Cambridge alumni enter free-speech row

Former students threaten to pull funding after college no-platformed gender-critical speaker

ALUMNI from the University of Cambridge are pulling funding from their college in an intensifying row over the master saying she was boycotting a “hateful” gender-critical speaker.

Helen Joyce, an author and former Economist journalist, was invited to Gonville and Caius College last Tuesday by Prof Arif Ahmed, a fellow, for a debate on gender ideology. But in an “astonishing” intervention before she spoke, its master Prof Pippa Rogerson – the most senior post – joined Dr Andrew Spencer, the college’s senior tutor, in telling students Ms Joyce’s views were “polemics”.

The head of Cambridge’s sociology faculty also apologised to students for the “distress caused” by sending them an email invitation to the talk.

Ms Joyce believes men and women are being redefined by trans activists, with laws and policies “reshaped to privilege self-identified gender identity over biological sex”.

Around a hundred protesters gathered outside the talk chanting “trans rights are human rights” and banged drums.

Now, many alumni have written to the college, Cambridge’s fourth oldest, with major donors telling The Sunday Telegraph they are withdrawing their funds and bequests unless a retraction is issued.

The Free Speech Union (FSU) has also written to Cambridge’s vice-chancellor asking him to confirm that future speakers will not be “denounced and defamed by senior leaders”, while a new group called Alumni For Free Speech has alleged breaches of equality legislation.

In their email to the all-student mailing list, Prof Rogerson and Dr Spencer wrote: “We do not condone or endorse views that Helen Joyce has expressed on transgender people, which we consider offensive, insulting and hateful to members of our community who live and work here.

“Caius should be a place for the highest quality of research to be produced and discussed, rather than polemics. We will not be attending the event.”

One of the flurry of alumni to send protest letters since is Nick SallnowSmith, 72, who graduated from Gonville and Caius in 1973 and now convenes its Hong Kong chapter.

“I have been extremely upset by the way in which the master and senior tutor have behaved… it’s absolutely disgraceful,” he told The Telegraph.

“I certainly won’t donate anymore – with people like that in charge I will never donate again,” Mr Sallnow-Smith added.

“Saying sorry on Friday and expecting money on Monday is not going to work because it’s clear from their attitude of mind that they do not support the idea of an academic college that I was part of which is free speech, free enquiry, allowing people to present their viewpoint without vilification.”

Another alumnus, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I am embarrassed, I am appalled and I am absolutely disgusted with the stance taken by Prof Rogerson the master of the college and the senior tutor.”

The alumnus added: “Certainly I would not wish to put the college in my will, the way things are at the moment. If Prof Rogerson does not issue a retraction or come to some sort of more reasonable statement, [I will] withdraw any financial support.”

The FSU told Dr Anthony Freeling, the vice-chancellor, that Prof Rogerson’s “astonishing” email had fallen “far below” the university’s own free speech policy, and “must bear some responsibility for the intolerant and discourteous” protests which “rendered Dr Joyce inaudible at times”.

The University of Cambridge and the college did not respond to requests for comment.