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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/16/academics-are-being-harassed-over-their-research-into-transgender-issues
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Academics are being harassed over their research into transgender issues | Academics are being harassed over their research into transgender issues |
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| We represent a newly formed network of over 100 academics, most of whom are currently employed in UK universities. We are concerned, from a range of academic perspectives, about proposed governmental reforms to the Gender Recognition Act, and their interaction with the Equality Act. | We represent a newly formed network of over 100 academics, most of whom are currently employed in UK universities. We are concerned, from a range of academic perspectives, about proposed governmental reforms to the Gender Recognition Act, and their interaction with the Equality Act. |
| Our subject areas include: sociology, philosophy, law, criminology, evidence-informed policy, medicine, psychology, education, history, English, social work, computer science, cognitive science, anthropology, political science, economics, and history of art. This week, following an opportunity offered to us by Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, we have submitted to the consultation a number of letters, outlining, as individuals, concerns about the introduction of self-ID for gender reassignment. | Our subject areas include: sociology, philosophy, law, criminology, evidence-informed policy, medicine, psychology, education, history, English, social work, computer science, cognitive science, anthropology, political science, economics, and history of art. This week, following an opportunity offered to us by Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, we have submitted to the consultation a number of letters, outlining, as individuals, concerns about the introduction of self-ID for gender reassignment. |
| Transgender rights are not a threat to feminism | Letters | Transgender rights are not a threat to feminism | Letters |
| We are also concerned about the suppression of proper academic analysis and discussion of the social phenomenon of transgenderism, and its multiple causes and effects. Members of our group have experienced campus protests, calls for dismissal in the press, harassment, foiled plots to bring about dismissal, no-platforming, and attempts to censor academic research and publications. Such attacks are out of line with the ordinary reception of critical ideas in the academy, where it is normally accepted that disagreement is reasonable and even productive. | We are also concerned about the suppression of proper academic analysis and discussion of the social phenomenon of transgenderism, and its multiple causes and effects. Members of our group have experienced campus protests, calls for dismissal in the press, harassment, foiled plots to bring about dismissal, no-platforming, and attempts to censor academic research and publications. Such attacks are out of line with the ordinary reception of critical ideas in the academy, where it is normally accepted that disagreement is reasonable and even productive. |
| Many of our universities have close links with trans advocacy organisations who provide “training” of academics and management, and who, it is reasonable to suppose, influence university policy through these links. Definitions used by these organisations of what counts as “transphobic” can be dangerously all-encompassing and go well beyond what a reasonable law would describe. They would not withstand academic analysis, and yet their effect is to curtail academic freedom and facilitate the censoring of academic work. We also worry about the effect of such definitions on the success rates of journal submissions and research grant applications from governmental bodies such as the AHRC and ESRC. | Many of our universities have close links with trans advocacy organisations who provide “training” of academics and management, and who, it is reasonable to suppose, influence university policy through these links. Definitions used by these organisations of what counts as “transphobic” can be dangerously all-encompassing and go well beyond what a reasonable law would describe. They would not withstand academic analysis, and yet their effect is to curtail academic freedom and facilitate the censoring of academic work. We also worry about the effect of such definitions on the success rates of journal submissions and research grant applications from governmental bodies such as the AHRC and ESRC. |
| We maintain that it is not transphobic to investigate and analyse this area from a range of critical academic perspectives. We think this research is sorely needed, and urge the government to take the lead in protecting any such research from ideologically driven attack. | We maintain that it is not transphobic to investigate and analyse this area from a range of critical academic perspectives. We think this research is sorely needed, and urge the government to take the lead in protecting any such research from ideologically driven attack. |
| Professor Kathleen Stock, Philosophy, University of SussexChetan Bhatt, Professor of Human Rights, Sociology, London School of EconomicsProfessor Rosa Freedman PhD, LLM, LLB, Professor of Law Conflict and Global Development, Director Global Development Division, Co-Director United Nations and Global Order Research Programme, University of ReadingProfessor Sophie Scott, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCLProfessor Alice Sullivan, Sociology, University College LondonProfessor Jo Phoenix, Chair in Criminology, The Open UniversityProfessor Jackie Cassell, Head of the Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Brighton and Sussex Medical SchoolKathleen Richardson, Professor of Ethics and Culture of Robots and AI, Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility, De Montfort UniversityJohn Gardner FBA, Professor of Law and Philosophy, All Souls College, OxfordProfessor Judith Suissa, UCL Institute of EducationProfessor Michele Moore, Patient Safety Academy, University of OxfordProfessor Sian Sullivan, Centre for Environmental Humanities, Bath Spa UniversityProfessor Debbie Epstein, Professor of Cultural Studies in EducationSchool of Education, University of Roehampton, LondonRichard Byng, Professor in Primary Care Research, University of PlymouthProfessor John Collins, Philosophy, University of East AngliaProfessor PM Higgins, Honorary Research Fellow, Royal Holloway University of London; former Professor of Music, University of Nottingham; former Käthe-Leichter Visiting Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies, University of ViennaSheila Jeffreys, Professorial Fellow, University of MelbourneProfessor Leslie Green, Philosophy of Law, Balliol College, OxfordDr Michael Biggs, Associate Professor in Sociology and Fellow of St Cross College, University of OxfordDr Diane Brewster (Retired. ex University of Sussex and Open University)Dr Susan Matthews, Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Department of English and Creative Writing, University of RoehamptonDr Clare Chambers, Reader in Philosophy, University of CambridgeDr Stephen Cowden, Senior Lecturer in Social Work, Coventry UniversityDr Catherine Butler, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of BathDr Mary Leng, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of YorkMs Georgia Testa, Teaching Fellow, School of Philosophy, Religion, and History of Science, University of LeedsDr Rosalind Barber, English & Comparative Literature, Goldsmiths, University of LondonDr Sophie Allen, Lecturer in Philosophy, Keele UniversityDr Paul Sagar, Lecturer in Political Theory, Department of Political Economy, King’s College LondonDr Julia Jordan, Department of English Language and Literature, UCLDr David Pilgrim, Honorary Professor of Health and Social Policy, University of LiverpoolDr Rosie Dias, Associate Professor, History of Art, University of WarwickDr Maureen O’Hara, Senior Lecturer in Law, Solicitor, Coventry UniversityDr Eva Poen, Lecturer in Economics, University of ExeterSian Hindle, Senior Lecturer, School of Jewellery, Birmingham City UniversityDr Holly Smith, UCL Institute of EducationDr Lesley Semmens, Senior Lecturer (retired), School of Computing, Leeds Beckett University Richard Garside, Director, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, Senior Visiting Research Fellow, Open UniversityDr Jane Clare Jones, independent scholarDr Jo Waugh, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, York St John UniversityW Burlette Carter, Professor of Law Emeritus, The George Washington University Law School, Washington, DCProfessor Alex Byrne, Head of Linguistics and Philosophy Department, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyDr Ruth McGinity, Lecturer in Educational Leadership and Policy, Institue of Education, UCLProfessor Emeritus Robert Jensen, School of Journalism, University of Texas at AustinDr Kathryn Oliver, Associate Professor of Sociology and Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineDr Sophia Connell, Philosophy, Birkbeck College LondonDr Liz Guy, School of Computing, Engineering & Mathematics, University of BrightonDr H. Susana Marinho, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, University of LisbonDr Heather Brunskell-Evans, Academic, Writer and Political Commentator Dr Laura McGrath, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of East LondonDr Mike Hannis, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Humanities (Ethics and Sustainability), Bath Spa UniversityDoctor Emma Hilton, University of Manchester (honorary)Dr Holly Lawford-Smith, Senior Lecturer in Political Philosophy, University of MelbourneDr Rupert Read, Reader in Philosopher at UEA, and Chair of Green HouseDr Patrick Turner, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Bath Spa University | Professor Kathleen Stock, Philosophy, University of SussexChetan Bhatt, Professor of Human Rights, Sociology, London School of EconomicsProfessor Rosa Freedman PhD, LLM, LLB, Professor of Law Conflict and Global Development, Director Global Development Division, Co-Director United Nations and Global Order Research Programme, University of ReadingProfessor Sophie Scott, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCLProfessor Alice Sullivan, Sociology, University College LondonProfessor Jo Phoenix, Chair in Criminology, The Open UniversityProfessor Jackie Cassell, Head of the Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Brighton and Sussex Medical SchoolKathleen Richardson, Professor of Ethics and Culture of Robots and AI, Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility, De Montfort UniversityJohn Gardner FBA, Professor of Law and Philosophy, All Souls College, OxfordProfessor Judith Suissa, UCL Institute of EducationProfessor Michele Moore, Patient Safety Academy, University of OxfordProfessor Sian Sullivan, Centre for Environmental Humanities, Bath Spa UniversityProfessor Debbie Epstein, Professor of Cultural Studies in EducationSchool of Education, University of Roehampton, LondonRichard Byng, Professor in Primary Care Research, University of PlymouthProfessor John Collins, Philosophy, University of East AngliaProfessor PM Higgins, Honorary Research Fellow, Royal Holloway University of London; former Professor of Music, University of Nottingham; former Käthe-Leichter Visiting Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies, University of ViennaSheila Jeffreys, Professorial Fellow, University of MelbourneProfessor Leslie Green, Philosophy of Law, Balliol College, OxfordDr Michael Biggs, Associate Professor in Sociology and Fellow of St Cross College, University of OxfordDr Diane Brewster (Retired. ex University of Sussex and Open University)Dr Susan Matthews, Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Department of English and Creative Writing, University of RoehamptonDr Clare Chambers, Reader in Philosophy, University of CambridgeDr Stephen Cowden, Senior Lecturer in Social Work, Coventry UniversityDr Catherine Butler, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of BathDr Mary Leng, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of YorkMs Georgia Testa, Teaching Fellow, School of Philosophy, Religion, and History of Science, University of LeedsDr Rosalind Barber, English & Comparative Literature, Goldsmiths, University of LondonDr Sophie Allen, Lecturer in Philosophy, Keele UniversityDr Paul Sagar, Lecturer in Political Theory, Department of Political Economy, King’s College LondonDr Julia Jordan, Department of English Language and Literature, UCLDr David Pilgrim, Honorary Professor of Health and Social Policy, University of LiverpoolDr Rosie Dias, Associate Professor, History of Art, University of WarwickDr Maureen O’Hara, Senior Lecturer in Law, Solicitor, Coventry UniversityDr Eva Poen, Lecturer in Economics, University of ExeterSian Hindle, Senior Lecturer, School of Jewellery, Birmingham City UniversityDr Holly Smith, UCL Institute of EducationDr Lesley Semmens, Senior Lecturer (retired), School of Computing, Leeds Beckett University Richard Garside, Director, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, Senior Visiting Research Fellow, Open UniversityDr Jane Clare Jones, independent scholarDr Jo Waugh, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, York St John UniversityW Burlette Carter, Professor of Law Emeritus, The George Washington University Law School, Washington, DCProfessor Alex Byrne, Head of Linguistics and Philosophy Department, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyDr Ruth McGinity, Lecturer in Educational Leadership and Policy, Institue of Education, UCLProfessor Emeritus Robert Jensen, School of Journalism, University of Texas at AustinDr Kathryn Oliver, Associate Professor of Sociology and Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineDr Sophia Connell, Philosophy, Birkbeck College LondonDr Liz Guy, School of Computing, Engineering & Mathematics, University of BrightonDr H. Susana Marinho, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, University of LisbonDr Heather Brunskell-Evans, Academic, Writer and Political Commentator Dr Laura McGrath, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of East LondonDr Mike Hannis, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Humanities (Ethics and Sustainability), Bath Spa UniversityDoctor Emma Hilton, University of Manchester (honorary)Dr Holly Lawford-Smith, Senior Lecturer in Political Philosophy, University of MelbourneDr Rupert Read, Reader in Philosopher at UEA, and Chair of Green HouseDr Patrick Turner, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Bath Spa University |
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