In Defence of Academic Freedom

by Adult Human Female

In Defence of Academic Freedom

by Adult Human Female
Adult Human Female
Case Owner
Deirdre O'Neill and Michael Wayne are university academics and occasional filmmakers.
3
days to go
£20,530
pledged of £67,000 stretch target from 725 pledges
Pledge now
Adult Human Female
Case Owner
Deirdre O'Neill and Michael Wayne are university academics and occasional filmmakers.
Pledge now

This case is raising funds for its stretch target. Your pledge will be collected within the next 24-48 hours (and it only takes two minutes to pledge!)

Latest: March 30, 2024

Preliminary Hearing

The preliminary hearing of our case took place on Monday 25th March. The employment judge didn’t understand why UCU denies that its treatment of us is unwanted and wanted to know what the reaso…

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We are academics and the directors of the documentary feature Adult Human Female, the first UK film to explore the clash between women's rights and trans activists promoting gender identity claims.

Scheduled screenings of our film have twice been cancelled by protestors at the University of Edinburgh. On both occasions the Edinburgh branch of the Universities and College Union (UCU) denounced the film as 'hate speech' and 'transphobic'. We are members of UCU and yet the union has treated us and the film as beyond the pale and unworthy of a place on campus. 

We are raising funds to bring an employment tribunal claim against UCU for unlawfully discriminating against us because of our protected 'gender critical' beliefs. UCU champions those who believe that men who identify into the opposite sex should be treated in policy and law as women. We believe that this view is harmful to women's sex-based rights. UCU not only disagrees with our position but opposes our right to screen the film and discuss the issues. 

UCU is the main academic union in the university sector. It needs to conduct itself in a way that protects academic freedom for all members engaged in reasoned debate. We are taking this action because we hope that it will encourage UCU to alter course. UCU should protect the employment and civil liberties rights of all members, not just those of trans rights activists.

Gender critical beliefs are protected in law. It is unlawful for a union to discriminate against its members by harassing them or subjecting them to any form of 'detriment'. UCU has lost many members over this issue. 

We are raising funds to cover the initial cost of presenting our claim to the tribunal. Our solicitor has estimated this at £6,500. The stretch target is the estimated cost to the end of the final hearing. Any unused funds will be distributed to other gender critical causes.

Please support our crowdfund to help protect academic freedom for staff, students and the public. Thank-you.


Update 4

Adult Human Female

March 30, 2024

Preliminary Hearing

The preliminary hearing of our case took place on Monday 25th March. The employment judge didn’t understand why UCU denies that its treatment of us is unwanted and wanted to know what the reason for UCU’s behaviour was, if not our protected beliefs. UCU have been ordered to provide further information about this by 16 April.

 

We also now have a final hearing listed for 31 March – 4 April 2025. There is plenty of work for our solicitors to undertake between now and then, so please spread the word and donate if you can.

Update 3

Adult Human Female

Jan. 26, 2024

Preliminary Hearing

We now have our preliminary hearing on March 26th 2024. The purpose of this hearing will be to identify the issues and set directions and a case timetable. At last UCU will have to account for their behaviour rather than sticking their fingers in their collective ears and screaming 'transphobe' at all and sundry.

Update 2

Adult Human Female

Aug. 12, 2023

Claim submitted to the Employment Tribunal

Our claim against UCU was formally presented to the Employment Tribunal on Friday 11th August 2023.

Update 1

Adult Human Female

June 30, 2023

£6500 raised in less than 48 hours

Thanks to our supporters, our crowd justice fundraiser made its initial target of £6500 in less than 48 hours. We are now working towards the stretch target which has a rolling 30 day countdown until tribunal some way down the line. Please keep sharing so we chip away at the stretch target.

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