People are furious that straight white guys aren't allowed to attend an equality conference

LONDON -- A university lecturers' union's decision to only allow members who identify as female, LGBTQ, living with a disability or from an ethnic minority to attend an equality conference has been branded "ridiculous."

According to the University and College Union (UCU)'s website, the event is a "joint equality conference for black, LGBT, disabled and women members" which comprises workshops, guest speakers and joint sessions.

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The UCU policy requires members to self-identify when they apply to attend the conference, according to UCU member Emma-Jane Phillips. 

Phillips -- who's also a member of the UCU's equality committee -- told Times Higher Education (THE) the policy means elected equality officers who are straight, white, male and have no disability will not be allowed to attend.

“Members felt that it was important that those from different minority groups should be able to meet to discuss the unique hurdles they face together," a spokesman for UCU told Mashable.  

"This is nothing new and quite common practice.”

"This is nothing new and quite common practice.”

The policy has proved unpopular to some on social media, with many people branding the policy as akin to "discrimination" and "segregation". 

"OK time to discuss equality, oh wait not you, you're of 'this race and that sexuality' you cant come," read one tweet.

"Well, this is pretty messed up," opined one Twitter user.

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"Ironic that @ucu is racist & sexist while putting on an 'equality conference.' You can't even make this up," read another. 

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However, some people see things a little differently and are taking the view that those from minority groups are entitled to a "safe space." 

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"[It's] OK to create spaces for minority/oppressed groups 2 discuss their issues together," Ferrour continued. 

UCU member Ciara Doyle, who lectures at the University of Greenwich told THE that the conference's sessions are intended to be a "safe space" where people with various characteristics can discuss their situations openly in a space that would otherwise be inhabited by "people with no personal experience of these matters." 

“We see in the union movement that…some people’s voices are far louder than others,” she told THE.

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