YUSU refuses to provide condoms for Vanbrugh event
The organisers of this weekend’s Porno V event have been told by YUSU that they will not be supplied with condoms to distribute.
Grace Fletcher-Hackwood, YUSU Academic and Welfare Officer, who claimed that the event was not promoting safe sex and was ’sexistly’ branded, saw the YUSU Executive vote to uphold her decision and prevent the supply of condoms to the organisers.
“I’m not giving them any. It’s because it is Porno V, because it is sexistly branded and because it encourages people to come dressed for kinky sex. Promoting safe sex does not mean promoting sexism at the same time,” Fletcher-Hackwood told Exec. “I suggested that if I was to be associated with the event, they might consider branding it in a sensitive way. They chose not to, so no condoms for them,” she explained.
Kate Taylor, Vanbrugh Event Rep and one of the organisers of Porno V, feels that Fletcher-Hackwood’s view is unfair: “We were in touch with YUSU before Christmas, and they said they would probably be able to supply us with condoms. Now they are not letting us, and to a certain extent they are putting York students at risk.”
“They think the event has gone downhill and that we are using sex to sell tickets, rather than promoting safe sex. We were told that YUSU Welfare would support a safe sex event. It was safe sex the last time this event was run, and it is safe sex again. I don’t know why it would be classed as a sexist event, everyone is welcome to attend. We are not trying to get people to dress as sluts, that isn’t the idea of it,” Taylor continued.
Taylor and her team had invisaged preparing goodie bags for attendees containing some condoms and lube, and have now been forced to purchase these using event funds. “When students are leaving the event, it is better that they are taking condoms with them - not to imply that they are all going to go off and have sex,” said Taylor. This method of distribution has been used previously at campus events, most recently at the James College Full Stop to Aids party in December of last year.
Nadeem Kunwar, YUSU Entertainment Officer challenged Fletcher-Hackwood’s motives behind the decision, suggesting that she may have a “personal stigma” against Vanbrugh College events, and that it was not her individual choice to supply the condoms. Laura Payne, YUSU Women’s Officer, then submitted a proposal for Exec to overrule the decision. This proposal failed by 5 votes to 3, with 1 abstention.
“We don’t have any obligations to supply college events with condoms if they are unwilling to make their event welfare-friendly,” said Matthew Pallas, YUSU LGBT Officer.
Grace Fletcher-Hackwood - YUSU Academic and Welfare Officer
As I pointed out yesterday, this decision in no way puts York students at risk - not only do Vanbrugh already have condoms for the event that they have purchased themselves, but I have offered to provide the event with ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’ flyers detailing all the places on campus where YUSU provides free condoms, including Nightline which will be open during the Vanbrugh event at it is every night of term.
Grace
Chris Northwood
I must say I’m shocked and appalled by YUSU’s decision to not distribute condoms to students; how are they acting in the best interest of welfare if they’re refusing to support students and their constituent JCRs?
Grace Fletcher-Hackwood - YUSU Academic and Welfare Officer
As above, Chris…
lynn
please explain …”because it is sexistly branded and because it encourages people to come dressed for kinky sex. Promoting safe sex does not mean promoting sexism at the same time” I don’t understand what ‘kinky’ has to do with sexism.
Sam Thomas
I think this is pretty straightforward, isn’t it? Money for welfare is there to make sure students have condoms when they need them - not to make sure no-one goes home from Porno V without a fistful of them.
If the event is there to promote safe sex then it makes a certain amount of sense to hand out condoms, as with the James stop AIDS events, but seriously, “P.O.R.N.O. V cums again” promoting responsibility? That’s just taking the piss. Grace seems well within her rights to me.
To be honest, I think the whole idea of handing out condoms at ents is bizarre… seems to suggest that people aren’t capable of taking responsibility for their own sex lives, which is the message that should be getting through (after all, a condom in your pocket isn’t much use if you don’t use it). But there you go.
Chris Northwood
Apologies Grace, due to the moderation thing in place here I didn’t see your post until well after mine had been posted.
If SU Welfare are going to make condoms available anyway through Nightline, etc, what’s the downside of making the extra jump across the bridge (or 2) to Vanbrugh and distributing them there as well?
Shag Bash
Compare and contrast Porno V with Langwith’s SHAG Bash. The latter event DID promote safe sex and didn’t degrade women or offend anyone in the process. And it was an ace night out!
Ryan Bennett
Things like this are so absurd, and i’m willing to bet good money that the vast majority of students would agree. Clearly the SU feels differently and needs to assert some strong moral values upon us all for some tongue-in-cheek fun. Good luck trying to find your way to nightline with all the bridges closed across campus!
dave
havent read all the comments but refusing to provide free condoms at any event is a travesty. They should be available at all bars/porters lodges. Unfortunately providing them at nightline is just too much like effort for a few people when they have had a bit to drink. Shame on the SU for this…
Michael Rutherford
I really don’t think that the Academic and Welfare offier of a Student Union can be expected to support an event with the tag line “dressed to get screwed”.
If it isn’t sexist, then it’s encouraging promiscuity and random drunken sex. It would be completely wrong for YUSU to effectively say that all students want random sex with strangers.
This event wasn’t banned, but YUSU still stayed away from supporting it. I think that is the best decision. No point in banning this sort of thing, but someone in a welfare position encouraging it would be crazy.
Dave
Accusations of sexism are wild and unfounded - another flippant remark with no substance behind it. If there really is a threat to student welfare posed by a planet V, surely Vanbrugh’s elected welfare officers would raise concerns at JCR meetings?
Students are adults and should be able to make decisions about sex by themselves without YUSU acting like a disapproving parent.
That said, if it’s a Vanbrugh event then whats wrong with vanbrugh providing the condoms? YUSU don’t hand them out at every event so it seems in line with the norm not to make an exception for this particular party.
Chris Northwood
Michael: In my opinion it’s not the job of YUSU’s sabbs to be passing judgement on the morality of events, but to be providing welfare for students when and where it’s required. Arguably, an event glamorising sex has different welfare needs to a standard event.
James MacDougald
Isn’t it enough that, with minimal effort and forward-planning, we can pick up FREE condoms at a number of places on campus (YUSU building, health centre) - you’re probably never more than 100 yards from a condom.
It’s typical of students to demand as an inalienable right something that would, in any normal set of circumstances, be considered a remarkable freebie. Not satisfied? Buy your own damn condoms!
Sam Thomas
Dear me, James, it seems we actually agree about something. I thought the day would never come…
Shumacher
We are all adults and, as such should take full responsibility for our own sexual health. I’m sure that if YUSU handed out bike helmets to students, many would accuse YUSU of ‘wasting money and time by interfering with the lives of intelligent students, who are fully capable of making their own decisions regarding personal safety’. YUSU should be seen as your advice service, not your babysitting service.
Bob
Just to clarify, Vanbrugh already had 300 condoms to distribute at an event with 600 people attending - if everybody goes home with somebody I make that a 100% sex rate. Might just be me, but that’s not typical of the campus events I’ve been at..