Anger at student sex boast
Election campaign ‘banter’ branded tasteless, writes Dileepa Fonseka.
A University of Waikato student has caused outrage by claiming his sex life will be enough to secure his election to the student union.
Alex Winiata wrote in Nexus Magazine, a student publication, that ‘‘if I had one vote for every girl on this campus I’ve shagged, I would get this role easily’’.
Winiata, who claims on Facebook to be a residential assistant (RA) at a University of Waikato halls of residence, made the comment in a Waikato Students Union (WSU) candidate profile.
He is running for election to one of eight student director positions on the WSU. He rapidly hung up the phone when asked for comment. Repeated phone calls after that went unanswered.
Elaine Gyde, a member of Feminists at Waikato, a student discussion group, said Winiata’s comments were dehumanising and emblematic of a lad culture that’s harmful to women.
‘‘Imagine if you’re a woman who [had] sex with this guy, and you read that, how that would make you feel?’’ Gyde said.
‘‘You’d feel like a piece of trash and kind of worthless to him because he’d prefer you were a vote rather than someone who had actually had sex with him.’’
University of Waikato spokeswoman Alison Robertson, however, didn’t seem to be bothered. She characterised media queries on the issue as ‘‘making a bit of a mountain out of a molehill’’.
‘‘They might be ridiculous comments, but he’s free to say them.’’
Robertson also said that Winiata maintains the comments were written by somebody else and that she doubts the truthfulness of the statements.
‘‘I don’t think it’s worth us making a comment on a student,’’ Robertson said. ‘‘That’s up to him to set it straight.’’
When a picture of his comments in the magazine were posted online on a few days ago, they provoked even more outrage on social media.
‘‘‘Lads banter’ is harmful because it hides behind the defence of good faith and humour, where objectification can be passed off as banter,’’ said one Instagrammer.
Another, who said he was planning to join the University of Waikato next year, found Winiata’s comments ‘‘gross’’.
Winiata posted an apology on Facebook, saying that he accepted that his comments were in bad taste.
‘‘I meant no disrespect at all. Some people have taken this comment I made in a ‘student magazine’ out of context and reacted disproportionately.’’
Gyde said there was still a problem even if Winiata had meant the comments as a lighthearted joke. She also thought that his apology was inadequate.
‘‘He’s still running for a position where he has to represent women,’’ Gyde said.