Jenni Murray has withdrawn from her scheduled event with the University’s History Society, following condemnation of her invite from three student liberation groups.
On the Facebook event, Oxford University History Society posted: “We are sad to announce that Jenni Murray is now unable to make it to this event, and has cancelled for personal reasons. Thanks to everyone who expressed interest!”
It is unclear whether the pressure from Oxford SU liberation groups is related to Murray’s cancellation.
Earlier this week, Oxford SU LGBTQ+ Campaign, Oxford University LGBTQ Society, and Oxford SU Women’s Campaign collectively wrote a statement condemning the society’s decision to invite her this Saturday at Oriel College on the topic of “Powerful British Women in History and Society”.
In the statement, they accused her of making “explicitly transphobic comments” in a 2017 Sunday Times article, where she “repeatedly insinuated that transgender women and girls are not women and can only pretend to be women.”
In the article, she wrote that “it takes more than a sex change and makeup” to become a woman, and she told trans women to not call themselves “real women”.
The statement said: “Her views, which clearly reflect a lack of engagement with the vast majority of actual trans people, and are in sum deeply harmful to trans women and trans feminine people, contributing to and exacerbating the harassment, marginalisation, discrimination, and violence that they already face.”
At the time, a spokesperson for the University told Cherwell: “Oxford is committed to supporting the University’s transgender students and staff and to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment that promotes equality and diversity.
“We are also committed to freedom of expression, and this event is entirely suitable for a student society.”
