Do you know what the problem is with queer nights in the West Country? That they basically don’t exist.

Here in Cambridge they do exist but never, it seems, for very long. Some of you might have seen the post sent out on Facebook by the CUSU LGBT+ committee, either directly on their page, or through the numerous times that it was shared or reiterated by students on social media.

If not, I’ll break it down for you: a member of the CUSU LGBT+ Executive emphasised CUSU’s “absolute non-involvement in” and “non-endorsement of” Glitterbomb, the new night at Kuda (Life) – which features drag, lip-syncing and hosts in underwear. In doing so, they cited issues with transmisogyny, ableism, difficulties for those on the asexual spectrum, and for those who are survivors of sexual assault and harassment, as well as the “stereotyped” and “oversexualised” elements of the event.

Don’t get me wrong, those issues sound terrible, and these loaded terms make one question why anyone would ever even be tempted to go to such an occasion. However, this is hardly a surprising impression considering the use of such loaded terms, deployed with a very ‘Cambridge’ sense of certainty while having not expanded on any of them. ‘We’ve done the thinking for you: it’s a bad event, and bad things happen there, so don’t go or you’ll be exacerbating all these issues’ is certainly one of the underlying messages that I’m getting, far in excess of CUSU LGBT+ simply disaffiliating themselves from the event.

While I’m sure that the creators of the post would be quick to point out that there is no part in which they say students should or must not go, it is undeniable that CUSU LGBT+ has put its weight behind this anti-Glitterbomb post, and on this occasion I believe that it has been rather recklessly thrown around.

One of my many hobbies includes thinking for myself, and in line with this utterly rogue, rebellious and very, very, very wild lifestyle, I made the decision to attend the night that they were having this week. Funnily enough, so did the Exec member who wrote the post.

I have absolutely nothing against anyone on the committee, and I admire many of their achievements (big up the “Make No Assumptions” campaign), but seeing the same person who posted CUSU LGBT+’s damning statement about the event attending it was a lot to take onboard.

There are clearly divided opinions about Glitterbomb, yet it seems that this would be much better addressed in dialogue with the student population, as opposed to our current system where a handful of empowered students sit in a room, do some shouting, and then inform the rest of us about our newfound vendetta against the current LGBT+ club night. Did someone say “Revolution…bar”? 

That is not to say that none of the issues being flagged up by CUSU LGBT+ are valid; if people are uncomfortable with the night, that is certainly something we should be discussing as a community. The post perhaps even misses out other issues, such as the peculiar Facebook friend requests that students have reportedly experienced after events.

To implicitly brand an event as guilty of so many misconducts and offences – in a post reaching almost 1,500 members – feels irresponsible and quite frankly arrogant, especially where consensus is divided enough for some committee members to still attend the evenings. These complaints beg the question of in what way their nights would be different, a difficult assessment to make given the sparkling total of zero club nights they have organised so far this year.

Clearly the CUSU LGBT+ committee can be effective in trying to protect the interests of vulnerable and minority groups, and we are hugely indebted to much of their work. However, such vitriolic posts have created a culture of fear surrounding the committee, which ironically becomes detrimental to the same safe and comfortable space that the posts aim to reinforce. At Cambridge, we are lucky to have such a tolerant environment, perfect for successful LGBT+ nights, and yet their existence is perpetually under threat.

Free wine and Haribos line the path to political dialogue

I acknowledge my privilege, and that I cannot, as a cis woman, fully understand the sensitivity of all the issues the committee has raised, but I may not be the only one with privileges to check. In their attempt to address some legitimate concerns, CUSU LGBT+ have used their authority to create more friction within the LGBT+ community at Cambridge, and ultimately another stigma to reduce the attendance of queer events at the University.

If you like Glitterbomb, go; if you don’t like it, don’t go: either way, I’m sure you’ll get your fix of melodrama on the LGBT+ Facebook page. But it’s alright, everyone: Oh! Rama on Friday has been magnanimously given the green light. I love Big Brother