A university's transgender policy has sparked a backlash after saying that transgender people must be “positively represented” in discussions.

Academics have said that the inclusion of such clauses “stifle debate”, as they warn against the “Orwellian” rules.

Institutions have rushed to introduce specific “transgender policies” in recent years, often in addition to their existing equality and diversity policies.

But there is concern among some professors that some of parts of these policies impede on free speech and create a “chilling effect” on campus.

Sussex university includes a clause in its policy which say that “any materials within relevant courses and modules will positively represent trans people and trans lives”.

Kathleen Stock, a philosophy professor at Sussex and director of teaching at the university’s History, Art History and Philosophy department, said that this kind of clause is “repressive”.

“Universities should have policies that protect employees and students from discrimination,” Prof Stock said.

“But policies which say you must always ‘positively represent’ a group of people clearly overstep the boundary. These are not fit for purpose in allowing academics to explore issues responsibly.”

She said that academics need to be able to discuss societal questions about how to balance rights of trans people and others like vulnerable women in prisons, hostels and rape crisis centres.