Mick Hartley

The witch hunt continues:

An Exeter lecturer has been accused of transphobia after a series of tweets sent from a private account were uncovered.

One of the tweets sent by Economics lecturer Eva Poen read: “Only female people menstruate. Only female people go through menopause.”

The tweets have been criticised by LGBT+ Society, who say the attitudes shown are damaging to the wellbeing of trans students on campus.

“She is in a position of power over vulnerable young people while openly singling out trans people, especially trans students, with dismissive, disdainful attitudes,” the society told The Exeter Tab.

Not so much singling out trans people with her "dismissive, disdainful" attitude as stating a blindingly obvious truth.

Eva Poen’s tweets were also criticised by Exeter Feminist Society, who told The Exeter Tab: “We are shocked to hear the transphobic comments made by a University lecturer.

“It is extremely upsetting that such views are being spread by staff, contributing to an unsafe environment for trans and non binary people.

“We expect the University to take this seriously, investigate thoroughly, and take further measures to ensure the wellbeing of communities affected.”

Some feminists they are. The "further measures" they'd like to see, presumably, would include Poen's dismissal. There's sisterly solidarity for you. Poen even had the nerve to suggest that female sport should be kept for female people. So obviously today's Feminist Society wouldn't want to be seen supporting her.

Talking of feminism now, an event takes place today in Oxford on Women's Liberation at 50:

Join us for this anniversary event celebrating 50 years since the first Women's Liberation Conference!

Held on the site of the former Ruskin college – the original venue for the 1970 conference – the day will be packed full of conversations, panel discussions and reflections.

This is an inclusive event and all are welcome to attend.

Not that inclusive, it seems. Selina Todd, who was scheduled to speak, has been no-platformed. Todd, you may remember, is the Oxford academic whose now needs security guards to accompany her to lectures after receiving threats from transgender activists.

You can read here what she would have said. And her press statement:

I am shocked to have been no-platformed by this event, organised by Oxford International Women's Festival and hosted at Exeter College. I was asked to participate in October 2019, and I explained to the organisers that some trans activists may object to my being there. I was then told that trans activists had already expressed hostility towards the event because they claimed second-wave feminism is inherently trans-exclusionary. However, the organisers decided that because I am a historian of feminism and working-class women, they would like to invite me, and were open to many different points of view being expressed at their event. I was delighted. I am deeply interested in the history of the WLM – my first academic article focused on it – and my parents met at Ruskin shortly before the first conference was held there. Participating had personal and scholarly significance. 

Between October 2019 and February 2020 I helped the organisers to get support from Oxford History Faculty – in the form of student helpers, facilitators and some funding – and to find media contacts. I was stunned to receive a phone call at 6pm on the evening before the conference telling me that I had been no-platformed. The organisers say this is because of pressure from trans activists and Feminist Fightback. I refute the allegation that I am transphobic, and I am disappointed that the organisers have refused to uphold our right to discuss women’s rights – one that the original organisers had to fight hard for.

A conference on women's liberation, then, that no-platforms feminists. Those courageous women from 50 years ago would surely be horrified at what's happening now to their movement.

Update: more from Jane Clare Jones.