Cambridge donors threaten to pull funding over free-speech row
A CAMBRIDGE college master who came under fire for calling a gendercritical speaker “hateful” has written to alumni after donors said they were considering pulling their funding.
Prof Pippa Rogerson, head of Gonville and Caius College, wrote to graduates last week saying free speech is “fundamental”.
A dispute arose after Helen Joyce, an author and former Economist journalist, was invited to the college by Prof Arif Ahmed, a fellow, for a debate on gender ideology. Prof Rogerson joined Dr Andrew Spencer, the college’s senior tutor, in emailing students vowing to boycott the talk because Ms Joyce’s views were “offensive, insulting and hateful to members of our community who live and work here”.
Ms Joyce believes biological sex is binary and immutable, but is being overriden by self-identified genders espoused by trans activists.
The intervention by the college chiefs led to college donors telling The Sunday Telegraph that they were “embarrassed, appalled and absolutely disgusted” and would not donate any more without a retraction and apology.
But in her letter, Prof Rogerson refused to apologise, instead telling alumni: “We expressed our personal opinions – as is our right.”
Acknowledging there were “difficult and complex discussions” around trans matters, she insisted: “I have read a great deal around this area, including Helen Joyce’s book and related media. Having given the matter a lot of thought I disagree with her views, the way she presents them and the way in which she responds to those who disagree with her.”
She said a cancellation of the event was not considered and “free speech is fundamental”, but added pointedly: “I hope it is possible for reasonable people to disagree and freedom of expression is available to everyone, including me.”
Some Cambridge alumni regarded the response as defiant and it is understood that more have since written in to complain. Others are threatening to pull bequests or urge their own children not to attend the university.
William Mackesy, of the Alumni For Free Speech group, a new cross-campus network, said: “Her email ducked the free speech problems, other than claiming her own free speech rights.”
Ms Joyce said Prof Rogerson’s response was “incredible” as “they’re the ones who tried to shut me down”.
Around 100 protesters, some masked, gathered outside the talk last month chanting “trans rights are human rights” and banged drums. Witnesses claimed a fire door was hit and microphones had to be turned to full volume because Ms Joyce was inaudible.
Prof Ahmed, who invited Ms Joyce, claimed he had to smuggle some students into the lecture hall because they were “afraid of ostracism by their student peers”.
He said fear to speak freely “stalks the halls of academia”, with another row brewing over an invite to Prof Kathleen Stock – a philosophy expert bullied out of Sussex University last year – to the Cambridge Union later this month.