University of Essex apologises to Jo Phoenix and Rosa Freedman for infringing their freedom of speech

My heart goes out to those of you working in these toxic uni environments.

The report makes chilling reading and I'm so pleased at the outcome. Every single time these issues are taken to the courts / legal review the flaws at the heart of them are exposed with the sticky hand of Stonewall apparently behind so much 'misinformation'. This organisation needs to be removed from its position of unchallenged influence and forced to comply with the law.

This is all just so fantastic. I wonder how Edinburgh will view those findings because they are dealing out the indirect discrimination cards by the handful and what about Raquel Rosario's case, she must be due a shedload of compensation. Can't wait

The report covers material relating to gender that some readers may find distressing or triggering. We have put in place a number of measures to provide support for members of our community who may be affected directly or indirectly by the issues raised.
RedDogsBeg

I would expect to see support for other members of the university’s community, who have felt victimised and intimidated for holding GC views.
Yup, I would be pushing hard for this.

Essex is the home of the infamous woke-bro TRA, Dr Matt Lodder. His areas of academic expertise are tattoos and porn (most of his publications are in a journal called Porn Studies) and he loves telling women to STFU. So I am not surprised at how toxic it is there @GenderCriticalEssex. Solidarity to you and yay for the report. Let’s hope that the rest of the universities who have engaged in this follow suit.

Thanks @Pota2

It's so sad. In many ways Essex is a fantastic place to work, but the failures on this issue make things very very difficult. The report recommends work to repair relationships between trans and GC university members. I can't see how that can possibly be achieved.

Exactly. If women cannot advocate for rights legally provided for in the Equality Act 2010, such as female spaces and services (aka gender critical feminism or in other words women centred feminism), it is creating a hostile environment for our sex class, which may be unlawful harassment and/or discrimination.

Wow - I realised it was written by an independent external reviewer but hadn't appreciated it was an expert in discrimination law. That gives a lot of weight to the stuff about Stonewall's misrepresentation of the law and the fact that the university may have been illegally discriminating against women

Time for every woman who has suffered because of it to take legal action?

Certainly for numerous people now, gay and straight, it's a warning, not an accolade.

Its appalling.

Stonewall head of media is stepping away for a year's sabbatical due to dreadful transphobia (though he doesn't identify as trans) rats leaving a sinking ship per chance? We can only hope

This feels genuinely exciting!

I’d like to know what the Charities commission think of this review, in respect of Stonewall’s deliberate misinterpretation of the Law.

@RedDogsBeg a cynical person could conclude that Stonewall are guilty of deliberately mis-framing the Law and misinforming institutions, public bodies, private businesses et al

Agree, and actually a dispassionate impartial observer would conclude that too. No cynicism required; Stonewall’s behaviour is there in plain sight.

I hope all the other universities are taking note...

Lodder is a prize clown, as well as a misogynist.

Ooh thank you.

I genuinely think that Stonewall need challenging time and time again about what their purpose is, where they receive money from and what they spend it on.

Give me strength, this from the preamble to the Report by the University:

The report covers material relating to gender that some readers may find distressing or triggering. We have put in place a number of measures to provide support for members of our community who may be affected directly or indirectly by the issues raised.

Fgs.

This though about Hate Crime Laws should be widely disseminated and certain parts put on billboards with big flashing lights and klaxons:

^However these laws do not contain a standalone offence of inciting hatred on grounds of transgender identity, and indeed no such law currently exists (although there are laws relating to incitement to hatred on grounds of race, religion and sexual orientation). Thus, the University would not be able to restrict a person’s freedom of expression on the sole basis that it suspected that the speaker intended to incite hatred on grounds of transgender identity, since
this would not be prescribed by law^.

Excellent comment in the report regarding Stonewall and their framing of the law how they want it to be not how it actually is. Also excellent recommendations about the application of the Equality Act.

It is amazing how whenever Stonewall edicts are looked at from a legal standpoint they are found to be wanting, a cynical person could conclude that Stonewall are guilty of deliberately mis-framing the Law and misinforming institutions, public bodies, private businesses et al.

A weighty, devastating and objective report and recommendations and about time too.

Professor Phoenix and Professor Freedman, the witch hunt, abuse and threats directed against you are appalling.

@teawamutu

Lodder has expressed 'solidarity and love' with someone who feels unsafe because of the report.

Blimey, what a time it is to be alive when (perfectly reasonable) words are "violent".

The free rein this nonsense has given too many people to throw women's rights under the bus and treat us with not even thinly-disguised misogyny is quite astonishing.

243 - discussions about trans rights are not hate speech or harassment

232 - leaflets are not a hate crime

I'm reading through properly now. Section 226 is very useful on the right to deny people access to the facilities of their identified gender.