The decision to ban Professor Selina Todd from an event she helped to organise has been reviewed as part of a “no platforming” investigation by Exeter College.
Professor Todd, who is an expert in the history of working-class women, contributed towards the organisation of the summit to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Ruskin College’s first Women’s Liberation Conference.
Todd gained the support of the university’s history facility to provide funding and facilitators for the event.
The academic was expected to speak at the event on Saturday, however, on the Friday she was informed that her invitation no longer stood.
Due to her teaching of feminist history and involvement in the advocacy of women’s rights, the Professor has been accused of being a “transphobe”.
According to her research, Todd believes that in the past women who presented themselves as men were lesbians who sought to protect themselves, or those who wanted to perform jobs which were only available to men at the time.
Chairman of Oxford’s history faculty, Professor John Watts, also withdrew from the event in protest of the decision to no platform Professor Todd.
A formal complaint was lodged by Toby Young on behalf of the Free Speech Union, an organisation he set up to counteract what he perceived as “censorship”.
In early 2020 it was disclosed that due to threats from transgender activists, Todd had security guards bring her to lectures.
Of the no-platforming, Exeter College said that they are “committed to the open and respectful discussion of ideas and to providing a supportive and inclusive environment in which the rights and dignity of all its staff and students are respected and valued, and in which people can work and study, without fear of discrimination or harassment.”
