Freedom of speech in academia - OfS research finds sex and gender hardest topic to discuss

This is from the Regulatory Advice:

'Example 3: Direct discrimination

Professor A at University B attempts to run a seminar series and a conference to explore issues of sex and gender. Professor A holds gender-critical beliefs: the belief that biologicalmsex is real, important, immutable and not to be conflated with gender identity. Gender-critical beliefs are protected beliefs for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010.
Following protests about ‘transphobia’ from staff and students, the university requires her to cancel the seminar and the conference. Because of her gender-critical beliefs, the head of Professor A’s department instructs her not to speak to the department about her research, about a cancellation of her invitation to another university, or about the accusation that she is a ‘transphobe’.
In acting in this way, University B may have directly discriminated against Professor A. It is also likely to have breached its ‘secure’ duty.'

'Example 35: student handbook on misgendering

University A’s student handbook states: ‘Misgendering is never acceptable. You must always address or refer to a person using their preferred pronouns.’

This blanket ban on misgendering is likely to breach the ‘secure’ duty.
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For instance, a student writing a dissertation in criminology might refer to trans women as ‘he’ because the student considers this necessary for clarity. This is unlikely to amount to harassment.
There may be circumstances in which the use of dispreferred pronouns could amount to harassment. For instance, repeated and deliberate misgendering directed by a teacher to a particular student in one of their classes may amount to harassment.
However, we would expect that any code of conduct that regulates the use of pronouns on these grounds would narrowly tailor any restriction to those circumstances. It must not, in intent or effect, prohibit the expression of a lawful viewpoint (for instance, the viewpoint that gender is a fiction).'

https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-providers/freedom-of-speech/securing-free-speech/

from the polling:

'Male academics are more likely than female academics to say their university prioritises freedom of speech over not causing
offence (56% vs 37%).'

'In all three contexts, female academics are more likely than male academics to say they do not feel free discussing challenging/ controversial topics. In particular, a fifth of female academics (21%) say they do not feel free in their research compared to one in ten (11%) male academics saying the same.'

'Of those who have experienced negative comments/ treatment, this most often came about after expressing views on sex/
gender (38%)'

'Those with permanent contracts are more likely than those on fixed-term contracts to be very confident they understand what “freedom of speech” means in higher education (37% vs 26%).'

'Male academics are also significantly more likely than female academics to say they are very confident in their understanding (41% vs 27%).'

'Male academics are more likely than female academics to say that they
feel free to discuss challenging/ controversial topics in each scenario'

'Perceived restrictions around discussing sex/ gender and race/ racism are consistent across the political spectrum.'

https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/freedom-of-speech-in-higher-education-survey-outcomes/