Oxford professor cancels lectures after abuse over trans views

Dr Michael Foran, an associate professor of law at Oxford University has been forced to cancel a series of talks after facing abuse for his views on gender from pro-trans activists.

Foran, who is a fellow at Keble College in Oxford was due to give a series of four lectures around the themes of his new book, ‘Sex, Gender Identity, and the Law’. However, after he faced protests during two of his talks in recent weeks, Foran has now cancelled the planned lectures.

During the talks, pro-trans activists stood in front of the lectern, saying that the professor was a “bigot” and “transphobic”. The protesters are believed to be students from the university. One claimed that Foran “masks his transphobia behind a thin veneer of academia” adding: “If you are here in a critical capacity to challenge his ideas... that is not the same as refusing to platform him. He will not be convinced by your arguments. Please join me in walking out and refusing to platform this bigot.”

Foran is an expert in gender law, and was cited in last year’s Supreme Court decision that the definition of ‘sex’ in equality law refers to biological sex. He has cancelled the upcoming lectures because of “escalating disruptive protests” saying: “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.”

He added: “It is unfortunate that these protesters have chosen disruption over genuine intellectual engagement grounded in academic charity and rigour. In attempting to shame students into de-platforming these lectures, they manifest the antithesis of what a university stands for.”

Hundreds of pro-trans activists held a march in Oxford last weekend over the new government guidance that says that single-sex spaces, such as toilets and changing rooms, should only be used by those of that biological sex. The organisers of the march, Oxford For Trans Rights, said that the guidance was a “cruel rollback of our rights that has no place in our society”.