The University of Kent's LGBTQ+ members of staff, students, and their allies, are deeply concerned about the University's hosting of the 2020 Lambeth Bishop's Conference. The Archbishop of Canterbury has explicitly chosen to single out bishops' same-sex spouses for exclusion. In recent statements, the University has defended its decision to host the event despite robust opposition from members of the university community:

26 March: https://www.kent.ac.uk/news/kentlife/21694/university-statement-on-the-lambeth-conference
 
25 April: https://www.kent.ac.uk/news/uncategorized/22152/statement-on-the-lambeth-conference
(in which the University confirms its decision to host)

The University's stance is wholly unacceptable and needs to be challenged. It is wrong to believe that the outright exclusion of any minority can ever be a "stepping stone to equality". We believe that the University should prioritise its commitment to students and staff alike on issues of equality, diversity, and inclusivity. Specifically targeting same-sex spouses and excluding them from the Lambeth Conference is homophobic from the side of the church, and hosting the event on University premises facilitates this act of homophobia. 

We, the undersigned, call on Professor Karen Cox, Vice Chancellor of the University of Kent, to cancel the University's hosting of the Lambeth Conference.