Academics back equality expert ‘deplatformed’ by trans activists

More than 100 academics have rallied behind a law professor accused of being a ‘transphobic bigot’.

In a letter to The Times, signatories from across higher education expressed “grave concern” at the recent disruption of public lectures on biological sex and gender by Dr Michael Foran, Associate Professor of Law at Oxford University.

After protestors interrupted the first two talks given by the professor in a planned series promoting his new book on how the legal understanding of sex has changed over time, he decided to cancel the remainder due to what he described as “escalating disruptive protests”. An article by Dr Foran, Defining sex in law, was cited in last year’s Supreme Court ruling on biological sex.

‘Heckler’s veto’

The letter, signed by 117 academics, including Professor Alice Sullivan, Professor Jo Phoenix, and Emeritus Professor Richard Dawkins, said University of Oxford officials had “enabled the exercise of a heckler’s veto”.

It continued: “The failure of the proctors to uphold the essential functions of the university has created a hostile and degrading environment for Dr Foran and his students, and will inevitably contribute to a chilling effect, constraining the discussion of sex and gender at the university.

“The disruption of lectures violates the rights of students to listen, participate in discussion, and learn from their lecturers and from one another. The university must act to ensure that Dr Foran’s lectures can be rescheduled, and that no disruptive protest will be authorised.”

While supporting the importance of “legitimate and lawful protest”, Lord William Hague — Chancellor of the University of Oxford — said: “The rest of Michael Foran’s talks should go ahead. Freedom of speech is a fundamental academic freedom and it must be upheld.”

Dystopian

In April, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced universities will be required to protect free speech or face fines of up to £500k.

Phillipson stated: “Free speech in our universities is not a luxury — it is the foundation of intellectual progress.”

She reported that she had spoken to academics about “instances of free speech being suppressed that sound more like a dystopian novel than reality”.

Phillipson added: “Without the freedom to question, debate, and even offend, education loses its power to transform minds and shape a more thoughtful society. And all of society will lose out.”