Jo Phoenix, Professor at The Open University, discusses being de-platformed from a 2019 talk at the University of Essex after being accused of “hate speech” and “transphobia.” Addressing the points made in the the Reindorf report released earlier this week which details deeper institutional problems where the ideological capture by Stonewall within university policy, Phoenix and Julian Vigo explore how the University’s Supporting Trans and Non Binary Staff policy was based upon an “incorrect summary of the law” which was not reviewed by the university resulting in the curtailment of Phoenix’s and Rosa Freedman’s academic freedom. Considering how 121 universities and pubic and private organisations are members of Stonewall’s highly criticised “Diversity Champions”—to include the government and the Ministry for Justice—Phoenix analyses the most damning part of Akua Reindorf’s report: “In my view the policy states the law as Stonewall would prefer it to be, rather than the law as it is. To that extent the policy is misleading.”

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