Gender Ideology Meets Pushback in a Surprising Place
There’s talk of a backlash against gender ideology in the one place you’d least expect it; at universities, and many reckon it’s high time.
When a professor of Criminology at the University of Essex was due to speak about placing transwomen at women’s prisons, students went berserk, and threatened to barricade the hall.
Complaints that Joe Phoenix was a transphobe and likely to engage in hate speech did the rounds, then a flyer with an image of a gun and text reading shut the fuck up Terf; happened to circulate.
She was then told her address was postponed and at the same time a copy of her speech was demanded by the sociology department.
Days later the university informed her that its invitation was rescinded; and no further invites were on the cards.
Essex University’s Vice Chancellor then asked a lawyer specializing in employment and discriminatory law to look into the matter;
Eighteen months later his report was published on the university’s website.
It accused Essex University of violating Phoenix’s right to freedom of expression, and further; the decision to exclude and blacklist her was illegal.
This case is viewed as a watershed one for countries outside the US; at least in some circles.
There are deliberations as to what this might mean for the transgender ideology that originated in America and spread to other western nations.
France pushed back against woke ideology and its anti-colonial bent calling it a threat to French national identity, a risk to western values and even western civilization itself; as the country launched an initiative to protect its universities against it.
While other countries don’t share the American enthusiasm for the woke; their universities are an altogether different story so this is where those who want to curb the encroachment must start.
Also, bear in mind the constant flow of ideological academic material is clandestine; so it flies under the radar.
Expressing the view that transwomen aren’t women is not illegal under English law so it isn’t hate speech, yet university policies state otherwise.
The legal findings are likely to strengthen the position of UK scholars critical of gender ideology.
Yet the Donna Hughes case in the US is another surprise; a professor of women’s studies at the University of Rhode Island, she published an article critical of gender ideology, and a petition for her dismissal got off the ground.
Her college vilified her and warned that her right to free speech was “not unlimited.” Hughes, co-founder of the Academic Freedom Alliance AFA) started in March, hired an “aggressive” lawyer.
In May the University announced it had canceled its investigation into Ms. Hughes; and would allow her a platform.
The political polarization of the United States makes it even more difficult to discuss such topics. Transgender activists often portray gender criticism as a far right cause.
You can be sure this will happen again, but this is the one topic that left-wing feminists and social conservatives agree on.
In Britain, most gender-critical scholars are feminist atheists on the left side of the political spectrum; just like in the United States.
The ‘ol saying that the left eventually devours its self definitely does appear to have a lot of merit; and more so in the face of identity politics.
One of the major concerns of feminists is the preservation of woman-only spaces.
In February, Holly Lawford-Smith, a professor of philosophy at the University of Melbourne, launched a website to inform women what it will mean to have to share women-only spaces with transwomen.
Although this was not a research project and the report has not yet been validated.
She described such experiences as uncomfortable; shortly after, about 100 of her colleagues signed an open letter claiming that the website promoted “harmful ideology.”
One called for “quick and decisive action at the university.” Ms. Lawford Smith continued to work, but there were at least two marches at the university. “I think people really enjoy having their nemesis on campus,” she said.
Now questions like this are being asked on UK campuses; just how did we get here?
And how did this gender idealism become so entrenched in an system supposedly dedicated to independent thought?
How did it get manage to pass through the ranks undisputed and gain total acceptance?
Pressure groups played a major role of course.
But this harks back to Stonewall; in the UK, most universities and many public institutions participate in the Stonewall Diversity Champion scheme with policies in line with their transgender idealism.
In a nutshell Essex’s University policy favored Stonewall as opposed to English law; which caused the university to break the law and to be discriminatory to women.
As a result; the university was urged to rethink its link to Stonewall.
Since then, several groups, including the government’s equality watchdog, have withdrawn from the Champions program.
Gender-critical scholars hope that more people will speak out to encourage those who share their concerns but are afraid to express them.
Universities will look at how the debate progresses in court.
If Maya Forstater, a British researcher who lost her job because of a gender-critical view, wins her appeal this may mean employers will be able to defend their employees more quickly.
In February the British Government announced proposals to strengthen academic freedom and this included appointing defenders of freedom of speech.
Yes, this action can be a double-edged sword; and academia needs to tread carefully, but in view of how political activists have managed to hijack the system the action just might prove to be timely.
If the only constant is change; it’s now the turn of change agents and their supporters who’ll probably have to be carried along kicking and screaming.
Or to quote another British politician; the winds of change are blowing ………
And on goes the march of change.
