Students have tried to stop Bindel, Greer and Yiannopoulos from speaking (Picture: REX / Getty / Twitter/bindeji)

In an ideal world there would be no transphobia, no religious intolerance and no hateful speech from fascists who have to blame others for the lack of meaning in their small-minded world.

No, in an ideal world it would be all peaches and cream, baby.

But that’s not the world we live in and censoring people from airing their bullsh*t opinions isn’t going to make it so.

As The Economist highlights, in the promotion of tolerance at universities across the country, student unions have become increasingly intolerant of people with views different from their own.


Spiked found in their Free Speech University Rankings report that 37 per cent of universities have a ‘No Platform’ policy. Here’s an example from Birmingham City:

Birmingham City Students’ Union is an environment that promotes multiculturalism and equality… [R]acists and fascists should not be provided with the opportunity to speak to an audience at any union event. Nor shall any union officer share a platform with any known racist or fascist at any event where they are invited to speak. Birmingham City Students’ Union promotes itself as a safe space and is active in campaigning against all forms of discrimination.

Now, I’m not saying let’s welcome fascists and racists with open arms and give them a stage to air their repulsive opinions with no debate.



But isn’t there more than a touch of irony about inhibiting the free speech of fascists?

In a democracy everyone should have the right to speak, even when we disagree.

Percentage of universities censoring speech according to Spiked Actively censored 41% Excessive regulation 39% No censorship 20% Share

University of Manchester Students’ Union recently banned the activists and journalists Julie Bindel and Milo Yiannopoulos from debating at the event entitled: ‘From liberation to censorship: Does modern feminism have a problem with free speech?’

Again, the irony.

They were banned from speaking at the event due to Bindel’s history of transphobic comments and Yiannopoulos offensive comments about survivors of rape.

There is no such thing as rape culture in the west. Get a hold of yourself. https://t.co/SmmSkk5FXA — Milo Yiannopoulos (@Nero) October 4, 2015

I wholeheartedly disagree with both Bindel’s and Yiannopoulos views on those subjects, but I find it incredibly patronising to presume that students won’t be able to handle the discussion.

Not only is it patronising, but it also denies people the right to refute comments made by those speakers. Taking away the platform of these speakers also takes away the right of trans people and rape survivors to challenge them.

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Surely, it would be better to warn students of the potentially offensive discussion before the event and allow them to make the decision whether to attend or not?

Students at Cardiff University also tried to ban Germaine Greer from delivering a lecture due to transphobic comments she has made.

Students challenged Greer’s right to speak at an event (Picture: Tracey Paddison/REX Shutterstock)

The petition read: ‘Allowing Greer a platform endorses her views, and by extension, the transmisogyny which she continues to perpetuate.’

I am in no way defending Greer, I find her views on trans people wrong and extremely offensive, but allowing her to speak doesn’t endorse her views, it allows for a forum of discussion.

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Stopping speakers from talking means the conversation is shut down before it has a chance to start.

Offensive views are left hanging in the air, unchallenged except over a social media furore of 140 characters each, where nothing meaningful can be established.

Instead, why not have a panel with a trans person confronting Greer with their stance? Let’s try to debate, inform and grow rather than inhibit any talk at all.

The university has decided to allow Greer to speak and the vice chancellor, Colin Riordan, said: ‘Our events include speakers with a range of views, all of which are rigorously challenged and debated.’



Which is exactly what should happen everywhere a person wants to spout offensive views.

Allow them to air their bullsh*t ideas, just make sure there’s someone there to challenge them.

Freedom of speech is everyone’s right, no matter how much we dislike the other’s views.

University unions have a duty to make sure each panel is well-balanced and all students are warned about any potentially offensive material.

But they also have a duty to credit people with the ability to make their own informed opinions, because university students are adults who should be challenging the world around them, not being coddled by a union too scared to let them grow.

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