Jo Phoenix, a criminology professor at Open University, was scheduled to give a talk on trans rights in prisons at Essex University. However, on the morning of her talk, allegations of transphobia were made against Phoenix on Twitter by several students and staff at Essex. At midday, the university decided to cancel the lecture due to anticipated disruption.
Phoenix, who had given the same talk at the University of Newfoundland in Canada without controversy, argued that those who condemned her research without hearing her talk were "fundamentally anti-academic". Her talk explored tensions around placing trans women in British prisons and the challenges of applying trans rights to criminal justice.
The transgender debate cuts across many academic disciplines, including law, education, gender studies, philosophy, and history. However, some academics claim they are being stifled in British universities when exploring trans issues from a gender-critical feminist perspective.
The vice-chancellor of Essex, Anthony Forster, has promised a review into what happened in December and reaffirmed the university’s commitment to an inclusive community where all views can be expressed. However, Tam Blaxter, a trans woman and historian at Cambridge University, argues that minority members’ safety and wellbeing must come first.
Kathleen Stock, a gender-critical feminist and professor of philosophy at Sussex University, claims that Oxford University Press abandoned a book on female philosophers because her inclusion was deemed too controversial. Despite facing calls for her dismissal, Stock insists that she is not transphobic.
Dr. Kath Murray, a research associate in criminology at Edinburgh University, says there are many obstacles to organising gender-critical events on women’s rights. Speaking from experience, one event required ID checks, a security sweep of the theatre and multiple security guards, and a one-hour security briefing for the speakers before the talk.
Events, such as the one at Edinburgh University on schools and gender diversity, aim to show both sides of the debate. Dr. Shereen Benjamin, senior lecturer in primary education at Edinburgh University, wanted to bring together gender-critical speakers and trans rights organisations to explore the increase in referral rates of children to gender identity clinics.
Amidst growing opposition, Benjamin cancelled her speech as she feared speakers would face maltreatment. She states, “it is now unsafe and nerve-wracking for individuals to express concerns about gender identity on campuses.” She urges universities to set guidelines for acceptable protestation and to step in immediately if intimidation arises.
Jonathan MacBride, the co-chair of the staff pride network at Edinburgh, voices his committee’s sentiments that Benjamin’s speech would be insulting and painful to trans individuals and their advocates. He believes universities should not provide a stage for gender critics to express their views, especially if they openly share their beliefs that trans women are not women or that they should be held accountable for male predation.
Although some universities find themselves struggling to navigate the controversy, as it collides with their responsibilities under the Equality Act, Colin Riordan, a member of the Russell Group, suggests that conversing is pivotal to resolving differences. Riordan previously faced the need to defend Germaine Greer’s attendance at Cardiff University, despite her making remarks that framed such individuals in a problematic light. Academic freedom and freedom of speech must persist, as long as their expressions comply with the law.
The issue goes beyond university management, as Sarah Honeychurch, whose views on LGBT+ charity Stonewall landed her in trouble, found out after being dismissed from her role as editor of the academic journal Hybrid Pedagogy. She notes how deeply concerning it is that she, as a philosopher, is not allowed to question things.
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