While the college defends its commitment to free speech, an activist group calls on the university to forgive.
The University of Oxford is facing backlash after hosting its personal doctor, psychologist Michael Biggs, who is critical of female philosophy, for an LGBTQ+ History Month conference.
Before the workshop, a student-led LGBT advocacy group issued a statement calling on the school to regret for inviting him and condemning Biggs ‘ “anti-trans” opinions.
” For the school to encourage Biggs ‘ views on transgender individuals under the banner of LGBTQ+ History Month, founded in the midst of Section 28 and intended to combat discrimination against the LGBTQ+ society, is outrageously inappropriate”, Oxford LGBTQ+ Society stated.
The office has requested that it apologize for including the talk in an LGBTQ+ History Month line, express its support for trans and non-binary learners, and commit to having a trans or non-binary speaker speak on trans issues later this month, according to the statement.  ,
However, the college refused to do so and the occasion went on as planned on Feb. 10.
During the conference, Biggs discussed “how a ‘ weak question’ in the 2021 Census led to ‘ bogus info’ on transgender recognition in England and Wales”, The Oxford Blue reported.
The survey asked people if the “gender]they ] identified with” matched their sex at birth. After noticing that geological areas had higher noted amounts of trans people than another, which he found strange, Biggs analyzed the data.
He found a clear connection between transgender identity and places where English is not the native tongue. Because of this, the information was no more considered formal national statistics.
According to a school spokesman, The Oxford Blue was informed that the school’s free speech plan requires that any viewpoints or views that a community member deems pertinent have the right to be heard.
” ]S] tudents may face, and be able to question, fresh and discomforting thoughts if they are to get the most out of higher training”, the policy state.
The spokesperson also stated,” All University events follow this policy. In the case of the Sociology LGBTQ+ seminar series, which is convened by members of the LGBTQ+ community, Dr. Biggs is an associate professor in the Sociology department and is presenting, and can be questioned, on his own academic research which is highly relevant to the theme of LGBTQ+ history”.
Biggs has previously faced criticism for his opinions. Last year, the British Medical Journal allegedly refused to publish a comment from Biggs, citing him as” transphobic”, according to The Oxford Blue.
Further, in 2018, The Oxford Student reported that Biggs was linked to an X account under the name” Henry Wimbush”, which had shared what the student newspaper deemed” transphobic” content.
The student newspaper condemned Biggs for several posts, including one that states,” transphobia is a word created by fascists, and used by cowards, to manipulate morons”.
Biggs defended his assertions to The Oxford Student, saying,” It is not transphobic to debate the benefits of legislation or to debate theories about sex and gender. Dictionary definitions such as ‘ woman: adult human female’ and ‘ lesbian: female homosexual’ are not transphobic. Calling the convicted rapist Karen White, who was imprisoned for being a woman, a man is not transphobic either.
MORE: Meet the Oxford professors who back a feminist who thinks biological sex matters.
IMAGE: Year Zero with Wesley Yang/Youtube
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