Controversial Massey lecturer announces plans to publish book in 2021

Controversial Massey University senior lecturer and columnist Steve Elers has announced he will be publishing a book next year, which will contain essays written in a similar style to his opinion columns.

The book is to be bank-rolled by businessman Sir Bob Jones, who came under fire this year for suing journalist Renae Maihi for defamation after she called a column he wrote as racist.

‍In the announcement email sent to subscribers (and forwarded to Massive by Elers himself) he also wrote, “I will consider devoting a section to the gender pronoun issue since it’s so popular!”

“The Bewildering Politics of Gender Pronouns”, published in Stuff in July, raised controversy for its transphobic commentary, which prompted two response articles from other Massey lecturers. Elers wrote another column on the back of this, mocking Youth MP Shaneel Lal’s stance against gay conversion therapy.

In the column, he states, “According to Lal, gay conversion therapy "aims to compel an individual to renounce their sexual orientation or gender identity", which he claims is "via manipulative, abusive, hateful and even bizarre practices". In reality, it seems that gay conversion therapy are programmes run by some Christian churches across the country who attempt to "pray the gay away"… If people want to pray – for whatever purpose – let them pray.”

Journalist David Farrier has since published two newsletters criticising Elers’ columns, along with sharing his own experience with homophobia and Christianity.

Elers sent a subsequent email to subscribers, saying, “This is the second time I have been ‘deplatformed’ or ‘cancelled’ by Mr Farrier. Maybe he fancies me or something,”, a statement Farrier has since called out for being homophobic.‍

In the email announcing his plans to write a book, Elers again referenced Farrier’s sexuality by writing, “Also, thanks to David Farrier - his obsession with me has helped to raise my profile.”

Farrier has expressed concern for the students under Elers’ tutelage.

“I have thick skin, but I feel for the young people he teaches and those reading his material, that are already feeling pretty shit, and being made to feel like an outsider even more,” he told Massive.

However, Elers insisted that he ‘doesn’t care’ about his students’ sexuality and said, “I think we all get along in class. I have never had a complaint from a student and my student feedback is always very high.”

When asked for comment on Elers’ columns, a Massey University spokesperson said, “Our academics routinely make public commentary, as part of academic freedom under the Education Act. When an academic expresses an opinion, they do not necessarily reflect the position of our university. Dr Elers writes strictly in a personal capacity.”‍

“The university firmly supports the exercise of academic freedom, which includes the right to undertake research, to question and test received wisdom, to put forward new ideas and to state opinions even if they are controversial or unpopular.”