Oxford University’s Geography and Environment faculty has removed from its walls a portrait of its most famous – indeed only famous – recent alumna, British Prime Minister Theresa May.
The decision was apparently made in response to complaints from a handful of students.
It was led by a Twitter account with just 116 followers.
Please retweet our condemnation of Theresa May’s portrait hanging in Oxford Geography and develop alternative histories #NotAllGeographers #PhDLife #TheresaMay https://t.co/DDOiSiOmqO
— NotAllGeographers (@NGeographers) May 5, 2018
An incredible total of nine people felt inspired to retweet this exciting message.
According to Cherwell, the portrait had only been up a week. And it was, somewhat ironically, the Geography faculty’s Equalities and Diversity Officer, Claire Hann, who made the supposedly contentious decision to put up the Theresa May portrait, as part of a celebration of the faculty’s female alumnae.
“The aim is to show that the achievements of the few selected women represent and are linked with the achievements of a much wider group of women geographers.
“We’re keen to celebrate the successes of our women students and staff as much as those of men. It’s been great to reconnect with many of our past students through this project, and we hope it will inspire our current students as they pass by the display each day.”
Did no one tell Ms Hann? Social Justice Warriors always devour their own. No matter how impeccably progressive you may think you are, there’ll always been someone further out on the fringes of SJW lunacy to outwoke you.
Here, according to Cherwell, is how the NotAllGeographers campaign justified its position:
“We are rightly proud of…the celebration of SoGE alumnae.
“However, there was no consultation (at least with students) about the placing of Theresa May as one of the selected twelve larger portraits to celebrate women and Oxford geography (or the selection of photos for the wall).
“Clearly at a time when there are issues with the Windrush scandal and the handling of Brexit [she is] a contentious figure in a department with many EU citizens and decolonial scholars.
“The main, and most basic, issue comes with the celebration of a sitting Prime Minister. Should a department align itself with the power of the day, when there are those who actively challenge it?
“It is unprecedented to celebrate state power in such a way (regardless of one’s political affiliation).
Oxford has lost the plot. But then, we knew that already…
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