An intolerant queer club

Stuff reports:

The president of the University of Canterbury’s (UC) queer students’ society says he was forced to resign after coming out as a National Party supporter.

Max Farra​, 20, stirred controversy when a Young Nats promotional social media post showing him pledging his support to the party was shared with QCanterbury members.

Many were concerned the post erroneously conveyed the group’s endorsement of the political party. The Young Nats refused QCanterbury’s requests to remove it.

A QCanterbury spokesperson said the club “wishes to avoid association with any political party and to remain unbiased”.

Who thinks that if he had facebooked his support for say Labour or the Greens, it would not be an issue?

Rather than wait for a special general meeting, he chose to have a “slightly more graceful exit”.

“It’s really disappointing,” he said. He had been president for three weeks and a society member since September 2016.

He said there had been a “really big call for me to resign” on a closed Facebook group.

“[They said] I was basically unfit for the job.

“This was completely unexpected, especially from someone like QCanterbury. The backlash was massive and I was not prepared for the intolerance and hate that followed.”

Rather ironic.

In a post on the Canterbury Westland Young Nats Facebook page, Farra is identified as QCanterbury’s leader.

“As an LGBT person, voting National is breaking a stereotype,” he is quoted as saying.

“I’m proud to be an out Nat because tolerance, free enterprise and a great economy means everyone can thrive.”

Sounds good to me.