Caius will not fly Transgender Pride flag

Proposals to fly the flag missed their threshold by four votes

Students at the College have voted to fly the Progress Pride flag, the Tibetan flag, and the national flags of Wales and the Republic of IrelandLouis Ashworth for Varsity

by Jack Lawrence

Friday November 29 2024, 12:00pm

Gonville and Caius students failed to pass a vote to fly the Transgender Pride flag, following controversy around the issue in recent years.

Students at the College have voted to fly the Progress Pride flag, the Tibetan flag, and the national flags of Wales and the Republic of Ireland.

The vote to fly the Transgender Pride flag was the only proposal not to pass, missing the required threshold of votes by four. Nominated flags require the approval of at least one third of all eligible voters in order to be flown.

Proposals to fly the Progress Pride flag passed, with an announcement on the College’s intranet stating that the “trans community is represented in the Progress Pride Flag, to be flown on June 1 and 30”.

The flag includes black, brown, pink, pale blue and white stripes, to represent marginalised people of colour in the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the trans community, and those living with HIV/AIDS.

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Gonville and Caius has previously come under criticism for their fellows’ controversial decision not to fly the Pride flag in 2022. They later backtracked on this decision after an open letter from the GCSU garnered the signatures of hundreds of students and staff, including the senior tutor.

Gonville and Caius College and the GCSU were contacted for comment.

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