www.thecourieronline.co.uk Monday 5 November 2012 Issue 1257 Free
THE VERDICT: INTERVIEW: NICKI IN THE NEWCASTLE CRIBS
ALL ABOARD! METROLINE GUIDE FEATURES P.14-15
LGBT students report Uni sports clubs ‘unwelcoming’ By George Sandeman News Editor Nearly half (46.8%) of LGBT students have said they find the culture surrounding university sport alienating or unwelcoming. In a report published by the National Union of Students, just over a third (34.6%) of LGBT students participated in organised team sports with nearly 40% of those individuals closed to their teammates and coaches about their sexual orientation and gender identity. Nearly 15% of students said they had experienced homophobia, biphobia or transphobia and that it had put them off participating. The Out in Sport study featured nearly 1000 student participants and was backed by well-known sportsmen Gareth Thomas and Steven Davies. Thomas, the first openly gay Rugby Union player, said: “NUS’ Out in Sport project is truly groundbreaking and I am delighted to support it. “Attitudes have changed and the time is right for sport to start accepting openly gay people in the same way other areas of society have in recent years.” Davies, the first openly gay professional cricketer, said: “Out in Sport sends a positive message to other LGBT people - that they can do it too. The report also identifies room for improvement and
positive practices that can make a very real difference to participation.” “Most LGBT students participate in individual sport or fitness activity through their students’ union or university, and as the report shows, most have a positive experience.” “But too many who don’t participate in sport find the culture around sport alienating or unwelcoming, and many had negative experiences at school or experienced d i s c r i m i n at i on which put them Nearly half off participating.” (46.8%) of The report also LGBT students showed that runhave said they ning was the most form of find the culture common sporting activsurrounding ity amongst LGBT university sport students whilst going to the gym alienating or was most popular unwelcoming amongst gay and bisexual men and rugby amongst lesbian women. It also identified that just over 40% of LGBT students had a negative experience at school regarding their sexuality or gender that meant they didn’t want to participate at university. In accordance, nearly 50% of surveyed students said tackling discrimination and prejudice at school was one way in
which sport could be made more inclusive. The report, compiled throughout 2011 in the run up to the London Olympics, sought to recognise the positive impact organised sport has on LGBT students but to also highlight areas in which sports teams and students’ union could improve. Surveyed students said celebrating LGBT role models in sport would help improve the culture surrounding sports teams as would a clear and visible equality policy plus specific training for sports staff and societies. Another recommendation made by students was to adopt a zero tolerance policy regarding homophobic, biphobic and transphobic abuse to ensure LGBT students feel safe and accepted to participate in sport. Other possible improvements include making changing and shower facilities more gender neutral with 12.8% of respondents saying that current provisions were unsatisfactory. The report states that students should have the option to use single-cubicle showers as part of wider gender neutral facilities and that, should new facilities be built, it should have input from LGBT students and have the purpose of being inclusive to all. continued on page 4
Music, p.33 Features, p.18-19
Pole dancers look for historic spin News p.6
International Student jailed for ‘sham’ marriage By Susie Beever News Editor A Nigerian student has been jailed for 18 months following allegations that she arranged a sham marriage in order to prolong her right to stay in the UK. Chimezie Emeronye originally came to stay in Newcastle back in 2008, using a legally valid student visa, despite her course lasting longer than allowed. The student’s attempt to remain studying in the UK resulted in an arranged marriage with Pavel Gabco, from the Czech Republic, who Emeronye had never met. Local vicars drew attention to the story
back in May 2010, when the scam couple visited a church in Benwell, Newcastle, near to Emeronye’s residence at the time. Reverend Tim Ferguson of the Venerable Bede Church, West Road, told how he became suspicious upon realising the two didn’t speak the same language and had great difficulty communicating with each other. “When I met them, they couldn’t speak a word of the same language. It was immediately fairly obvious something wasn’t right.” Rev Ferguson told The Courier, “This is not something that happens very often, and I haven’t seen them since.”
Shortly after, Reverend Catherine Pickford, of nearby St James’ Church in Benwell, was also visited by the couple, who were told to come back in six months due to similar communication problems. Gabco has since disappeared without a trace with the authorities unable to locate him presently. Emeronye was arrested four months later at her house in Benwell, and has this week been convicted for conspiring to remain unlawfully within the United Kingdom. It has been reported the former student married someone else shortly before her recent sentence. Newcastle Crown Court was told how
the 26 year-old woman came to the country four years ago, with the hopes of starting her three-year course in 2010. “When I met Her visa howthem, they ever expired at couldn’t speak the end of this month, and it the same was for this realanguage, and son Emeronye had difficulty carried out a communicating.” sham marriage in order to be able to remain in the country. Judge Paul Sloan QC told the defendant: “In order to achieve your goal you
set about entering into a sham marriage with a Czech national with whom you had no relationship whatsoever.” “This type of offending calls for a deterrent sentence.” Bill Donnelly, Emeronye’s lawyer, argued: “She came here lawfully and undertook the study she was here to pursue.” He added: “She has not been a burden on the taxpayer, she has been funded by her family and has found work in accordance with her visa.” UK border agency Paul Foggin has also warned: “We are cracking down on sham marriages all over the country.”