The Glasgow University Union (GUU) will host the controversial LAMB (Last All Male Board) dinner later this month.
The dinner was set up by the GUU’s all-male board of management in the early 80s – the time when the Union was finally forced to admit women. The idea of the dinner was to commemorate the Last All Male Board of management of the GUU.
Other past and present male board members would also attend the meal, albeit not in an official capacity. The LAMB Club states that: “Each year, new generations of Union Members come along to create new friendships and socialise in GUU.”
All single-sex dinners held at the GUU were suspended in March of this year, following a sexism scandal where two female speakers were allegedly the subject of sexist heckling at a debate held in the Union. The GUU decided to suspend all single-sex dinners whilst an independent review was conducted into the culture of the Union. A statement from President Gavin Tulloch on 15 March said: “The Board has decided to suspend all single sex dinners with immediate effect.”
However, a post on the ‘LAMB Club’ Facebook page announced that there would be a LAMB dinner this year on Friday 22 November, with tickets now available for purchase online. The ticketing page introduces the event, saying: “We’re coming home…”
Union members await the findings of an independent report into the GUU’s culture and practices which is yet to be published, but the reinstatement of the LAMB dinner is a nod to the expected findings of the report.
The last dinner was held in November 2012, with a planned dinner for March cancelled after the sexism scandal made headlines across the nation.
President Gavin Tulloch said of the upcoming event: “All private functions held at Glasgow University Union must agree to uphold our values of equality and diversity when making a booking.
The LAMB dinner was not the only single-sex dinner hosted by the Union. The John Mac dinner was another exclusive to males, while the Harwood dinner was for females only. The 139 dinner, another all-male event – named after the 139 men who voted to have the union closed rather than admit women in the 1980s – was banned from returning to the GUU after alleged vandalism of the property.
The Harwood Ladies’ Dinner was also held last month.
Update 03/11/13: Gavin Tulloch’s comment has now been added following initial absence due to the timescale.
