Exeter University lecturers ‘pressured’ into signing ‘anti-transphobia pledges’ – including seeking LGBTQ+ inputs to their teachings and declaring their pronouns – to demonstrate ‘allyship’ with trans students

Lecturers at a top university say they have been ‘pressured’ to sign pledges against transphobia and reveal their pronouns.

The University of Exeter last week asked its staff to sign an ‘inclusive practice statement’ demonstrating their ‘alliance’ transgender students, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

The online document asks that staff make six pledges to prove they are ‘the kind of person who’ LGBTQ+ people can trust and feel safe with it’.

These include a pledge to “affirm” “trans staff and students” and outside experts using chosen names and pronouns.

Staff are also asked to seek contributions from LGBTQ+ people for their teaching subject.

Pictured: Dr. Edward Skidelsky, lecturer in philosophy at the University of Exeter

They are encouraged to “educate” themselves on how “microaggressions, dog whistles and talking points” can be harmful to LGBTQ+ people.

Staff are asked to show ‘allyship’ with the community by sharing their pronouns where appropriate.

And they are also asked to ‘resolutely oppose’ transphobia and ‘acephobia’ – defined as discrimination against asexual people.

Exeter – part of the Russell Group – said the document was prepared by the LGBTQ+ campus “colleague and student group” and is not affiliated with any other plan.

However, Exeter is a member of the controversial Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, which ranks employers on LGBTQ+ friendliness.

The Stonewall plan has been criticized for encouraging highly controversial gender ideology in public organizations and corporations.

Yesterday, academics said Exeter’s promises would leave gender-critical staff vulnerable to being targeted by activists.

Dr. Edward Skidelsky, a philosophy lecturer, told the Sunday Telegraph: ‘These types of regulations are coercive and designed to put pressure on people who are gender critical.

‘When you register, you become visible because a badge appears on your staff profile. So if you don’t sign, it can be easily identified and could mean you are potentially being targeted by student activists.

They are encouraged to “educate” themselves on how “microaggressions, dog whistles and talking points” can be harmful to LGBTQ+ people. (Stock Image)

‘Gender-critical people will also want the freedom to refer to transgender people on the basis of their biological sex in certain cases. If someone is a rapist, saying ‘she’ is ridiculous.”

The Committee on Academic Freedom said the “point of the exercise” is “to smoke out and apply pressure to dissenters — those with whom, by implication, LGBTQ+ people “will not feel safe.”

It says staff will likely feel they have to sign the pledge “because otherwise you would become a bad person in the eyes of your colleagues.”

A spokesperson for the University of Exeter said: ‘This initiative is completely voluntary, powered by our independent staff network and coordinated by the university, so that colleagues can show their support to members of our community.

‘It has no ties to external programs, is not coercive or exclusionary, and colleagues are not asked to sign up but are free to do so if they wish.

“This is similar to other allyship initiatives supported at the university.”