Quakers caught in transphobia row after protests at university

QUAKERS have been caught up in a transgender row after hosting a “transphobic” feminist meeting in Oxford.

The meeting, organised by A Woman’s Place UK (WPUK), was confronted by protesters from Oxford University and prompted a wave of criticism at the Quakers.

The Student’s Union had called on the Quakers to cancel the event on Wednesday after writing a letter condemning the meeting. The event did go ahead, but Oxford Quakers have said they may consider changes to their policy after the protests outside the venue.

Union LGBTQ Campaigners said: “This event is predominantly about curtailing transgender people’s rights, and invites exclusively cisgender people to speak. This trans-exclusionary feminism cannot be condoned.”

WPUK members have been labelled “Terfs” (transexclusionary radical feminists) and their critics have voiced concerns about the Quakers, who held a separate meeting for WPUK in Manchester in January. One critic tweeted: “It’s not the first time the Quakers have hosted transphobes. I really hoped the Quaker faith community would be allies to trans people in the UK but it seems not to be the case.”

An Oxford Quakers spokesman said that Quakers believe in peace and honesty and said it hoped “both sides in this debate who hold passionate views will engage together in peace and mutual respect.”

She added that following the attention the meeting received, they would consider “changes in policies.”