Earlier in the newscast, we told you about the protest in Belmopan. At eleven this morning, the group prepared to march from the National Assembly Building on the Ring Road and to the University of Belize. The protest at that venue was against a gender department which Menzies claims has been formed at the institution. However, UB denies the existence of the department. Mike Rudon followed the protest to university compound.
The small group of men, women and children marched determinedly through the rain, headed for the University of Belize. They were on a crusade led by Menzies to save the students of the institution from a plot to foist the gender policy on them.
Patrick Menzies, Belize Can
“We are marching to UB to say guess what…? No gender department at UB….our young people do not deserve to have one class added to them…like UB keeps on ripping them off. Add another class, now a gender class? That’s not necessary. We’re saying leave the stuff the way it is. Retract of freeze, and fix. That’s why we’re here.”
And they were there because Menzies says he has insider information confirming the creation of a gender department.
Patrick Menzies
Patrick Menzies
“UB is the place where we are told from insider sources that they are creating a gender department. A few weeks ago they passed out copies of the policy to the staff members. We were also told by insiders and people connected to Ann Marie Williams that she would be going there. If the government backed off…then hallelujah, no problem. As a matter of fact media, did you not notice that there has been no declaration on the UNIBAM case? Have you not asked yourselves why there has been no declaration? You see, it was supposed to have been declared at the end of July. We are now in the middle of August and it has not been declared. You see the government isn’t crazy. It’s made of people that are politicians. If they declare that Section 53 is dead something is going to happen. You saw 8500 march…you’re gonna see probably 36,000. The government will freeze and it will probably get dissolved. I’m telling you, that’s why they are holding off.”
So what exactly is that gender department supposed to teach, or do? Menzies is still not exactly sure, but he’s sounding the alarm anyway.
Patrick Menzies
“I have not been able to figure it out but I have a little bit of common sense, and that little bit of common sense tells me that if the university has already passed out an unapproved – according to the PM he’s going to look at it – there is no way we want any part of this gender policy taught. That’s why we’re here. We’re saying freeze and fix. You want a gender department to teach what has been agreed upon. Put it in there whenever the gender policy has been agreed by the PM and those that are sitting at the table.”
There’s only one fundamental problem with the protest at UB this morning. According to Selwyn King from UB’s office of information – the gender department, whatever that is – does not exist.
Selwyn King
Selwyn King, Office of Information
“I’m not aware of the establishment of any gender policy department…that’s first of all. I don’t know what homework he has done. But in terms of any gender policy documents circulating to members of staff…have you read the gender policy document? If he has read it that means he should protest against himself because I think anybody is at liberty to read the gender policy document. I read it on the internet. I haven’t received any on my desk, so I don’t know exactly what Mr. Menzies is referring to.”
Mike Rudon
”So there is not or has ever been a gender department at UB?”
Selwyn King
“We have been long before in looking at the whole issue of gender when we had a Director of Research in terms of the dropout rate among the young males once you graduate past high school into the tertiary system. So the whole issue has been floating around in terms of the dropout rates in young males. But we have never established any…and we don’t have any establishment of any gender policy department. But we have never even had the policy being circulated among faculty and staff either, so I don’t know where Mr. Menzies is getting his information from.”
Menzies and his protesters were not allowed to enter the University of Belize campus this morning. They held a brief rally outside the campus until they were moved on by Police.
In a statement issued by Belize Action this evening, Pastor Scott Stirm applauds the constitutional marches which were held countrywide and acknowledges Menzies’ zeal. He states that there was broad support because of the theme of those marches. But when it comes to what the statement calls Menzies’ UB demonstration, Stirm says that in consultation with leaders countrywide there was not a resounding AMEN. The release ends, (Quote) “nothing personal, just different theme and no corporate AMEN.” (Unquote)
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