The Islamic Society at the prestigious London School of Economics (LSE) has come under fire after it emerged that male and female students were segregated by a 7ft tall partition at the group’s annual gala dinner. The segregation extended beyond the event itself, with male and female students asked to call separate phone numbers to purchase their £20 ($28) tickets to the banquet.LSE’s Student Union head Nona Buckley-Irvine told the Daily Mail the event, which was held at Grand Connaught Rooms in central London, was “comfortable and relaxed” despite the gender divide. “I had a lovely time at the dinner and barely noticed the separation between men and women,” she said. “Where groups would like to organize themselves in a way that fits with their religious, cultural and personal beliefs, both genders consent, and there is no issue I have no problem.” In pictures of the event posted to social media, attendees can be seen taking a lighthearted approach to segregation. One guest posted a picture of a man and woman talking to each other across the divide, alongside the caption “Hello, from the other side,” a reference to Adele’s hit song.