We are pleased to announce that our re-scheduled screening and discussion will take place on Wednesday April 26th at 6pm. Bookings can be made on our Ticket Tailor site.

Since our last update, University of Edinburgh managers have slightly relaxed the conditions required of us. We can open our bookings to people from outside the University, and we are no longer restricted to inviting only University of Edinburgh students and staff. The cap on our audience numbers has been raised from 100 to 150: we regret that even this higher cap will still mean disappointing many of our original attendees from December, and we sincerely apologise for the disappointment caused.

More positively, we are delighted to announce that we will be joined by the film-makers Dr Deirdre O’Neill and Professor Mike Wayne, who will participate as additional panellists in the discussion after the film. We are very pleased that they are travelling to Edinburgh to be with us.

We are aware that several screenings and discussions of Adult Human Female have taken place in secret, with organisers deciding not to release any booking details in order to avoid targeting and the very real prospect of sabotage. We completely understand why organisers would decide to go ahead in private, and we were glad to hear that these events were enjoyable and productive for their attendees. However, we remain of the view that the film deserves to be seen and discussed by people who are broadly critical of its contents, and by those who are seeking more information, as well as by those who are broadly in agreement. Issues of sex, gender and gender identity need to be carefully, respectfully and openly discussed, and we hope our event will provide an opportunity for that to happen. It should not be the case that women’s rights can only be discussed in secret.

Universities are places where civilised rules of engagement are well-established: normal scholarly conventions include making genuine attempts to understand an opponent’s view, the use of reason and analysis, and expressing disagreement through evidence-based rebuttal of ideas and arguments. This is how we pursue truth and understanding. There should be no place for ad hominem insults and attacks, nor for dismissing out of hand ideas and views that may be uncomfortable. That should make universities an ideal venue for the discussion of difficult social issues and current flashpoints. Members of EAFAF strongly support the notion of the university as a safe space for discussion, not a safe space from discussion. We therefore look forward to welcoming to our event people with diverse views on sex and gender – and people who have yet to work out where they stand.

EAFAF Update: Screening and Discussion of Adult Human Female 26th April 2023 / University of Edinburgh Academics for Academic Freedom by blogadmin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0