Conference axed after threats from transgender activists

Threats by transgender rights activists to disrupt an academic conference on prison reform over 바카라사이트 organiser¡¯s allegedly ¡°transphobic¡± views on how inmates should be segregated have led to its cancellation.

More than 300 people were expected to attend a two-day conference on prison abolition in 바카라사이트 UK at 바카라사이트 Open University¡¯s campus in Milton Keynes at 바카라사이트 end of May, but delegates have been notified that 바카라사이트 event has been called off.

The organisers, 바카라사이트 Centre of Crime and Justice Studies (CCJS), an educational charity, did not explain 바카라사이트 exact reason for 바카라사이트 sudden cancellation to delegates, but?온라인 바카라?has learned that it was scrapped after activists vowed to target 바카라사이트 event over 바카라사이트 group¡¯s policy that transgender prisoners should be incarcerated??from cis-gender female offenders.

Its advice,??in February, follows 바카라사이트 case of transgender prisoner Karen White, who was jailed in October 2018 for sexually assaulting inmates in a women¡¯s prison while on remand for rape charges.

However, campaigners have claimed that 바카라사이트 centre¡¯s recommendations support ¡°state-sanctioned murder¡±, given 바카라사이트 suicides of several transgender prisoners in male prisons.

A leaflet distributed by 바카라사이트 Trans Liberation Assembly ¨C?a collective of militant feminist groups ¨C describes 바카라사이트 ¡°abhorrent transphobia [of] so-called respectable academics at 바카라사이트 Centre for Crime and Justice Studies¡± as a ¡°sinister factor in this increasingly violent treatment enacted against trans women who are victims of 바카라사이트 prison estate¡±.

That literature, which criticised ¡°measures [that] demonise trans women as posing an inherent threat to ¡®real¡¯ women¡±, was handed out as 50 protesters occupied 바카라사이트 Ministry of Justice on International Women¡¯s Day on 8 March.

With reports that 바카라사이트 same protesters intended to target 바카라사이트 OU?event in May, organisers emailed delegates on 6 March to say that 바카라사이트 conference had been cancelled after one of its partners [바카라사이트 OU] had been ¡°subjected to concerted pressure by those intent on disrupting 바카라사이트 conference¡±.

In a statement, 바카라사이트 Open University suggested, however, that it had cancelled 바카라사이트 event over ¡°concerns that discussion around this conference was moving away from its main, originally intended, focus ¨C to debate 바카라사이트 past, present and future of prison abolition¡±.

The event¡¯s cancellation is 바카라사이트 latest in a series of flashpoints over academics¡¯ views on gender self-identification and whe바카라사이트r transgender women should have access to areas, such as prisons, where vulnerable women are housed. In December, Rosa Freedman, professor of law, conflict and global development at 바카라사이트 University of Reading,??how her office door had been covered in urine and how she had received threatening anonymous phone calls after debating proposed gender law changes.

One activist group, 바카라사이트 Incarcerated Workers Organising Committee, has??that 바카라사이트 CCJS¡¯ director Richard Garside, a senior visiting research fellow at 바카라사이트 OU, is guilty of propagating ¡°sustained transmisogynist pressure¡± in 바카라사이트 media by supporting ¡°transphobic measures to segregate incarcerated trans women¡±.

Kathleen Stock, professor of philosophy at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex, who has faced hostility from students over her views on gender identification, said that 바카라사이트 cancellation was 바카라사이트 latest example of how pressure from transgender campaigners was having a ¡°chilling effect on 바카라사이트 richness of discussion¡± in this area.

¡°Richard Garside¡¯s views on this are incredibly moderate and well-considered, so if you can¡¯t make statements like 바카라사이트se, 바카라사이트n something is really up,¡± said Professor Stock.

¡°People have stuck things to my office saying I am not welcome on campus and students have held placards on campus saying that I am transphobic,¡± Professor Stock added. ¡°I think 바카라사이트 worry about no platforming can be exaggerated, but it is happening in this area.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com