Open letter to the Cardiff University Vice-Chancellor, concerning the university's relationship with Stonewall

Dear Vice-Chancellor,

We are writing to suggest that Cardiff University’s membership of the Stonewall Diversity Champions scheme should be reviewed. We support the rights of transgender staff and students, yet being associated with Stonewall lies in tension with two of the university’s core values: 1) academic freedom and 2) respect for the rights of all staff and students, including women.

Nancy Kelley, CEO of Stonewall, has likened ‘gender critical’ beliefs to anti-Semitism. The core tenets of these ‘beliefs’ are that sex is real and matters. The motivation for this comparison is to justify Stonewall’s longstanding policy demanding ‘no debate’ on transgender issues. Stonewall’s demands have wide-ranging implications across academic disciplines and the conflict with academic freedom is fundamental.

You may be aware of the Reindorf Review into two instances of no-platforming at the University of Essex. We draw attention to recommendation 28. ‘The University should give careful and thorough consideration to the relative benefits and disbenefits of its relationship with Stonewall, bearing in mind the issues raised in this report. In particular, it should consider that this relationship appears to have given University members the impression that gender critical academics can legitimately be excluded from the institution; the potential effect of this on the University’s obligations to uphold freedom of expression; the effect on University members’ understanding of the values of the institution; and the effect on those members of the University who hold gender critical views (see §§249– 251 above). If the University considers it appropriate to continue its relationship with Stonewall, it should devise a strategy for countering the drawbacks and potential illegalities described above.’

We would also highlight Reindorf’s view that discrimination against dissenting academics may amount to indirect sex discrimination, since women are more likely to be targeted for their expression of such beliefs. Gay men and lesbians are increasingly expressing concern about Stonewall. The recent judgement in the Maya Forstater case, stipulating that gender critical views are a protected characteristic under the Equality Act, also raises questions about the position of Stonewall.

High profile organisations are starting to dissociate themselves from Stonewall. Recently, it emerged that UCL and the University of Winchester have left the Stonewall scheme. Liz Truss, the Equalities Minister, has urged all government departments to leave the scheme.

Stonewall is a lobby group which aims to achieve policy change and it is entitled to campaign towards this end. But it is inappropriate that such a group should be embedded within the university, influencing policies which affect freedom of expression and expose dissenters to harassment.

Best wishes,

Dr. Thomas Prosser, Cardiff Business School

Professor Sin Yi Cheung, School of Social Sciences

Dr. Julie Doughty, School of Law and Politics

Professor Alan Felstead, School of Social Sciences

Professor Adam Hedgecoe, School of Social Sciences

Professor Ian Rees Jones, School of Social Sciences

Dr. Branko Latinkic, School of Biosciences

Professor J Emyr Macdonald, School of Physics and Astronomy

Professor Max Munday, Cardiff Business School

Dr. David Petrik, School of Biosciences

Professor Sally Power, School of Social Sciences

Mr. Abyd Quinn-Aziz, School of Social Sciences

Dr. Francis Sansbury, Institute of Medical Genetics

Professor Irena Spasic, School of Computer Science and Informatics

Professor Chris Taylor, School of Social Sciences

Dr. Tim Wells, School of Biosciences

Note: Cardiff University academics may add signatures. If you'd like to do this, please email Thomas Prosser (prossertj@cf.ac.uk)