For some obscure reason I get emails from the Oxford Union, a body which is fiercely proud of itself, yet won’t give a platform to anti-feminist speakers – in much the same way that Claire Fox’s Institute of Ideas won’t. Part of an email I’ve just received:
APPLICATIONS STILL OPEN FOR LGBTQIA+ OFFICER
Being a part of the Oxford Union appointed committee can be a very rewarding experience, with great opportunities to organise some fantastic events. Opportunities are still available, in particular with the LGBTQIA+ Officer position, which will have responsibility for representing the needs of LGBTQIA+ members and the wider LGBTQIA+ community within the Society.
In order to apply, please send a written application of no more than 200 words which details the experience you have and what changes you would hope to make, to president@oxford-union.org.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Now I get that LGBT is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual. I believe Q is queer, and the distinction between Q and LG is surely of interest only to people obsessed with furthering themselves in the Oppression Olympics. But ‘IA+’? Irish, arthritic? This is starting to get a little silly…
Justice for Men & Boys 
‘In order to apply, please send a written application of no more than 200 words which details the experience you have and what changes you would hope to make … ‘
Two hundred words doesn’t allow for much ‘detail’ in those respects.
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I Googled this and found “Our center uses LGBTQIA to intentionally include and visibilize the Queer, Intersex and Asexual communities under our umbrella.” Perhaps the + represents anyone who may feel left out, though it is hard to imagine how they might view themselves. I confess I haven’t come across “visibilize” before, and I feel quite traumatised by it; I need to find a safe space in which to lie down.
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‘ I confess I haven’t come across “visibilize” before, and I feel quite traumatised by it … ‘
You’re clearly not one of the intersyntax / transvobularised community.
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Bugger! ‘vobularised’ should read vocabularised.
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OK, but vobularised is much funnier, so I’ll stick with that.
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Apparently Facebook has over 70 options for people to choose from who feel the need to “identify as”, including, surely redundantly, “other”. I look forward to the Oxford Union extending their acronym accordingly.
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