I am in my final year as an undergraduate student in philosophy at the University of Leeds. I am a gender-critical feminist—that is, I believe that women are adult human females, and that this is the basis of their oppression. I do not believe in the concept of “gender” at all. In the words of Germain Greer, femininity is the “fake version of femaleness.” Accordingly, I view transgenderism as one of the biggest threats to women’s sex-based rights in the Western world.
I joined Leeds Student Radio in February 2024. I was a presenter on Politics Hour, for one episode of which we interviewed Susan Smith, a director of For Women Scotland—a grassroots campaign that strives to protect women’s sex-based rights. I found myself agreeing with her entirely, and decided I wanted to write my dissertation on why the concept of gender identity was a threat to sex-based rights. I also became obsessed with radio, spending more time in the studio and prepping for shows than I did on my university work. I was elected as daytime editor for the following year, where I would oversee Politics Hour, Women’s Hour, and LGBTQ Hour.
Simultaneously, I was preparing for my undergraduate thesis. After discovering the works of Kathleen Stock and Helen Joyce over the summer break, I became even more invested in the issue. I was also aghast at Tickle v. Giggle, an improbably named case in Australia in which a trans-identified male, Tickle, sued a women-only app called “Giggle for Girls.” The court found that Tickle had been discriminated against on the basis of his “female” gender identity, declaring that it was possible to change sex. I could not believe that a Westernized, liberal, secular country could so blatantly remove the sex-based rights of women. I decided I would not stay quiet anymore, and I took to posting on X (formerly known as Twitter) and starting my own podcast, separate from Leeds Student Radio.
I interviewed Charlie Bentley-Astor, a writer and detransitioner, to talk about her experience with gender ideology. The episode received a lot of criticism from students. It was denounced as far-right, transphobic, and contributing to hate crime. Some said the existence of the podcast was unjustifiable.
In October, Leeds Student Radio had press passes for the Battle of Ideas, a freedom-of-speech festival, as a result of my existing connections with the organizers. We promoted the event, and as a team, we secured multiple interviews with various commentators. I did an interview with Graham Linehan, the TV writer, which was released on Oct. 28. I also wrote an article for Linehan’s substack, which was published the following day. There I described the climate on campus at the University of Leeds, the way gender ideology is pushed, and how students are given no choice but to comply. I explained the backlash I had received to the episode with Charlie, and how I had not been given the choice as to whether my pronouns were displayed next to my name on the Leeds Student Radio committee display wall.
On Oct. 30, I was informed by the Student Union that I had been suspended from Leeds Student Radio for allegedly breaking the code of conduct, and that I was under investigation. I was told I was being investigated for allegedly “not acting in a duty of care,” putting the “health and safety” of members at risk, not “upholding the values” of Leeds Student Radio and the Student Union, and “bringing the reputation of the University, the [Student Union] or [Leeds Student Radio] into disrepute.”
The terms of the suspension and investigation were said to be confidential, but I later found out that the whole LSR committee had been told the same day at a meeting, my absence from which was addressed as “the elephant in the room.” My name and face were removed from the committee display wall in the studio, as though I had already been found guilty. It was clear that the confidentiality of the case was not being upheld.
I was invited to an interview with the union as part of the investigation. I was told that the investigation had nothing to do with my right to hold gender-critical views, but I was also asked: “How do you maintain an inclusive environment within LSR … given that your choice to publicly publish your media might make some feel unincluded [sic]?” This was confusing to me, since I had purposely made sure that all my online activity was in no way connected to LSR. I had purposely included trans rights activists on both Women’s House and LGBTQ Hour, because I believe in freedom of speech, and I believe that a student radio station should reflect the student voice. I was presented with hard copies of my X account, which included posts that were not made by me, and was informed that I could be held accountable for encouraging a “certain culture” as a result of my own posts.
The outcome of the investigation took a month to arrive. When it did, I learned that the allegations of misconduct had been dropped, but I had been found guilty of bringing the radio station “into disrepute.” There was no specification as to what it was that I had said or done that has resulted in this finding. I had previously asked for specifics, and the student authorities had refused to tell me.
Even more astonishingly, I have been told that if I want to run again for committee, I must provide a written apology and undergo mandatory training. But if I were to apologize, I wouldn’t know what I was apologizing for, because I still haven’t been told what I did that brought the station into disrepute.
Leeds Student Union claims to uphold freedom of speech and expression. Yet these freedoms seem to be curtailed by “the need to secure freedom from harm for students and communities” that includes making sure that all members feel included. So, despite the union telling me that my right to hold gender-critical views isn’t in question, it seems that my views are incompatible with the union’s inclusivity policies. My experience is not an isolated incident, and is representative of the state of freedom of speech on university campuses across Britain.