NYU Student Group Opposes Professor's Visit
An NYU Law School Group Says It Will Engage Issues Of Gay Rights
© Jon Pike
Jul 12, 2009
A gay student group at New York University says is it will protest the hiring of a law school professor who has favored anti-gay sex laws in her native Singapore. But, the group, called NYU Outlaw is not asking the university to rescind the hiring. NYOutlaw says that they will use the appointment of Thio Li-ann as a forum to discuss human rights.
Roots Of The Controversy
Professor Li-ann brings a wealth of legal scholarship to her new appointment to New York University and its school of law. Li-ann’s appointment is in the area of her specialty, international human rights law. No one is disputing her legal bonafides in this case. What is under dispute, are comments made in a speech before parliament that were reprinted in a Singapore news website. The Online Citizen. There has been a move in Singapore to repeal a law which criminalizes same-sex acts between men. Li-ann has stated,
"The issues surrounding s377A are about morality, not modernity or being cosmopolitan. What will foreigners think if we retain 377A? Depends on which foreigner you ask. Many would applaud us! Such issues divide other societies as well! The debate is not closed. A group of Canadians1 were grieved enough to issue an online apology to the world 'lor harm done through Canada’s legalization of homosexual marriage', urging us not to repeat their mistakes."
The NYU Outlaw group says it is ironic, at the least to have a professor in human rights law who does not see gay rights as a human rights issue.
Plans for Protest
NYU Outlaw says they do not agree with the appointment of Li-ann to the law faculty to teach human rights law. Li-ann’s appointment would be a one-year visiting appointment to teach the subject of human rights in Asia. The group is asking the NYU school of law to re-affirm its commitment to human rights for everyone, but says in their blog that they think,
"it best to fight Dr. Thio's offensive views not by silencing her but by engaging in a respectful and productive dialogue about the boundaries of human rights. This fall, we plan to hold events to explore issues of academic freedom, LGBT rights, and human rights in Asia, and we look forward to Dr. Thio’s participation in the discussion. We very much appreciate the comments from students, alumni, and other concerned parties, and we expect the passion and interest as continue as we plan our events for next year."
Li-ann’s appointment is for the coming academic year.
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