London university loses funding over homophobic leaflets

The London School of Economics has lost £22,000 of funding over “sexist, homophobic and classist” leaflets handed out by the men’s rugby club.

The accountancy firm KPMG will no longer sponsor the university’s athletics union, saying that “diversity and inclusion” is of “paramount importance” to them.

The offending leaflets claimed that “homosexual debauchery” is not tolerated within the club, and also referred to women as “slags”, “mingers” and “crumpets”, the London Evening Standard reports.

Nona Buckley-Irvine, the general secretary of the LSE students’ union, said that the actions of the rugby club was “disappointing”, adding that the club has already been disbanded over the controversy.

“The impact that this has had on the wider AU [athletics union] reinforces that disbanding the club was the right decision to take. We are working to make sure that no team is financially disadvantaged by the actions of the rugby club,” she said.

A KPMG spokesperson commented: “KPMG sponsors a number of university sports team as part of its support of university-level sport in the UK. KPMG in no way supports derogatory comments made towards any individual or group and after speaking to the club to raise our concerns over recent issues we agreed to end the current arrangement.”

Meanwhile, a gay couple were recently told to get off a London bus when the driver took offence to them kissing – read more here.

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