Caius will not fly Pride flags in 2023

A vote among students failed to pass the College imposed one-third majority threshold needed to fly the flags

In February, dons voted to stop flying the pride flag because it was deemed 'political'Varsity

by Bella Shorrock

This article is 2 years old

Saturday October 29 2022, 10:51am

Gonville and Caius College will not fly the progress pride or transgender flags in 2023. In an email sent to undergraduates, it was announced that no nominated flag had received the required amount of student votes to be flown.

In a relatively recent initiative, adopted by the college in Easter 2022, Caius undergrads can vote for nominated student flag days. The flags nominated required 307 votes to pass the threshold – a third of all 919 eligible voters.

The Caius LGBTQ+ officer called the decision “a great disappointment” for queer students and allies at the College. They told Varsity that the decision to “introduce additional barriers to flying Pride Flags” reflected “a continued policy of disassociating from and excluding the queer community at Caius that is being relentlessly pursued by some fellows” at the College.

The flags rejected by students included the progress pride flag, which was nominated to fly at the beginning and end of pride month and LGBTQ+ history month, as well as the transgender flag, which was nominated to fly on the transgender day of rememberance.

Only 322 students took part in the vote, 35% of eligible voters. This meant that no flag received the required 307 votes. The progress pride flag received 287 votes for and 22 against, while the transgender flag received 179 votes for and 21 against.

One Caius student expressed disappointment with the decision. They told Varsity: “After all the work the student body put into campaigning for the flags, it’s incredibly disempowering that not a single one reached the threshold number of votes. The fact that some people actually voted against the flags is even more alarming.”

Caius U-turn on pride flag decision

This comes after recent controversies over flying the pride flag at Caius. In February 2022, senior academics voted to stop flying the LGBTQ+ flag after claiming it was a “political” statement. The move prompted backlash among students, with many outlining the harmful impacts the decision would have on the College’s LGBT community.

After condemnation from the student body and the SU, the decision was reversed in May this year and the flag was flown on the first day of June for the start of Pride Month.

A vote also took place on flying the flag of Cornwall, St Piran’s Flag, on St Piran’s Day. This also failed as 184 students voted for and 61 against, with 77 abstensions.

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