Music college apologises for promoting a ‘TERF witch-hunt’

A London college has removed a sign telling students to report so-called ‘Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists’ amid accusations of a “witch-hunt”.

After the on-campus signage was shared on social media, Paul Kirkham — the CEO of The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP) — apologised “profusely for any offence caused”.

The acronym TERF is used as a slur for women who say a male cannot become female.

Ideology

Under the banner of “Zero Tolerance”, the sign dismissed upholding the reality of biological sex as “a specific form of transphobia”.

It stated: “The primary TERF assertion is that trans women are not women, and accordingly have no place in women’s spaces.

“This ideology also affects trans men, as TERF’s [sic] assert that people assigned female at birth, but identify as male, shouldn’t be allowed into women’s spaces either.”

Students were then encouraged to “Support” the campaign and “Report” examples using a QR code.

This sign at @ICMPLondon calls on staff and students to REPORT anyone who believes “trans women are not women, and accordingly have no place in women’s spaces”.

Note how a view held by the majority of the population is here being presented as a form of extremist ideology… pic.twitter.com/XhLQG0Mhzj

— Andrew Doyle (@andrewdoyle_com) November 10, 2022

QR discrimination

The college later claimed that its aim was “to communicate the definition of TERF” in order “to help clarify what we considered to be growing misconceptions around what the term means”.

It also said: “We’d like to make it clear that our zero-tolerance policy refers to our approach to discrimination of any kind.”

Former philosophy professor Kathleen Stock, who was ousted from her job for defending the reality of biological sex, tweeted: “Witch hunts have QR codes now. Find the witch, use the QR code, ‘report and support’. Modern life is wonderful, isn’t it.”

And Maya Forstater, who was unfairly treated by her employer for her gender-critical beliefs, advised any college staff or students “who face discrimination or harassment because of your gender-critical views: this is the exhibit to put on page one of your tribunal bundle”.