Your rights aren't being trampled on...ours are.

Members of BCUSU’s LGBTQ+ society have recently found transphobic stickers on the doors of toilets across campus.

The stickers read, ‘women only, this is a single sex service under the Equality Act 2010’ with the female bathroom symbol on a purple background.

The stickers have so far been found within Millennium Point and City South campus, although, it is unconfirmed whether they have been spotted within other buildings.

These stickers are cleverly disguised to look official, but the origin of these stickers, claiming the need for ‘women only’ spaces has been traced back to Standing For Women, an organisation who pride themselves on a sex-based definition of the term woman. The type of transphobic rhetoric used by the group invalidates the rights and validity of the transgender community and has shocked and angered your LGBTQ+ society and committee.

The LGBTQ+ Society would like to reassure students that the stickers have not been placed by BCU and are not representative of views held by the university. However, the presence

of the stickers is distressing especially as they will have been placed by someone with the

ability to access BCU facilities. The society do not tolerate this kind of behaviour or attack on trans students and staff and here provide an update of their current actions:

The stickers have been reported to the Students’ Union, the university through the Report & Support tool, and a further written update has been requested on the actions taken as a consequence of the presence of anti-trans material being spread around campus.

It has also been requested that any stickers are removed, if found, by estates teams. However, if you find the stickers then you can also remove them, and let the LGBTQ+ society know where they have been found.

The LGBTQ+ Society plan to organise an educational campaign around transgender issues and how to by a trans ally and will continue to work with the Students’ Union and university to create safer spaces for the trans community at BCU.

Any students who have ideas or would wish to be a part of this campaign are encouraged to reach out either via social media, or by email to lgbtq@teambcu.co.uk.

If you have been affected by the presence of these stickers then you can access the BCU Report and Support tool or contact BCU Wellbeing.