Identity Politics and the Call for Racial/LGBT Segregated Accomodation on University Campuses

For several months now I have taken a keen interest in events transpiring on university campuses. I must say at this point that the more I read, the more despondent I become.

A recent article on Spiked, with associated links, suggests that both racial and LGBT segregated accommodation on university campuses is now commonplace in the US and being increasingly accepted in the UK as well. I was never offered nor needed a self-imagined luxury when I studied in the early 80s. I never wore my sexuality on my sleeve.

Today’s university accommodation is often more hotel than squat, with en-suite bathrooms and wifi as standard. Recently, students have dropped their preoccupation with double beds, dishwashers and twice-weekly cleaners and have begun to focus instead on who they share their halls of residence with. Students who apply to the University of Birmingham and request LGBT-only accommodation can be housed away from their straight classmates. Now, students at the University of York and the University of Central Lancashire want LGBT-only accommodation, too.

The growing demand for LGBT dorms in the UK parallels an increased demand on US college campuses for ‘racially themed dorms’ so that black students can live away from their white colleagues. In the wave of protests against racism that swept US colleges late last year, the call for racially separated spaces on campus was made repeatedly. The University of California, Berkeley already has ‘self-segregated housing for African-Americans as well as other racial minorities’, while students at University of California, Los Angeles have requested the creation of a separate ‘Afro-house’ residence for black students.

The author, Spiked Education Editor Joanna Williams, believes that student activists are attempting to rebuild discriminatory practices that previous generations of activists fought so hard against. She puts this down to paranoia resulting from the progressive demand for equality in education and relationships and also a perceived surreptitious agenda relating to white heteronormative power.

Today, identity politics is so dominant that talk of expanding universalism appears hopelessly old-fashioned. The current generation of students scorn the notion of equality because they believe people only have interests in common with others who, at the most basic level, look like them. It is assumed that people with different skin colour, gender or sexuality experience the world in a qualitatively different way, and can neither speak about, nor on behalf of, each other. Worse, different groups of people are pitched against each other, as if the very existence of some groups, particularly white straight men, is a source of oppression.

To be honest I am a bit lost with all this and also dismayed. In an attempt to get my head around the idea of a new contemporary apartheid I got a headache. I thought the progressive agenda embraced integration as a defining characteristic. Am I being naive? Why are students from minority groups, who purportedly want equality, requesting segregated accommodation on campus? It looks to me that these people not only want limit interaction with reality within these safe places but also want to live in them as well.

The headache was not abating so I stopped pondering and decided to read through the comments to see if they offered further perspective. The comment below hit me in the face.

I think all this segregation is probably a good idea. I am not interested in these people who just want to crawl off into their little holes where they can be truly ‘who they are’. Who they are is of no concern to me. People who are always looking for ‘safety’ and ‘identity’ are just tedious. They are not worth knowing. They are dull, predictable and lacking in any kind of creative thinking that is not about themselves. They have nothing to contribute to society. I am all in favour of segregating the boring and infantile people of the world.

I am interested in people who are making an impact on the society, who stimulate thought and with whom you can have a decent discussion. All these people do is take up oxygen. They do not truly want to be involved in life.

They might like to call the rest of society racist or homophobic but we just do not like them and surely even they would agree that all human beings are free to associate with whoever they like. If you want to be accepted in society then be something more than the colour of your skin or your sexuality. Be a person that society is delighted by.

Seriously, if these people are truly representative of our future then I really do believe we are heading towards two satirical terms I encountered recently:

1. 'Victimocracy' where merit is only awarded on the number of perceived victim card points.

2. 'Mephobia' where everything which is not 'about me' is problematic


The new segregation on campus

originally posted by: Morrad
Students who apply to the University of Birmingham and request LGBT-only accommodation can be housed away from their straight classmates.

So will it be ok for straight students to ask for accommodation away from LGBT students?
For white students to be asked to be away from blacks?

You make a good point and I am guessing this would be misconstrued as 'hate' and jumped on from a great height.

Equal but Seperate. Makes sense.

NUS again.

What's the problem with letting gays have the option to stay with other gays? It's not like they are demanding their own college campus or something. Just out of curiosity, what problems would this cause?

originally posted by: Tsubaki
What's the problem with letting gays have the option to stay with other gays? It's not like they are demanding their own college campus or something. Just out of curiosity, what problems would this cause?

It's the irony of asking for their own segregated locations while actively promoting inclusion to everyone else.


You do see this right?

First of all i have to admit, " a new contemporary apartheid" is a brilliant way of putting it.
But of course those idiots would tell you that it doesn't count since it's "self segregation"

it's very sad that the best these kids could come up with to promote/defend multiculturalism is to create spaces dedicated to only one specific culture (i am using that word in it's broadest meaning of course)
But personally i don't think it will last long, these type of groups tend to fraction into so many sub groups, that they basically cannibalize themselves in the long run. I'm convinced that in a few years, these "SJWs" will not exist, because as they create more and more specialized pockets of diversity they will fight amongst each other and fade away.
Of course who knows what the damage to culture as a whole will be before that happens...maybe minimal, or maybe there will be a total shift in the way people relate with each other.

originally posted by: In4ormant

originally posted by: Tsubaki
What's the problem with letting gays have the option to stay with other gays? It's not like they are demanding their own college campus or something. Just out of curiosity, what problems would this cause?

It's the irony of asking for their own segregated locations while actively promoting inclusion to everyone else.


You do see this right?

Inclusion of everyone to what? To be gay? Or are you saying liberal and gay are synonymous? Those are separate things...

originally posted by: Tsubaki

originally posted by: In4ormant

originally posted by: Tsubaki
What's the problem with letting gays have the option to stay with other gays? It's not like they are demanding their own college campus or something. Just out of curiosity, what problems would this cause?

It's the irony of asking for their own segregated locations while actively promoting inclusion to everyone else.


You do see this right?

Inclusion of everyone to what? To be gay? Or are you saying liberal and gay are synonymous? Those are separate things...

Inclusion and equality is their soapbox. Don't muddy things here. The word is hypocrite. You can't champion equality and inclusion for ALL people whether it be bathrooms, restaurants, schools, buses , water fountains etc. and then say that you want your own segregated space that is only for your group.

Is this really that hard for you to see?

a reply to: Tsubaki

the problems are mainly subtle:
by normalizing these "safe spaces" for, like in your example gay people, over time you will create the assumption that they NEED that protection because all heterosexual people hate or judge them.
some people truly are oppressed or marginalized, most others, just think they are because they rather blame "the system" than their own mediocrity, immaturity or personal failings. creating these safe spaces can very well increase the number of people that want just want everyone else to give them a free pass, as well as give a preconceived notion to people who just aren't that informed and are seeing these systems for the first time, i mean if you never heard about this at all, and i brought you suddenly to a college where gay people have an area dedicated to them, wouldn't you just assume "well i guess EVERYONE must hate them, so this way they are protected"
After all in a truly equal society there should be no boundaries, be it artificial or self imposed.
the moment you create a boundary, you are also identifying yourself as "the other/the different"...and i thought social justice warriors were against inequalities?

We should happily oblige them and push the notion to its extreme, they can have their own societies too. Let's see how that works out if they can't have a part of the infrastructure of nations built by white people. Let's see if they have the intellectual infrastructure to maintain a functioning society by themselves.

I seriously doubt it. Examples of failures abound.

a reply to: Morrad

If only Martin Luther King et al were alive today to see how warped and twisted the Civil Rights Movement has become.

Its bizarre and utterly ironic that non-Whites and Gay people are actively seeking segregation after all the 'progress' activists have made.

I'm white, heterosexual - I wonder what the response would be if I sought any sort of special treatment?

The world is going crazy! (Shakes one's head in disbelief as I get ready to go to the pub before the PC Brigade take that 'luxury' away from me!)

WOW just f'n wow!

Gay and black only classes next?

And these idiots want free education? lol!!

They don't deserve anything free, make them pay for it. Dumbasses.

originally posted by: In4ormant


Inclusion and equality is their soapbox. Don't muddy things here. The word is hypocrite. You can't champion equality and inclusion for ALL people whether it be bathrooms, restaurants, schools, buses , water fountains etc. and then say that you want your own segregated space that is only for your group.

Is this really that hard for you to see?

That would be hypocritical, however, I still think you are confusing being gay with being a liberal.
There are conservative gays. Is inclusion and equality their soapbox as well?

Maybe this is a reason? Or this?

Im genuinely curious what negative effect this would have on anyone that's not gay, and more importantly, why does anyone thats not gay care?

originally posted by: burgerbuddy
WOW just f'n wow!

Gay and black only classes next?

And these idiots want free education? lol!!

They don't deserve anything free, make them pay for it. Dumbasses.

Don't fall

originally posted by: IShotMyLastMuse
a reply to: Tsubaki

the problems are mainly subtle:
by normalizing these "safe spaces" for, like in your example gay people, over time you will create the assumption that they NEED that protection because all heterosexual people hate or judge them.
some people truly are oppressed or marginalized, most others, just think they are because they rather blame "the system" than their own mediocrity, immaturity or personal failings. creating these safe spaces can very well increase the number of people that want just want everyone else to give them a free pass, as well as give a preconceived notion to people who just aren't that informed and are seeing these systems for the first time, i mean if you never heard about this at all, and i brought you suddenly to a college where gay people have an area dedicated to them, wouldn't you just assume "well i guess EVERYONE must hate them, so this way they are protected"
After all in a truly equal society there should be no boundaries, be it artificial or self imposed.
the moment you create a boundary, you are also identifying yourself as "the other/the different"...and i thought social justice warriors were against inequalities?

That's for gays to deal with then right?

originally posted by: Tsubaki

originally posted by: In4ormant


Inclusion and equality is their soapbox. Don't muddy things here. The word is hypocrite. You can't champion equality and inclusion for ALL people whether it be bathrooms, restaurants, schools, buses , water fountains etc. and then say that you want your own segregated space that is only for your group.

Is this really that hard for you to see?

That would be hypocritical, however, I still think you are confusing being gay with being a liberal.
There are conservative gays. Is inclusion and equality their soapbox as well?

Maybe this is a reason? Or this?

Im genuinely curious what negative effect this would have on anyone that's not gay, and more importantly, why does anyone thats not gay care?

No where in any previous post of mine have I mentioned liberals. I am commenting on the content of the post/article. It is hypocritical.

Why does anyone not gay care?
You think only gay people stand up for civil rights?

What negative effects this would have on anyone not gay?
We shouldn't be concerned with segregation in any form?

Your just, wow

originally posted by: Tsubaki

originally posted by: burgerbuddy
WOW just f'n wow!

Gay and black only classes next?

And these idiots want free education? lol!!

They don't deserve anything free, make them pay for it. Dumbasses.

Don't fall

Not a fan of history are you

a reply to: Morrad

Resegregation is happening all over, not just the Colleges. Look at Ferguson MO!

Frankly, I don't know what to make of it, but if people want to resegregate, that's o.k. with me......they have that right, unless of course, they're white.