Please defend Jenni Murray's reputation

[Sunkisses]

Trans activists have bullied the University of Hull and they are now "reconsidering" their decision to name a lecture theatre after the esteemed BBC Radio 4 Women's Hour broadcaster Jenni Murray.

This is so unfair that a tiny minority are able to trash a woman's reputation and have her contribution to women erased from history. Please politely contact the University of Hull and ask them to reconsider this decision, and not to give in to bullies. Her views are respectful, moderate and reflect mainstream opinion, and she is an inspiration to women.

Twitter: @UniOfHull
Email: [email protected]

More info here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-46442389
Jenny Murray's wikipedia entry: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenni_Murray

This post was edited by MNHQ

I'm so sorry but you are probably all finding out that the email address I gave for Hull Uni is bouncing (I did wait half an hour to test it!). As @BernardBlacks says you can write to Professor Susan Lea who is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Hull. Her email address (publicly available on the uni website) is [email protected]. Or the email address for media enquiries is [email protected]

Thanks for posting the full article @Sunkisses

Email sent

I hadn't read that Jenni Murray article in full before. It's incredibly reasonable and moderate. It's noteworthy that she actually tackles those erroneous suicide statistics - and yet people like the Guardian continue to cite them as if true.

Done!

I am realising that one practical thing I can do is to challange institutions when they appear to be making ill informed and reactive decisions. There are other voices out there.

And mine

Dear Professor Lea

I was somewhat surprised to read on the BBC website yesterday that the University of Hull is reconsidering its decision to name a lecture theatre after Dame Jenni Murray.

As a distinguished broadcaster and supporter / patron of many important charities Jenni Murray is surely not someone whose reputation can be so easily tarnished. Her views on transgender issues are in no way extreme, indeed they are far more moderate and tolerant than those of the individuals who have made such a fuss about this. I am guessing she has made no threats to you if you do change your mind!

I would ask if you agree that female academics, broadcasters and journalists are fair game for personal threats of violence, stalking and harassment? Do you agree with #NoPlatforming, #NoDebate and those individuals who say that women talking about biology are committing 'literal violence' and hate speech?

Have you read recently about the very real and personal attacks on women such as Julie Bindel, Linda Bellow, Venice Allen?

What about fellow academic Professor Rosa Freedman?twitter.com/GoonerProf/status/1070158128837246977?s=20

Maybe you hadn't realised that most people in the UK do NOT agree with #NoPlatforming, #NoDebatea, see the results of the recent Populus poll fairplayforwomen.com/poll/

Please think twice before you mar your organisation's academic reputation and slight this talented, dedicated woman simply to appease a small but vocal minority.

Yours sincerely,

Sent.

Sent this ...decided to keep it short

Dear Vice Chancellor

Jenni Murray’s life achievements mean that she is hugely deserving of being honoured by your establishment.

Her recent views are moderate and deserve to be heard. Please don’t fall foul of silencing views and thoughts for fear of offending the violent voices that want others to silenced.

Thank you

Thanks for posting, I will be sending an email.

As an aside, I watched Dame Jenni on Christmas University challenge last night. captaining Hull. She was magnificent!

Emailed.

Thanks, OP for posting the Times long read too. Very interestING and measured read.

Context

recent thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3417901-Dame-Jenni-Murrays-book-A-History-of-Britain-in-21-Women-a-polite-yet-passionate-fingers-up-to-history-s-attempts-to-silence-women-Shouldnt-we-join-her-as-this-is-happening-now-to-her

'A History of Britain in 21 Women'
The reasons that Jenni Murray wrote this book are important:

"Dame Jenni's talk is a polite yet passionate fingers up to history’s attempts to silence women, on the very week Millicent Fawcett’s statue was unveiled on parliament square.

Jenni began writing her a book ‘A History of Britain in 21 Women’ in 2015 after learning that the women’s movement might be erased from the A level history curriculum.

Her lecture is a whirlwind tour of some of the books more colourful characters – from Boadicea to the Iron Lady, Elizabeth I to Ethel Smith, featuring personal anecdotes (interviewing Thatcher after her deposition) and offering fascinating insight into some of suffrage’s lesser known stories (suffragette cricket lessons for more accomplished brick throwing).'

[[lecture accompanying her book:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxyLZobtj7M]]

recent thread following Oxford Studen't harrassment and attempts to 'no-plaform JM from delevering this lecture at History Society there:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3416980-Oxford-students-going-after-Jenni-Murray-again

Times
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/woman-s-hour-host-accused-of-transphobia-pulls-out-of-oxford-talk-k58pmbcgb?shareToken=05dedf9ff8b21cf1eaa21b75da46fbbd

Spectator:
blogs.spectator.co.uk/2018/11/even-oxford-university-cant-save-jenni-murray-from-the-transgender-activist-mob/

Telegraph:
www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2018/11/07/jenni-murray-pulls-oxford-talk-students-try-no-platform-transphobic/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

apologies, scrambled link to Jenni Murray's lecture accompanying her book:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxyLZobtj7M

End of my e mail

You will be effectively saying: ‘ if women dare to speak up for their rights, their achievements will not be recognised in a way that they would have been had they shut up and remained mute on the matter’ which would be an appalling stance to take.

I’m fed up of this shit.

In Gilead, the female academics weren't given a free pass. I'm old enough to remember the Khmer Rouge as well as the Taliban and ISIS.

I have asked MNHQ to edit the original post as the email address for Hull Uni is incorrect (to save you all bounced emails and wasted time). It was refused, but I am appealing. Please email [email protected] instead of the incorrect email I wrote in the OP. They are "reviewing" their decision (after lots of pressure from trans activists at the weekend), but the decision has not been made yet. Dame Jenni Murray is a national treasure and an inspiration to women. If Hull Uni do not back Jenni, the message they are sending to women is "don't speak up about women's rights, or we will not recognise your achievements'.

Done

I sent a quick email. Kept it polite and brief. I don't know what else to do. I'm just astonished that in 2018 we're having to fight for the right of women to have an opinion on what it means to be a woman.

Emailed. Cant believe we have to spend our time on this :(

done.

Have emailed too. Having now read Hrnni Murray’s article I’m shocked how something so moderate and well written can be branded hate speech. I’m really angry about all this and in truth, a little scared about how easily women’s voices can be erased so quickly.

Having now read Hrnni Murray’s article I’m shocked how something so moderate and well written can be branded hate speech. I’m really angry about all this and in truth, a little scared about how easily women’s voices can be erased so quickly.

Dame Jenni Murray was publically rebuked by the BBC for the article which was published last year.
Im pretty confident she has not conducted any interviews on Radio 4's Woman's Hour which reference gender identity /sex since then.

No she hasn't been involved in any of the rent gender discussions. She has been gagged.

Recent, not rent!

Its been the case for some time.
It was noticeable that any interviews with people discussing their gender identity etc was done mostly by Jane Garvey or the occasional other hosts of Woman's Hour.

Email sent and copied in to both addresses given here.