Universities
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Sex Matters at the Battle of Ideas
The three Sex Matters directors, Fiona McAnena, Maya Forstater and Helen Joyce, all spoke at the Battle of Ideas on Saturday 19th October. This is what they said. Fiona McAnena: “Gender Wars: no end in sight?” I’m going to talk about three things: The first female driver of a...
25th October 2024
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Don’t Get Caught Out – a summary of gender critical belief discrimination employment tribunal judgments
by Ruth Birchall and Jo Phoenix
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The Jo Phoenix case should be a wake-up call for universities
In 2019 Professor Jo Phoenix became the target of a campaign of harassment from her colleagues at the Open University (OU) after she raised concerns about the silencing of gender-critical voices in academia. This ramped up in 2021 after she co-founded an academic research network for the rigorous exploration...
16th May 2024
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Learning from the Jo Phoenix case
What universities and their regulators need to know and do
What happened at the Open University was not an isolated problem, and it was not just about Phoenix. This briefing tells the story of the case based on the findings of the employment tribunal, and sets out lessons for the university... -
Academic mobbing – what university management needs to know
Ian Pace, Professor of Music, Culture and Society at City, University of London, writes for Sex Matters on the phenomenon of workplace mobbing, drawing on studies of dissent under totalitarian regimes and the phenomenon of groupthink. He explores why mobbing seems to be on the rise in universities, with...
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Legal opinion says promotion policy discriminates on basis of gender-critical beliefs
Earlier this year Sex Matters was approached by Dr John Armstrong, a reader in mathematics at King’s College London (KCL). Dr Armstrong was applying for promotion, but was concerned that the “EDI” (equality, diversity and inclusion) section of the application, which required applicants to demonstrate their commitment to ideas...
20th April 2024
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Counsel’s opinion in the matter of King’s College London academic promotions criteria
KCL’s promotion policy discriminates on the basis of gender-critical beliefs, and will also be likely to contravene the new law on academic freedom due to come into force in August 2024.
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Best free speech practice
Linked with Alumni for Free Speech, this group of senior lawyers and academics has resources on best free speech practice for higher-education providers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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What went wrong at the Open University?
Alice Sullivan for The Spectator.
Sullivan looks at the cases of Phoenix, Tucker and Gadow. -
EDI contra science – the misuse of “ethics” in academic research
John Armstrong writes for The Crtitic about how he was asked to survey elite athletes on their views on trans participation in athletics, but the ethics committee at King’s College, London rejected his research proposal on the grounds that the terms “male” and “female” were unacceptable.
1st April 2023
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GC Academia Network
A group of academics working in higher education, concerned about the erosion of women’s sex-based rights in law, policy and practice, and the treatment of those who speak out; collecting stories from gender-critical university staff (academic and professional services) and students.
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Sex Matters at the Education for Women’s Liberation conference
UCL Women’s Liberation SIG and WPUK Saturday 4th February 9am to 10pm Institute of Education UCL, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL Come and see us at the Women’s Liberation 2023 conference! Visit the Sex Matters stall Pick up petition cards and postcards for Sex Matters campaigns. Meet Maya, Helen and...
2nd February 2023
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Alumni for free speech
Non-partisan, non-party political campaign for UK graduates, set up in 2022 to be co-ordinators and spokespeople for alumni; organise alumni to act to secure free speech and tackle specific incidents; and encourage, support and coordinate campaigns established by alumni of particular institutions.
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Why we have written to UCAS about data
The latest attempt to destroy data on sex by replacing it with data on self-declared “gender identity” is in the higher-education system. The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), the national undergraduate admissions service that acts as gatekeeper to all university places, is planning to change an already-flawed question...
7th December 2022
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Helen Joyce speaks at Caius College
On 25th October 2022, Sex Matters’ Director of Advocacy Helen Joyce spoke at an event at Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge, entitled “Criticising gender-identity ideology: what happens when speech is silenced”. This page documents the events surrounding the talk. Criticising gender-identity ideology: what happens when speech is silenced...
15th November 2022
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Trans rights are human rights!
Sex Matters is a human-rights organisation. We believe that universal human rights form a powerful framework for thinking about how a diversity of freedoms can be respected, while protecting against harm and maintaining an open and prosperous society. It is sometimes argued that those who call for clarity on...
9th November 2022
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Open letter to Minouche Shafik of the LSE
Members of the Open University Gender Critical Research Network have written to Baroness Minouche Shafik, Director of the London School of Economics, to ask for an independent review into the LSE’s Department of Gender Studies. Sex Matters joins them in calling on the LSE to launch an independent investigation...
6th November 2022
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Toilets matter – a short guide to law and good practice
For any organisation that provides toilets for customers, visitors, staff or students – this guide will help you think through your choices, identify risks of discrimination and harassment, and provide clarity to users. Links to the documents referenced in the guide.
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Sex and the law – share our short guide
What does intersex mean? Are you allowed to mention someone’s sex if they don’t want you to? Has someone with a gender recognition certificate changed their sex? Do you have the right to privacy when you’re taking your clothes off? Is it discrimination to keep male people out of...
4th August 2022
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Why single-sex services matter: privacy, dignity, safety and choice (full report)
Full report (133 pages): see also 30-minute read and key findings. Over the past few years many single-sex services and spaces have been changed to mixed sex, but few of the people who use them have been asked how they feel about this. Our report amplifies those voices.
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Why single-sex services matter: privacy, dignity, safety and choice (key findings)
Key findings: see also full report (133 pages) and 30-minute read. Over the past few years many single-sex services and spaces have been changed to mixed sex, but few of the people who use them have been asked how they feel about this. Our report amplifies those voices.
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Why single-sex services matter: privacy, dignity, safety and choice (30-minute read)
30-minute read: see also full report (133 pages) and key findings. Over the past few years many single-sex services and spaces have been changed to mixed sex, but few of the people who use them have been asked how they feel about this. Our report amplifies those voices.
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Information Commissioner strikes down secrecy of Stonewall scheme
The Information Commissioner has ordered the University of Oxford to disclose the scores and feedback it received from Stonewall as part of the lobby group’s controversial Workplace Equality Index scheme. Following a Freedom of Information appeal undertaken as part of the “Don’t Submit to Stonewall” campaign initiated by Legal...
1st July 2022
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Reading University VC speaks up for academic freedom
On 25 April 2022 Dr Holly Lawford-Smith, of the University of Melbourne, gave a seminar at Reading University’s school of law. She analysed Australia’s recent legislation banning conversion therapy, and questioned the rationale for including gender identity alongside sexual orientation. “We champion freedom of expression but…” When local LGBTQ+ organisations learnt...
23rd May 2022
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What does it take to get into Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index?
Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index (WEI) has had a revamp, with new “gold”, “silver” and “bronze” awards. Are these medals anything to be proud of?
25th February 2022
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Government organisation leaves Stonewall over concerns about impartiality and cost
The government’s Insolvency Service is the latest organisation to leave Stonewall, stating in its internal communications: “Unfortunately, there are concerns around impartiality and upon review, we found that the contract did not represent value for money.” The Insolvency Service joins a growing list of companies and organisations who have...
10th February 2022
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Why UCL decided to leave Stonewall
UCL (University College London) has published the documents about its decision not to re-join Stonewall.
1st February 2022
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Who represents the interests of female staff in Scottish universities?
The Edinburgh-based policy analysis collective Murray Blackburn Mackenzie investigated organised representation and networking for female staff based on the protected characteristic of sex in the Equality Act.
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Collective of Early-career Feminist Academics
A UK-based collective of early-career feminist academics supporting open dialogue in relation to sex and gender. Tweeting as @CEFA_Women.
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Reindorf Review on “no platforming”
Akua Reindorf’s review for the University of Essex of why events with external speakers were cancelled.
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Professor Kathleen Stock – the disinformation exposed
The protestors have been circulating falsehoods and vexatious arguments – here‘s our response.
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Exposing disinformation about Kathleen Stock
The intensification of targeting of Professor Kathleen Stock attracted public attention to the long-term campaign against her, and to the larger issue of academic freedom. Claims have been circulating which seek to discredit her and those who support her. We assess each one.
25th October 2021