Ursula Hall at the Australian National University. | Photo: Facebook/Ursula Hall
A university student forced to move out of his dorm after receiving homophobic letters and threats has gone public with his story.
The student had been a resident at Urusula Hall at Australian National University, in the capital Canberra. Ursula Hall is one of the residential colleges on the ANU campus and costs about AU$386 (US$299) weekly.
Shortly after starting the first year of his degree in 2017 he began receiving anonymous, homophobic letters under his door.
The perpetrator graffitied the word ‘faggot’ onto the student’s door multiple times.
His harasser even managed to sneak letters under his door when he was in the bathroom.
One of the notes slipped under the door of an ANU student. | Photo: ABC News
‘I’d go to the bathroom and someone would swipe letters under my door saying “leave or I’ll f***ing bash you”,’ the student told ABC News.
‘[I was] fearful. Fearful of the fact that someone was threatening me. I don’t know people’s actions.’
He complained to the university who apologized for what happened but couldn’t protect him from happening again because it didn’t know who the attacker was.
Mike Carlford is the university’s provost and said protecting LGBTI students at Ursula Hall would be difficult.
‘As we understand there hasn’t been any further incidents, but it would be very hard for me to give a blanket confidence there, as the perpetrator was not identified,’ he said.
One of the notes slipped under the door of an ANU student. | Photo: ABC News
Can’t guarantee LGBTI students’ safety
The student was able to move into his then-boyfriend’s house and moved out of Ursula Hall permanently in October.
He approached the college every time he received a letter, but was not satisfied with the response.
One of the notes slipped under the door of an ANU student. | Photo: ABC News
‘The college’s response was the same: release a letter, have a little chat at dinner, nothing really fundamental,’ he said.
‘I don’t really care if someone’s calling me a fag — words are words — but when someone’s putting out threats to me and my safety, especially at college … make a more proactive initiative.’
