Marriage proposal that lef t feminists furious
A MAN who proposed to his long-term partner at her graduation ceremony was accused of ‘hijacking’ her big moment by feminists yesterday.
Agne Banuskeviciute was accepting her scroll from the University of Essex when Edgaras Averbuchas strode towards her and dropped to one knee.
Momentarily taken aback but then visibly overjoyed, Miss Banuskeviciute, 25, accepted and the couple embraced to the applause and cheers of students and lecturers.
But after the video was shared on social media, the special moment has been overshadowed by trolls, who branded Mr Averbuchas, 27, an ‘egotist’ and suggested he was ‘threatened’ by his girlfriend’s intellectual prowess.
The backlash continued despite Miss Banuskeviciute, who now holds a Masters degree in English Language and Applied Linguistics from the university’s Colchester campus, saying the proposal made the day ‘even more beautiful’.
Aisha Ali-Khan, a core organiser of the Women’s March in London, wrote: ‘Public declarations of love smack of egotism and a need for
‘This does not bode well’
the party making the fuss to be acknowledged and given a round of applause... This does not bode well for the relationship.’
Writer Rebecca Reid added: ‘Hijacking a big moment with something sweet or well intentioned doesn’t make it okay.’
Dr Jana Bacevic, of the university’s sociology department, tweeted: ‘Imagine being a man and feeling so threatened by a woman’s intellectual success that you have to force her to frame her identity/agency in relation to you on the very day she is being celebrated for her intellect.
‘Oh wait, that’s, like, 99.9 per cent (of) men.’
Sara Jayne Atkinson added: ‘Hijacked her graduation. Years of hard work and now we’re all supposed to be pleased for her. Not because of her achievement but because she got her man. Bad form.’
Others, though, hit back at the critics. Frances Leader said: ‘You think that she will thank you for destroying the good intentions of her fiancé?’
An unrepentant Mr Averbuchas – who, like his fiancee is from Vilnius in Lithuania – wrote on Facebook: ‘The greatest moment of my life! She is my everything!’
He added of his critics: ‘They can complain to their cats! My fiancée is more than happy!’