Oxford Union members will no longer be able to enjoy discounts from the Adult World sex shop on Cowley Road.
The decision comes after several national papers reported that there was disagreement within the Union over one of the ‘Treasurer’s Treats’ discounts offered to Union members.
It was claimed that some members of the Union found the ‘Treat’ offensive and that it undermined the women’s initiative.
Up until this term, students had been able to take advantage of the discount their Union membership gave them in Adult World in Cowley.
The decision means that the discount has not been renewed for students this year.
However, when contacted, Adult World’s store manager claimed that, “They [the Union] hadn’t actually informed us of that.”
The Union’s spokesperson, Alistair Walker, said, “It’s not that the discount has been removed, just that it has not been renewed.”
The Union said that shop had been approached, but that they had not made contact, following which the contract could not be re-negotiated.
“No conscious decision was made to discontinue the discount; however, the Union’s committees chose to pursue other priorities instead, such as securing top speakers and debates, as well as negotiating new Treasurer’s Treats for this term”, said Walker.
Roisin O’Hare, store manager of Adult World, was surprised to hear that they were no longer included as part of Treasurer’s Treats.
She went on to explain that she thought that many students’ sex lives benefited from the shop.
O’Hare said, “I think that having safe, consensual, fun sex as a student is something that is quite often part of student life.”
“Anything we can do to facilitate that, I am all in favour of.”
Some students were disappointed to hear the news. Savs Tan, a second year linguist, said, “I can’t believe that there will no longer be discounts on battery powered love.”
“Joking aside, I enjoyed the fact that there was a range of discounts available to us and am disappointed with the news that we now have one fewer.”
