In Support of Academic Freedom of Expression and Critical Thought

Comments

#804

Women have the right to stand up for themselves!

Lexie P. (Louisville, 2021-03-03)

#805

- LGBTQWERTY doesn't seem to care about its L anymore
- If collecting information about a potentially harmful ideology is met with censorship, it suggests a very cultish movement

Charlotte Recktenwald (Düsseldorf, 2021-03-03)

#806

Women are human.

José Carlos (Recife, 2021-03-03)

#807

Because Universities are seats of learning that should be open to debate on all theories and ideologies. Gender Ideology is no exception. To gang-up on one female academic is beyond bullying . What does the University achieve by allowing such bigotry towards academic who disagree with a particular view of the world? What does that say to young student minds? That’s it’s ok to bully people with a different opinion, that’s it’s ok for a gang of academics to condemn a colleague , write unsubstantiated accusations, denounce the person , disrespect alternative academic views from professional to professional, assert the person should lose their position at the university.
To outsiders this kind of public display of egregious pile-on is bigotry and intolerance on fire.

Laila Namdarkhan (Abbots Langley, 2021-03-03)

#808

Freedom of speech is a fundamental right. Women’s experiences from the political erasure of the meaning of sex must be heard.

Fern Hickson (Nelson, 2021-03-03)

#814

Free speech is important. The radical gender identity activists have no right to attempt to intimidate staff or influence academic pursuit. Women want to be heard, our experiences matter. It is a case of fairness and freedom.

Maya Cook (London, 2021-03-04)

#817

I'm signing because I am a gay male and I see an utter importance to support this petition.

Nikolas Griès (Andenne, 2021-03-04)

#820

@bjportraits is a twitter site that gives full details of all in the rich white male cabal who fund and control genderists. There has never been a grass roots trans movement, rather the takeover has been completely achieved by institutional capture. Dr Holly Lawford-Smith has a right to speak up for women in general and lesbians in particular. It is ridiculous that trans genderists can deny the sexual orientation of Homosexuality, and demand that lesbians must have sex with male bodied trans(Cotton ceiling). This is happening now because gender is being used to supersede sex. Without sex you can’t have same sex attraction.

Margaret Marshall (Sydney, 2021-03-04)

#822

Freie Meinungsäußerung, die nicht persönlich beleidigt ist ein Grundpfeiler unserer Demokratie.

Doris LEYMANN (Berlin, 2021-03-04)

#823

I’m signing because women’s sex based rights are under attack and being eroded before our eyes. What’s happening to Holly is a perfect illustration of what happens to women who are gender critical and who dare speak up - they are silenced, threatened, lose employment, are doxxed, sometimes physically assaulted, banned from Twitter, cancelled by bookstores... all to support the ideology being pushed by a men’s sexual rights movements and trans activists who demand males should have access to women’s spaces simply through a self-declaration that they “identify” as a woman.

Nerissa Pace Nerissa (Nambour, 2021-03-04)

#824

Women matter, stop trying to silence us.

Bethan Price (Christchurch , 2021-03-04)

#826

i support free speech!

Jade Groot (Berlin, 2021-03-04)

#828

I am an Elderly veteran who, for 24 years fought for our Aussie freedoms. That’s why I support this.

John McKone (Murrumba Downs , 2021-03-04)

#829

Women's rights are important we must not be silenced

Beth Walpole (llanybydder, 2021-03-04)

#830

I’m signing because academic women should not be silenced by twitter bullies, and lesbians should not be hounded by these kind of right-wing extremists.

Charlie Raftos (Brisbane, 2021-03-04)

#838

I am an academic who believes in freedom of expression and in open debate about LGBTIQ issues

Christina James (Brisbane, 2021-03-04)

#843

Freedom of expression and debating a diversity of ideas is a crucial element in any democracy and should be a foundational principle in all centres of higher learning. Stifling or silencing one side of an argument is a Marxist move that takes us one giant step away from democracy and towards totalitarianism. It must STOP!

Justin Oostenbroek (Ashmore, 2021-03-05)

#860

I am University of Melbourne alumni.

lesley Maher (Auckland, 2021-03-05)

#864

Dr Lawford-Smith is doing nothing wrong. We need healthy debate, critical thought and freedom of speech or we we will not live in a democracy, we will live in a dictatorship.

Fran Zuliani-Holland (Hyde, 2021-03-05)

#869

I stand with Dr Lawford-Smith.

‘It’s not hate to defend your rights, It’s not hate to tell the truth’
Magdalen Berns

Paula Hardy Kangelos (MANCHESTER, 2021-03-05)

#872

Of the blatant attack on women by Trans Appropriating Mysogonists. Women have the right to discuss attacks on their rights without threats or violence. The disgraceful level of censorship shown by universities recently is disgusting. It must be addressed.

Emma Pearson (Yeovil, 2021-03-05)

#878

If men are causing problems for women by accessing previously female-only spaces and services then why would anyone want to stop women talking about that?

Suzanne Levy (Wellington, 2021-03-05)

#882

The rabid baying of a minority, is stifling free speech and forcing the demands of the few to overwhelm the rights of the many.

Naomi Coutts (Saltburn-by-the-Sea, 2021-03-05)

#889

I'm signing because this ongoing global attack on women must be resisted.

Caitlin Collins (Minehead, 2021-03-05)

#895

I support the retention of women's self determination as a biological and social reality exempt from transwomen and their lobbyists.

Sharon Hill (Broadford, 2021-03-05)

#898

Because it is the correct thing to do.

Gail Findlay (Carlton, 2021-03-05)

#902

Woman-only spaces are non-negotiable

Dr Leili Golafshani (Brisbane , 2021-03-05)

#908

Critical thought is essential to academic institutions. This is misogyny and should be recognized as such. Hate speech must not be condoned by political correctness. Lesbians are doubly oppressed and males cannot overwhelm groups they choose to belong to.

Karen Kelly (Toronto, 2021-03-05)

#911

I believe in freedom of speech

Norma Walton (Honiton, 2021-03-05)

#912

Freedom of speech is a value I value, an the freedom of the individual to speak out and up, should not be smothered by cancel culture, or be acceptable behaviour by any means.

Mel Walsh (Halifax, 2021-03-05)

#913

I want women and girls, including my daughter, to have the freedom to speak. About the effects of male entitlement, male socialization, male pattern violence, male demands to enter any/all female spaces, and the freedom to question and criticize gender self identity essentialism & queer theory. Women & girls are entitled to sex-protected spaces and gatherings. There is no difference between the silencing, shaming, and censorship of women today, and the historical pattern it's obviously following.

Macy McAleer (Troutman , 2021-03-05)

#914

I support the sex-based rights of women

Ellen Olliffe (London, 2021-03-05)

#918

There was a concerted effort to silence this website which collected personal stories from women impacted by males who took advantage of the vagaries of gender identity.

Anyone who thinks this is a transphobic attack against trans women must therefore believe that trans women are men. They are admitting their transphbia while they suppress free speech.

Meela Davis (Revesby North, 2021-03-05)

#923

I believe that sex based oppression exists, biological sex is real and that women have sex based rights.

Irene Brown (Melbourne, 2021-03-06)

#924

It is important that women are allowed to speak in defence of their sex-based rights on matters that affect them. Democracy is built on free speech. If that is taken away, only tyranny remains.

Connie Hahn (HANOVER, 2021-03-06)

#927

It’s wrong

Stop erasing WOMEN!

Shelley muray (Brantford, 2021-03-06)

#928

I support freedom of speech. It is critical that Dr. Lawford-Smith's human rights for free speech is protected and valued. Stop letting lobbyist dictate public policy.

AyanaI support free Webb (Montclair, 2021-03-06)

#938

I strongly oppose the idea that academic freedom should only apply in situations which are in line with popular opinion, as this is antithetical to the notion of free speech.

Wendy Stephenson (Bristol, 2021-03-06)

#941

I’m signing this because free speech is the cornerstone of any democracy and females have the right to express concern when biological males want to enter our single-sex spaces

Natasha Grover ( Surrey , 2021-03-06)

#942

Academic Freedom is crucial to supporting and maintaining a free and open democratic society where all opinions are welcome. If you aren't allowed to develop critical thinking skills in academia, where? Or is that the point? We must preserve the rights of academics to encourage the exchange of ideas . . .

Kate Tagseth (Victoria Harbout, 2021-03-06)

#948

I am signing in strong support of academic freedom of expression and in the worldwide defense of women's and girl's rights.

Ginina Dugdale (Pocatello , 2021-03-06)

#950

Critical thought is under attack by those who wish to silence others with differing views, as in the case of the recent open letter calling for University of Melbourne to take punitive action against Dr Holly Lawford-Smith, including calls for removal of her as a lecturer due to her creation of a non-university website.
The conflation of sexual orientation and gender identity is actually being used to harm a homosexual woman, given the petition fails to mention this fact, and instead implies that both same-sex attracted students and gender diverse students are somehow under threat from Dr Lawford-Smith, despite absolutely no evidence that would support this claim.
I strongly support the University of Melbourne in their 'stated' stance that: “University of Melbourne academics are encouraged to engage in public debate. The views they express are personal, not those of the university. The university is committed to principles of academic freedom of expression, and to fostering a diverse, respectful and inclusive community.”
Now the university needs to put their money where their mouth and 'stated' stance are - plus remain in line with 4.2 of the University's Academic Freedom of Expression policy.
Unfortunately Academics mindlessly targeting Dr Lawford-Smith, a lesbian academic, is part of a broader trend regarding women - and especially lesbians - who face harassment, abuse, vilification and both professional and personal losses should they defend women's rights to single-sex spaces or question the concept of gender identity.

Clare Smith (Darwin, 2021-03-07)

#953

Academic freedom and indeed freedom of expression in general is vital for a healthy democracy.

Delyth Rennie (Richmond, 2021-03-07)

#961

I’m signing because Gay and Lesbian academics are being marginalised again for standing up for same-sex attraction.

Nicole Neumann (Brisbane, 2021-03-08)

#962

Sex and gender identity are not the same and to conflate them is both intellectually unsound and has real life consequences for women, politics and language.

Emily Richards (London , 2021-03-08)

#963

To stop the bullying

Jo Sadleir (Melbourne, 2021-03-08)

#964

As a citizen with an interest in our universities, I believe in the absolute centrality of free speech. Just because you disagree with somebody does not mean that they have vilified you or deserve to be silenced - such an attitude is antithetical to academic enquiry. Moreover, I believe that single-sex spaces for women are important in many contexts.

William Steele (Stawell, 2021-03-08)

#966

I support academic analysis that goes beyond popular/ist slogans, and I support the work being done specifically on women's rights and experiences.

Megan Blake (Melbourne, 2021-03-08)

#969

Women must have their rights. No ifs or buts. Not the church, not the state, women must decide their fate.

Manuel Barrera (Minneapolis, 2021-03-08)

#976

The right to openly question and debate issues without the fear of death, loss of jobs, personal and professional ramifications for cis women.

Christina Lancaster (Ottawa, 2021-03-11)

#977

Whether you want to call it "censorship" or "cancellation" or something else, there's clearly an effort afoot to make an example of Lawford-Smith as a warning to any others would would draw this orthodoxy into question. This sort of intimidating atmosphere is clearly incompatible with free inquiry.

Spencer Case (Wuhan, 2021-03-12)

#981

In support of Professor Holly Lawford-Smith.

Adaline James (Melbourne, 2021-03-13)

#985

I believe in freedom of speech, there is to much woke in our schools and colleges, and the cancel culture is starting to take over our world. Please let's stop this now before it's too late for our grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Chris Parry (Holyhead, 2021-03-15)

#986

I believe in free speech. I believe in democracy. I support Dr Holly Lawford-Smith.

Garth Richards (MELBOURNE, 2021-03-16)

#989

Biological reality and women’s experiences do not threaten trans rights, and there is a particular need for more research in this area due to the current and evolving situation and how it affects women’s rights and safety.

Louise Day (Brisbane, 2021-03-19)

#990

I am a graduate of the University of Melbourne, a supporter of academic freedom, and of the free collection and exchange of information and views on matters of public interest.

Leslie Christy (Melbourne, 2021-03-19)

#992

I am broadly sympathetic with the gender critical position and abhor the way that gender-critical feminists have been maligned, mistreated and silenced.

Charles Pigden (Dunedin, 2021-03-21)

#994

There IS a conflict of interests which can only be resolved fairly through acknowledging both sides. There must be freedom of expression in order to see both sides.

Corrinne Farner (T or C, 2021-03-21)

#995

Biology is a natural reality verifiable with our senses, words (pronouns) are a human construct. Freedom of speech is essential to the democratic process and to civil society.

Julia Jack (Wakefield , 2021-03-21)



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