Deplatforming is about political vetting
In a letter in The Guardian, one of our trustees, Professor Jo Phoenix, has written about the perils of deplatforming in universities.
Ethical teaching and research practice, Jo argues in the letter, is about engaging with a range of perspectives, and exposing students to the full knowledge base. Deplatforming, on the other hand, where certain positions and perspectives are ruled out in advance, is contrary to academic ethics, she writes.
Jo was herself the target of deplatforming activity when a lecture she was due to give at the University of Essex on trans rights in contemporary criminological research was cancelled. She I was subsequently blacklisted by the department of sociology. An independent review commissioned by the University found that the deplatforming and blacklisting were unlawful.
On September 9, we will be hosting a webinar discussion with Jo and Professor Rosa Freedman, herself a target of deplatforming, what it means to have difficult conversations and undertake challenging research.
The webinar is free to attend, but we're encouraging small donations to help us run the event from those who can afford to give.