As a student body, we object to the University’s decision to platform transphobic speakers, Helen Joyce, Julie Bindel and Gary Francione at the Sheldonian Theatre (University of Oxford) on April 2nd, 2025. By hosting anti-trans hate campaigners, the University is not only enabling the dissemination of malicious disinformation and conspiracy theories against transgender people, but contravening its own policy to prevent transphobic discrimination, intimidation, and harassment on campus. The University’s decision to re-welcome Helen Joyce is particularly shameful, given that Joyce publicly harassed an Oxford student online, following her appearance at Balliol College last February.

Helen Joyce’s views and professional activities are inherently and grievously harmful to the transgender community. She denies the existence of transgender people, asserting that trans identity is the product of indoctrination by ‘gender ideology’, which she compares to a ‘godless neo-religion.’ Joyce refuses to recognise transgender identity and regularly refers to trans men as ‘trans-identifying females’ and trans women as ‘men’. Joyce opposes the legal and social recognition of transgender people, and any legislation, which outlaws discrimination on the basis of gender reassignment. Joyce promotes conspiracy theories that cast transgender people as sexual predators, who seek to 'indoctrinate', 'mutilate' and 'sterilize' children. In February 2025, Joyce reiterated her belief that transgender people ‘’are not worthy of respect in a democratic society.’’

Despite Joyce’s claim that she treats trans people ‘with dignity and respect’, her actions say otherwise. Following a Q&A at Balliol College, Joyce launched an online harassment campaign against a transgender student who asked her a question at the event. In tweets and articles, Joyce not only maliciously misgenders this student, but makes derogatory comments about their appearance, calling them ‘repulsive’, ‘tragicomic’, with ‘the look of an Alphabet person’, and ‘ridiculous.’ Joyce’s harassment further incited misogynist and sexual comments against this student online.

The University’s continued willingness to work with such a speaker is appalling. It makes a mockery of its safeguarding policies and demonstrates a blatant disregard for the safety and wellbeing of transgender students and staff. Helen Joyce is an extremist. She has proved herself incapable of respecting transgender individuals and unwilling to abide by University standards of conduct.

Much like Joyce, Julie Bindel frequently tweets and writes pejorative articles about transgender people, labelling them ‘psychologically unstable’, ‘insane’, ‘mad’ and ‘disordered’. On her podcast, Bindel regularly mocks transgender people and has called vigils in remembrance of transgender murder victims ‘hilarious’. Gary Francione likewise employs dehumanising and degrading language against transgender people, calling them ‘perverted’ and ‘dangerous.’

The presence of anti-transgender hate campaigners at the University of Oxford is inexcusable. The University’s decision to host Joyce, Bindel and Francione not only frames overt discrimination and harassment as permissible, but creates a toxic atmosphere of paranoia for transgender, intersex, and gender-nonconforming students and staff.

The decision to host an event is not apolitical and ‘freedom of speech’ is not a catch-all defence for conspiracy theories, hate, and harassment. As University policy states: ‘not all theories deserve equal respect.’ These speakers treat transgender people as if they are a ‘theory’, we are not. Transgender people study and work as members of the University everyday. We deserve to exist peaceably without seeing that very existence demonised and erased.

We demand that the University & Vice Chancellor:

• Cancel the upcoming talk.
• Commit to not hosting any more transphobic speakers and events at the University.
• Commit to providing a safe environment for transgender and genderqueer staff and students.

• Commit to adequately enforcing their stated anti-transphobic 'abuse, harassment and bullying' policy.