Newnham College, Cambridge, was once a bastion of feminist activism. No longer. This summer my curiosity was drawn to two women whispering to one another in the college cafe. They were, as it happened, a senior fellow and doctoral student; leaning over their table, they spoke furtively for fear that someone might overhear their conversation about gender politics. At Cambridge, professors and students alike are afraid to speak critically, or at all, on the subject of gender.
Believing that biological sex is binary and unchangeable – and that gender is culturally constructed – may not seem controversial. Yet gender-critical feminists who hold such mainstream views are often slapped with a derogatory label: Terf, or trans-exclusionary radical feminist. Their beliefs, let’s remember, are far from radical: they think that conflating gender with sex leads to violations of the rights of women, children and gay and lesbian people.
Women, faced with censorship and discrimination, have had to fight for the right to assert this basic truth. Last year, finally, a judge-led panel ruled that gender-critical views are a protected philosophical belief under the Equality Act and should be considered ‘worthy of respect in a democratic society’. Yet still, Cambridge University does not do enough to protect those with gender-critical views.
Cambridge Students’ Union recently published a guide titled ‘How to spot Terf ideology’. It suggests that sex is neither natural nor binary, but rather a social construct and a ‘colonial fiction created to oppress trans people’. The guide goes on to claim, falsely, that ‘Terfs spend a lot of time working with the far-right.’ The Union’s Women’s Officer proudly announces in her manifesto that ‘Terfs aren’t welcome here’.
As president of the Cambridge Radical Feminist Network, I’ve seen the ostracism students can face for holding gender-critical views.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Don't miss out
Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.
UNLOCK ACCESSAlready a subscriber? Log in