AUT to host group opposing same-sex marriage

March 18, 2016

AUT to host group opposing same-sex marriage

The Sir Paul Reeves Building at AUT where the FCANZ conference is to be held from 18-20 April. Photo: Daniel Walker

Note: The original article wrongly said the conference was on the weekend of 18-20 March. The conference is in fact from 18-20 April and the article has been corrected.

Concerns are being raised over Auckland University of Technology hosting an Anglican group who oppose same-sex marriage.

The conference for the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans NZ in April will feature discussion topics such as “True Unity” and “True Love”.

Dr Helen Jacobi, vicar of St Matthew-in-the-city, said in an email she was “surprised that a group so opposed to marriage equality and the ordination of gay and lesbian people in the church would choose to hold their conference at AUT".

AUT holds a Rainbow Tick, which is awarded to organisations that have excellent policies around LGBTI inclusion.

“[The Fellowship] are working to undermine years of work in the church towards the full inclusion of people who identify as LGBTI," Dr Jacobi said.

Alison Sykora, AUT’s Head of Communications, said the university may have been unaware of the Fellowship’s stance on same-sex marriage before booking the conference.

However, Ms Sykora said the conference will go ahead at the university.

“We don’t necessarily agree with the points of view, but we defend people’s rights to have them and express them and that’s really fundamental at a university,” Sykora said.

She also said the university will not support any groups that promote hate speech, however could not guarantee the conference will be hate speech free.

Cate Thorn, volunteer chaplain at AUT, said she was surprised to find out the university booked the conference.

However, Ms Thorn emphasised the tension between protecting LGBTI rights and denying freedom of speech.

“Can AUT be a place that has honest conversations…or does it have to be a place that only allows one voice?” Thorn asked.

Thomas James, ex-president of LGBTI group Out@AUT, said the university has made sure the conference stays separate from the student population.

Mr James said in addition LGBTI students are organised enough that the conference is unlikely to affect them.

“We have a strong community…we know organisations like that exist, and we know how to combat that,” Mr James said.

Hosting the conference has not put the university’s Rainbow Tick status at risk.

Rainbow Tick Programme Director Michael Stevens said that universities have a duty to promote free speech.

“It’s not like AUT is suddenly changing their position on LGBTI inclusion, they’re just giving space to another group to talk,” Mr Stevens said.

Mr Stevens said the Rainbow Tick status mainly deals with inclusiveness in working environments, which AUT excels in.

However, if similar conferences happened more frequently, Mr Stevens said he would not be comfortable.

“We might ask for some clarification if it was to become a theme,” he says.

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