
University basketball player Carl Raynsford, 21, told The Tab student newspaper that last Saturday his team were not allowed to attend an Halloween event dressed in stereotypical Mexican outfits, after the union's 'anti-racism and anti-fascism officer' objected.
'We were dressed as Mexicans which involved only a sombrero and a poncho and potentially a drawn-on moustache,' he said. 'I'm not sure why it's deemed racist, nor why the 'anti-facism officer' needs any involvement.
'Would I be offended if someone came as an Englishman?'
Racist? Union officials ruled that a sombrero was an unacceptable outfit for a night out (file photo)
Racist? Union officials ruled that a sombrero was an unacceptable outfit for a night out (file photo)
Vicki Harris, vice-president for sport at the union, wrote to the team saying: 'Dressing up as Mexicans would not be OK since it could be seen as imitation of a culture and relate to a stereotype about the race of that particular ethnicity group, even if the intention is by no means harmful at all.
'We are in the process of creating some guidelines which will offer more direction but in the meantime if you have a back-up theme I would recommend going with that instead.
'From speaking with venues you would be asked to take off Mexican-related fancy dress items before coming into the guild.'
Third-year student Jonathan Blausten says he was also refused entry to the Guild's club night when he dressed as a fictional character from a made-up Middle Eastern country.
In an open letter, the 21-year-old wrote: 'I was refused entry dressed as Admiral General Aladeen from The Dictator, because my costume was "racist".
'I'm still waiting to hear who I was offending, going as a character from a fictional country in a movie which parodies almost every country on earth with no particular bias.
'Last night, I met someone who had gone to Fab with his housemates. They had all gone as the Village People - he just happened to be the one dressed as the Native American, wearing a head dress.
'He was thrown out of Fab for being "racist". I'm still waiting for the Guild to ban the YMCA.'
The union said in a statement: 'The Guild has a zero tolerance policy against all forms of harassment to include racism, ageism, sexism, ableism, and homophobia and transphobia. It is believed that some fancy dress can be deemed offensive when considering the zero tolerance policy.
'The Guild would like to reiterate that this policy has been put in place with students' interests and safety at the heart of its decision.
'We do however understand that there has been some confusion with fancy dress themes and we are working on clearer guidelines to help inform students’ decisions, as well as a wider campaign to raise awareness on these issues.'
The guild was accused of hypocrisy when it emerged that one of its officers appeared dressed in a sombrero in an official video promoting a local joke shop.
The university has not commented on the controversy."
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Bastardos!!!
Anybody involved in student politics should be automatically banned from ever holding any public office..........having first had a chair broken over them.
