Oxford University lectures disrupted by trans activists

Two talks by Michael Foran, an associate professor at the faculty of law, were disrupted by protesters in recent weeks.

Mr Foran announced at the weekend that he had cancelled the remaining two events.

He was speaking on sex, gender identity and the law when two demonstrators stood in the lecture theatre in protest.

READ MORE: Trans people banned from rowing in women’s team at Oxford University

Footage from one event showed a person reading from a phone accusing Mr Foran of transphobia and noting that he was cited in last year’s Supreme Court ruling which stated that the legal definition of “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex.

Posting on social media, Mr Foran said: “I have made the decision to cancel the remaining lectures in the series as I cannot guarantee for attendees, including students, that further disruption won’t occur.”

The University of Oxford said it “remains committed to freedom of speech, academic freedom and respectful debate”, supporting both the right of its academics to speak on “controversial or strongly contested” issues and the right to protest.

A University of Oxford spokesperson said: “Freedom of speech and academic freedom are fundamental to the University of Oxford.

“Members of our academic community must be able to teach, research, speak and debate within the law, including on issues that are controversial or strongly contested.

“Equally, we support the right to lawful protest and civil disagreement.

“Despite interruptions by protesters at the start, the first two talks in Professor Foran’s series proceeded and continued uninterrupted.

“We are concerned that the series will not now be completed as planned. The talks were being delivered alongside the publication of Professor Foran’s recent book and the university will work with him to explore how the remaining events can take place.

“The university remains committed to freedom of speech, academic freedom and respectful debate.”

Mr Foran said during his lecture that transgender people “are entitled to protection from discrimination and harassment, they are entitled to have their human rights upheld, and afforded dignity and respect”.

He added: “They are entitled to the full protection of human rights law and the full protection of equality law.

“But these protections do not confer an entitlement to access single-sex sanitary, changing or showering facilities intended for members of the opposite biological sex.”

Reform UK’s education spokeswoman Suella Braverman said what had happened was “unacceptable” and that she had written to Oxford chancellor William Hague “urging him to investigate this matter and put in place the measures to enable these lectures to proceed peacefully”.