Thursday 20 May 2021

Fight Back, And Win...

Open University criminology professor Jo Phoenix was booked to give a lecture entitled 'Trans rights and justice: complicated contours in contemporary sex, gender and sexualities politics when thinking about issues of justice and punishment' at the University of Essex in 2019.
But the Centre for Criminology cancelled the event a few hours ahead of it taking place, citing concerns that the 'open debate and discussion might be obstructed'.
Vice chancellor of Essex University Anthony Forster yesterday published the findings of a review into the lecture being cancelled, and issued four separate apologies to Prof Phoenix.

And no, apologies aren't enough. 

Prof Forster said Prof Phoenix would be invited back to campus to present her seminar.
I'm sure that's just an outbreak of common sense, and absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the Queen's Speech unveiling a new bill threatening institutions and student unions in England and Wales with fines of £500,000 if they bar controversial guests.

3 comments:

Bucko said...

'Trans rights and justice: complicated contours in contemporary sex, gender and sexualities politics when thinking about issues of justice and punishment'

They probably only cancelled it because they just couldn't fit the name on the invite

Anonymous said...

Free speech is alive and well in UK then.

JuliaM said...

"They probably only cancelled it because they just couldn't fit the name on the invite"

🤣

"Free speech is alive and well in UK then."

Alive, yes. Not well, sadly. Rarer than Scottish wildcats.