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

My email has just gone.

Dear Professor Lea,

Like many others I was delighted when I read of your university’s decision to name six lecture theatres after distinguished alumnae, since far too few public and academic buildings bear the names of women. I was therefore dismayed to read in the media today that the university is reconsidering its decision to name one of the theatres after Dame Jenni Murray, because of student opposition to her supposed transphobia, which as far as I can discover is based on one very moderate article on the subject of transgenderism in the Sunday Times last year.

Dame Jenni is an alumna of whom the University of Hull can be justly proud. Her distinguished career as a broadcaster and writer speaks for itself and she is a much-loved and respected presenter of Woman’s Hour. Even her appearance as captain of the Hull team on Christmas University Challenge from 2014 (currently being repeated on BBC4) is bringing renewed credit to the university. The general public will not understand if such a well-known and well-respected public figure were not to be considered worthy of this mark of esteem from her university on such flimsy grounds.

If the decision is made not to name the lecture theatre after Dame Jenni, I would assume the university will also be considering whether to rename the Larkin building, since Larkin’s stature as a poet is indelibly tarnished in many people’s eyes by his deep and virulent misogyny.

EMailed, tried to keep it brief, but it become a bit flowery in the end. I’m so angry that yet another uni is being controlled by a loud and vindictive minority!

The President of the Student Union has announced that Jenni Murray's name is going to be physically removed from the university 'Walk of Fame', which celebrates famous graduates.

I assume they are still working on whether they can retrospectively edit her out of any old photos.

Sent
Dear University of Hull

I was very disappointed indeed to read the BBC News article in which it has been reported that you are reconsidering naming your theatre in honour of the distinguished journalist Dame Jenni Murray.

As a mother of a daughter who will be considering her own University options in just a few years, please would you clarify exactly what text you would have wished to censor in Dame Jenni Murray’s writing.

I’d like you to specify exactly what it is women are and are not permitted to say (think?) on your campus. When I attended University in the 1990s freedom of expression and freedom of thought were a given, and one which alas we took for granted. Shame on you for policing women in this way, and sending such a message to future generations of women at precisely the time they most need to be empowered to speak out.

I look forward to hearing from you.

I'm a transsexual woman, and I say that Jenni Murray is not in the slightest bit transphobic. I am in touch with others like me, who agree.

KayM2 Hopefully you and others 'like you' will be making strong representation to the University of Hull and those within the student body/union in support of Jenni Murray.

John Stuart Mill, who said in 1867: “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.”

the same of course equally applies to women.

The President of the Student Union has announced that Jenni Murray's name is going to be physically removed from the university 'Walk of Fame', which celebrates famous graduates.

Little gobshite.

Can the Student Union do that without the agreement of the university? (and yes LordProffekko exactly)

Nah - like the recent gobshitw who demanded that a mural of ‘white guys’ be painted over - u TIL it was pointed out that these ‘white guys’ represented the young men who left to fight during the war and never returned.

https://www.change.org/p/vice-chancellor-university-of-hull-for-the-lecture-theatre-at-hull-university-named-after-dame-jenni-murray-to-remain?recruiter=38232206&utmsource=shareepetition&utmmedium=facebook&utmmcampaign=psfcombooshareinitial.pacificcemailcopyyengbb4.v1.pacificemaillcopyennus3.control.pacificcemailcopyyenuss5.v1.pacificposttsapshareegmailabi.control.lightningg2primaryshareeoptionsmore.control&utmmterm=sharepetition&utmm_content=fhtdec-13998338-en-gb%3Av6

Sorry, bizarre link. There's a petition

Some really pithy and articulate responses here, I am going to email as soon as I have chased the DCs to bed.

I emailed too this morning and made the same points as everyone else, plus I pointed out that a photo of one of the leaders of the student campaign has been circulated across social and mainstream media – they are on the campus, standing outside the building named in honour of Phillip Larkin, a man whose views on women are considered by many to be downright misogynist! Do female students feel unsafe entering that building? Do they feel their very existence is under debate/threat by that?

I do like to fire off an angry email. Done!

I did this earlier, it feels good to do something 🙂.

I just read Jenni's book - the history of Britain in 21 women one. It was very readable and enjoyable actually, even though I'm not a big history buff.

Petition signed and shared on Twitter.

Do you have a link to the news item about the President of the Student Union's announcement, BreakWindAndFire

Hi welshgendercrit - there's a hyperlink you can click on in my post - hover over the words 'has announced'.

What is quite remarkable in history is not the absence of women. Women were mentioned and recorded (though often in relation to me), but their gradual airbrushing from history.

Having spent time on my family history it has become apparent that my father's family in particular was full of entrepreneural women - who worked independently of men, albeit with a male to front their business in law. The men were all pretty meek and mild. It gave me a rather different view of history to discover their stories.

The erasure of Jenni Murray smack of the same airbrushing.

The student union should hang their heads in shame and then be sent to discover their own family history / read up on women's history.

It's utterly shameful Hull uni are even reconsidering the decision

Thankyou MNHQ for editing the email link in first post.

Petition says 0 signed. Is it working? I'm happy to sign and share but really, no signature so far?

I have emailed the University and responded to the SU daft girl on Twitter. I am in despair at the state of our universities. Thank goodness I know some sensible young people otherwise I would be in danger of writing off the lot of them.

working for me
www.change.org/p/vice-chancellor-university-of-hull-for-the-lecture-theatre-at-hull-university-named-after-dame-jenni-murray-to-remain?recruiter=143239550&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_message.pacific_email_copy_en_gb_4.v1.pacific_email_copy_en_us_3.control.pacific_email_copy_en_us_5.v1.pacific_post_sap_share_gmail_abi.control.lightning_2primary_share_options_more.control&utm_term=psf_combo_share_initial.pacific_email_copy_en_gb_4.v1.pacific_email_copy_en_us_3.control.pacific_email_copy_en_us_5.v1.pacific_post_sap_share_gmail_abi.control.lightning_2primary_share_options_more.control

Huge thanks to @MNHQ for editing the OP, to give the correct email address. And thank you to whoever started the petition. This has all so upset me. I remember feeling similarly when it was revealed that trans activist Natacha Kennedy (Goldsmiths University lecturer who co-authors with himself in his original name, Mark Hellen) and others were conspiring in secret to remove famous feminists they disliked from Wikipedia. Jenni is a fine woman, her article was respectful and moderate, and we should defend for her

Thanks, Break I should have spotted that.