Oxford Chancellor William Hague supports gender identity lectures cancelled by protests

Lord William Hague, Chancellor of the University of Oxford, has said lectures by Dr Michael Foran on gender identity should continue despite protests forcing their cancellation.

Dr Foran, a tutorial fellow in Law at Keble College, Oxford, was due to deliver a series of talks on his new book.

Freedom of speech is a fundamental academic freedom and it must be upheld

William Hague, Chancellor of the University of Oxford

Citing the recent Freedom of Speech Act in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter), Hague said: “The atmosphere around [protests and debates] has improved over the last two or three years”, adding that “freedom of speech is a fundamental academic freedom and it must be upheld.”

Dr Foran’s book, titled Sex, Gender Identity and the Law, has proved divisive. His work was cited in a Supreme Court ruling last year that defined the term “woman” under the Equality Act based on biological sex.

Dr Foran has also previously been based at the University of Glasgow, where he supported efforts to block the Scottish National Party’s (SNP) proposed gender self-identification system.

Protestors said that Dr Foran “denies trans people their identities”, calling him a “transphobe” and a “bigot”. They added: “If you are here in a critical capacity to challenge his ideas, thank you.”

Hague has echoed this sentiment in his video, arguing that academic freedom depends on space for debate and criticism. Dr Foran has said he wished protestors had chosen “genuine intellectual engagement” over disruption.

A Warwick student told The Boar that Dr Foran and Hague’s comments “ignore the reasons behind why a student may feel inclined to protest such an event,” adding that “[Dr Foran] weaponises this idea of academic neutrality to discredit protestors; this is wrong.” They said: “counter speech isn’t anti-intellectualism…when the speaker ignores important features like lived experience…he is effectively setting the premise that [it] is okay to debate people’s right to exist safely in a public space”.

Dr Foran’s first two talks have been interrupted at the start but have since proceeded without further disruption. Discussions are continuing between Dr Foran and the University of Oxford to explore how remaining events can take place.