The University and College Union (UCU) has issued a position statement saying people can ‘identify’ as whatever race they choose.
The UCU was setting out its position on people being able to self-identify as a member of the opposite sex.
The union said that it supported self-identification, but went far beyond affirming radical gender ideology.
Nonsense
The UCU’s position statement said: “Our rules commit us to ending all forms of discrimination, bigotry and stereotyping.
“UCU has a long history of enabling members to self-identify whether that is being black, disabled, LGBT+ or women.”
The organisation was criticised by Kathleen Stock, a professor of philosophy at Sussex University, who regularly speaks out against the self-identification of gender.
She said it was difficult to remain a member when the union’s position on race was “nonsensical, anti-intellectual propaganda”.
Rachel Dolezal
Last year, a white theatre director who claims he is of “mixed heritage” was criticised for accepting public funding allocated to help those of ethnic minorities further their careers.
And in 2015, Rachel Dolezal resigned from her position at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. She had been claiming to be black, but hit the headlines after her white parents revealed this was not the case.
Self-identifying as a member of a different ethnicity is known as ‘trans-racialism’.