Statement: ‘A Woman’s Place’ Meeting on 25th October 2019

Released on 17th October 2019 by Trans Action Oxford
Contact: transactionoxford@riseup.net

On the 25th October, the group ‘A Woman’s Place’ is running an event in Oxford billed as a panel on ‘academic freedom and the current issues being faced by women’. The group describes itself as a feminist organisation dedicated to supporting women’s rights. In reality, it is a group whose primary aim is to erode existing rights for transgender people. Past speakers have affirmed their desire to ‘drive [trans people] out of public spaces’, and characterised trans women as ‘horrible, hateful, misogynistic bastards’, ‘parasites’, and ‘rapists’. They have also described the high suicide rates amongst trans people – almost half of trans people have attempted suicide – as a ‘myth’.

‘A Woman’s Place’ was set up to oppose changes to the Gender Recognition Act which would improve trans people’s lives, and has since maintained a focus on undermining trans rights. Current members of the group are involved in a US Supreme Court case looking to allow employment discrimination against trans people. They advocate for excluding us from bathrooms and changing rooms, forcing us out of public space. They also work to exclude us from rape and domestic abuse hotlines, even though trans women are just as likely as cis women to be raped, and far more likely to be domestically abused (19% vs 7.9%). In all of these actions, they make our lives harder, more precarious, and more dangerous.

Trans people already face a disproportionate level of violence, discrimination and hardship. The Trans Report 2018 found that 98% of trans students at the University of Oxford had experienced mental health problems. Nearly two-thirds had experienced transphobia or discrimination within the University. There is a direct correlation between the proliferation of groups like ‘A Woman’s Place’ and the rise in transphobic abuse in the UK. In the last year alone, hate crimes against trans people have gone up by 81%. Their rhetoric and ideas are not simply a matter of ‘academic debate’; they have tragic, real-life consequences for us.

Unlike ‘A Woman’s Place’, we are deeply invested in academic freedom. A proper commitment to academic freedom uplifts voices from all marginalised groups, including those of trans people. It recognises that freedom of expression does not extend to bigotry, and that bigotry serves to silence the vulnerable. It affirms the validity of trans voices, trans perspectives, and trans experience. Above all, academic freedom must ensure that trans students, academics, and members of staff have the freedom to study and work in an environment free from discrimination and violence.

We are frustrated that groups such as ‘A Woman’s Place’ insist upon their own academic freedom, but do not extend this principle to trans people. Members of the group have prestigious academic positions and widespread respect, while trans voices are consistently pushed to the edges of discourse. Our decision to hold a demonstration of solidarity was rooted in these concerns. Rather than directly protest their event, and thus play into their narrative of false victimhood, we are looking to re-centre trans voices, and to discuss trans issues alongside cis allies in a respectful and tolerant manner.

‘A Woman’s Place’ is once again hoping to spread transphobic ideology in our city. We hope you will join us in demonstrating that their hateful views and the violence they inspire have no place in Oxford.

For more info about our Trans Solidarity Demo, check out the Facebook event here.

Signatories:

Trans Action Oxford

Oxford Feminist Society

Oxford SU Women’s Campaign

St Hilda’s Feminist Society

LMH Feminist Society

Oxford Brookes Student Union

Oxford Queer Studies Network

Oxford SU LGBTQ+ Campaign

Oxford SU Disabilities Campaign

Oxford University LGBTQ+ Society

Oxford Pride

Oxford Brookes Labour Club

Oxford Brookes LGBTQ+ Society

Oxfordshire Drag Collective

Common Ground Oxford

Haute Mess Drag Collective

Oxford University Labour Club

Oxford RS21

Wadham SU

Lady Margaret Hall JCR

Balliol BME Society

New College MCR LGBTQ+ Officers

Linacre Ladies that Lift

St Hilda’s College JCR

Lincoln College JCR

Oxfordshire Labour Representation Committee

Oxford District Labour Party

LGBT+ Oxford Labour Forum

Oxford Marxist Society

Beyond the Binary Project, My Normal, Pitt Rivers Museum

Feminists of Balliol

Exeter College JCR

Amber Sparks, VP Women, Oxford SU

Sasha Leigh Coutinho, SU Women's Officer, Oxford Brookes University

Anisha Faruk, President, Oxford SU

Sneha Krishnan, Associate Professor in Human Geography, University of Oxford

Sophie Duncan, Fellow in English, Christ Church College

Róisín McCallion, VP Welfare and Equal Opportunities, Oxford SU

Celine Ponio Bagtas, SU LGBTQ+ Student Officer, Oxford Brookes University

Ray Williams, VP for Access and Academic Affairs, Oxford SU

Stephanie Atherton, Secretary for Oxford Pride

Annabelle Beaumont, President, Oxford Brookes LGBTQ+ Society

Michael Cini, Chairperson, Oxford Brookes Labour Club

Jay Staker, Co-Chair, Oxford University Labour Club

Harriet Lester, Women’s Officer, Balliol College MCR Committee

Alasdair Leeding, President, Wadham SU

Amy Dunning, President, Lincoln College JCR Committee

William Song, Equal Opportunities President, Corpus Christi College JCR Committee

Evie Fleck, LGBTQ+ Officer, Wadham SU

Oliver Smith, LGBTQ+ Representative, New College JCR

Roan Runge, former LGBTQ+ Officer, Exeter College JCR

Clara Jenkins, University of Oxford

Martha Raymer, Worcester College

Mia Liyanage, Balliol College

Rob Murphy, Balliol College

Sian Wilcox, Balliol College

Ro Crawford

Eleri Watson, The Queen’s College

Clement Wohrer, Wadham College

Alice Hopkins, Jesus College

Minying Huang, St John’s College

Jocelyn English

Frances Whorrall-Campbell, Wadham College

Logan Hamilton, DPhil Student, Department of Geography, University of Oxford

Rozen Whitworth, Women’s Studies MSt, University of Oxford

Mia Portman, Magdalen College

Ebie Edwards Cole, New College

Beth Paton

Jessie Goetzinger-Hall, Christ Church College

Dr Jay Gilbert, St Anne’s College

Katie Noble, DPhil Student, Christ Church College

Harrison Taylor, New College

Zakkai Goriely

Dr Emily Oliver, University of Oxford

Elizabeth Nicholls, New College

Jack Doyle, DPhil Candidate, St Hilda’s College, University of Oxford

Rachel Fox

George Williams, New College

Emily Harford, founder, UKAEA LGBT staff network

Dr Isobel Floyd Mear, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford

Jennifer Oliver, Departmental Lecturer in French, Worcester College

Kei Patrick, Trans Officer, Wadham College

Alice Parkin, DPhil candidate, Lincoln College

Sara Salim, New College

Seryeong Lee, New College

Cas Burton, Treasurer, St John’s College JCR

Amy Kerr, Lady Margaret Hall

Grace Wc, Newnham College, Cambridge

Gemma Bond, LGBTQ+ Officer, Lincoln College JCR

David Buckley

Charlotte Farmer, Gender Equalities Officer, Lady Margaret Hall JCR

Glynis Flood

Rhea Chopra, Lady Margaret Hall

Lindsey Thompson, Lady Margaret Hall

PK Kulasegram, Library Assistant/Grants Assistant, University of Oxford

Nicky Clark, Trans Officer, Lady Margaret Hall JCR

Patrick Orme, Exeter College

Sarah Regan, Pembroke College

Elsa Kienberger, Lincoln College

Kate Armstrong

Cathy Augustine

Alexis Dexter

Dylan Bamford

Nina Crisp, Lady Margaret Hall

Max Watkins, LGBTQ+ Representative, Exeter College

Charlotte Terrell, Worcester College

Neil Misra, VP (Graduates), Oxford SU

Aleks Faghelman, Transgender and Gender Minorities Officer, St Hilda’s College

Gwynne Reddick, Secretary, Oxfordshire Labour Representation Committee

Chrissie Charvill, Labour Member

Richard Firth, LGBTQIA+ Rights Advocate

Zoe Nunn, DPhil Candidate, St Catherine’s College

Cherelle Malongo, JCR President, Lady Margaret Hall; Co-Chair, Campaign for Racial Awareness and Equality

Luke Richardson, LGBTQ+ Trustee, Magdalen College

Elena Colman, MSt Women's Studies, Kellogg College

Martina Astrid Rodda, Peer Supporter, Jesus College

Arjun Bais, LGBT+ Officer, Oxford District Labour Party

Margot Harvey, Gender Representative, Lincoln College

Dan Laurin, Community Curator, Oriel College

Vicki Churchill, MA Student in Creative Writing, Oxford Brookes

Kaitlyn Foster, Exeter College

Mike Smith

Leila Roberts, Women’s* Officer (2018-19), Wadham College

Nicola Jayne Hodson

Clare Burton, IT Specialist

Ian de Boer, Visiting Student, Corpus Christi College

Nicola Lee, parent of a transgender child

Sorcha Tisdall, Corpus Christi College

Rebecca Smith, Women*s Officer, Wadham SU

Toni Harrison, Member of the Women’s Equality Party, Oxford

Hannah Bruce, Beyond the Binary Project, My Normal, Pitt Rivers Museum

Emily Reed, Balliol College

Alice Raw, Lecturer in History, Corpus Christi College

Sing Yeap, Corpus Christi College

Callum Berry, Corpus Christi College