A UNIVERSITY lecturer suing her own union for branding her transphobic over a gender critical film has told an employment tribunal it is “important to hear both sides of the argument”.
Dr Deirdre O’Neill, a lecturer at Hertfordshire University, and Michael Wayne, a professor at Brunel University, were criticised by the University and College Union (UCU) over their controversial film Adult Human Female, which questions whether transgender women are “really harmless” and has been branded as “dangerous” by critics.
The UCU condemned the film as an attack on trans identity.
Protesters, including some in “balaclavas”, twice blocked screenings at the University of Edinburgh and “hurled insults at those trying to attend”, documents presented to the tribunal said.
But the academics say the UCU’s public opposition to them amounted to unlawful discrimination on grounds of their gender-critical belief that there are only two sexes.
Giving evidence on Tuesday, Dr O’Neill told the tribunal there is “no hate in the film”.
In November 2022, the pair released Adult Human Female, which examines claims made by trans rights activists that “trans women are women and should be treated as women in all legal and social contexts”, the tribunal, which is being held remotely, heard.
When UCU’s Edinburgh branch became aware of a planned screening at the university in December 2022, a letter was sent to principal Peter Mathieson, demanding that the screening be halted, the tribunal heard.
The union also launched a series of social media posts denouncing the screening, describing it as transphobic hate, and encouraging protests, the tribunal was told.
On the day of the screening, protesters, including students, blocked the entrance to the venue as well as a back-up venue.
Between 100 and 150 people who had arrived to watch the film were stopped from doing so, the tribunal heard.
UCU Edinburgh branch president Grant Buttars later published an article describing the “victory” of having blocked the screening, the tribunal was told.
When the screening was rearranged for April 2023, it was again blocked by protesters, who shouted insults at those trying to attend, the tribunal heard.
The screening was eventually able to go ahead in November 2023, but Dr O’Neill said the university had to bring in extra security for the event.
Defending the film, Dr O’Neill told the tribunal it was “very important to hear both sides of the argument”.
A lawyer representing the UCU questioned the academic on some of the opinions shared by contributors in the film.
Dr O’Neill continued: “The bar is so low now that any attempt to discuss (this area) and you get accused of being a transphobe.”
The academic told the tribunal she wanted to start a discussion about the topic.
“We wanted people to be able to come along and say ‘actually, you’re not quite right there’,” she added.
“There’s no hate in the film.
“Trans rights in some areas clash with female rights, we wanted to work out how we address that.”
The tribunal continues.
