Germaine Greer gives Cardiff University oration despite campaign to prevent lecture
Friday, November 20, 2015
Feminist author and academic Germaine Greer gave a lecture at Cardiff University on Wednesday despite a petition with over 3,000 signatures calling for its cancellation.
I feel like the words Germaine Greer has spouted in recent years has no place in our movement | ||
—Emily Cotterill, LGBTQ rights activist |
Australian Greer gave the Hayden Ellis Lecture entitled "Women and Power: The Lessons of the 20th Century" under security with uniformed police officers and university security guards. The lecture covered equal pay for women, and Emmeline Pankhurst and the Suffragettes.
Ms Greer had been criticised by LGBTQ rights activists for comments made about transgender reality television star Caitlyn Jenner, and her belief that 'post-operative' trans women aren't 'real women'. The women's officer of the Cardiff University Student Union called for cancelling the lecture in a Change.org petition which has received over 3,000 signatures. "I'm 76," Greer said in a BBC Newsnight interview, "I don't want to go down there and be screamed at and have things thrown at me." However, ultimately she did give the lecture.
The Independent reported a group of around two dozen protestors outside the lecture. LGBTQ rights activist Emily Cotterill, who was at the protest, said she believed transphobia had no place in modern feminism. "I feel like the words Germaine Greer has spouted in recent years has no place in our movement", Ms Cotterill said.
Related news
- "Cardiff student union calls for cancellation of lecture by Germaine Greer" — Wikinews, October 25, 2015
Sources
- Ian Johnston. "Germaine Greer: Author gives Cardiff University speech despite protests against her comments on transgender people" — The Independent, November 18, 2015
- Harry Yorke. "Germaine Greer's Cardiff University lecture goes ahead despite petition to have event cancelled" — Western Mail (Wales), November 18, 2015
- Steven Morris. "Germaine Greer gives university lecture despite campaign to silence her" — The Guardian, November 18, 2015
- Khalan Rosenblatt. "Protests planned as Germaine Greer's controversial lecture is set to go ahead in Cardiff" — Western Mail (Wales), November 18, 2015
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