More than 300 staff and contractors at The Guardian newspaper have attacked its decision to publish an article challenging the idea that biological sex is merely a ‘social construct’.
The piece by Suzanne Moore defended single-sex spaces for women and opposed the recent no-platforming of Oxford historian Selina Todd.
Todd was accused of holding transphobic views because she doesn’t believe people can change their sex.
‘Sickening’
Following its publication, 338 of Moore’s colleagues signed a letter accusing The Guardian of a “pattern of publishing transphobic content”.
Writing in The Sunday Times this week, columnist Sarah Baxter said: “I had not thought it possible that journalists whose very existence depends on the freedom of the press would seek to silence and bully a fellow contributor in this way — least of all the trailblazing Moore”.
She added: “The idea that a columnist with her zest and free spirit could be chased off with a pitchfork by cowardly, anonymous staffers is sickening.”
BBC, Guardian
Baxter also spoke to former colleague and now Index on Censorship Chairman Trevor Phillips.
She reports he said: “I’ll bet every penny I have that those 300 people all regard themselves as caring, compassionate allies of transgender people. They want to make it a battle that shows how caring and compassionate they are.”
Phillips believes institutions such as universities, the BBC and The Guardian are themselves to blame for the increasing intolerance of activists trying to shut down any views they disagree with.
Baxter concluded that if progressive activists “keep guillotining their own, don’t blame us when they shrivel into a sect”.
Also see:
John Humphrys defends free speech in face of trans ‘mob’
Office for Students defends free speech in no-platforming row