3 May 2023
Open Letter to the Master and Senior Tutor of Gonville and Caius College Regarding the Talk on May 5th

Dear Pippa and Andrew,

The undergraduate community of Gonville and Caius College is deeply disappointed that Professor Joe Herbert has invited Simon Fanshawe to speak about ‘free speech’ at the College on Friday 5 May.

Simon Fanshawe has strong associations with the trans-exclusionary LGB Alliance, and was part of the initiative that lead to its original formation. Furthermore, he has made particularly harmful comments in relation to the work of trans activists, suggesting that they have ‘wrecked’ the work of Stonewall. Trans rights are not up for debate, and it is extremely disconcerting that Simon Fanshawe will be given a platform in College to potentially make trans exclusionary statements.

Gonville and Caius College is home to a diverse body of students. Fellows should consider this when making decisions about speaker events. The invitation of Simon Fanshawe shows a complete disregard for the welfare of LGBTQIA+ members of the College – an acronym he describes as ‘ridiculous’. Simon Fanshawe’s views are significantly out of step with the values of the progressive and accepting Caius undergraduate community.

We recognise that topics like ‘free speech’ warrant robust debate. However, we reject the idea that inviting individuals with track records like Simon Fanshawe leads to productive discussion. Why can’t ‘free speech’ be debated without inviting trans-exclusionary individuals?

This is not the first speaker event this academic year that has disappointed undergraduates. Arif Ahmed’s invitation of ‘gender-critical feminist’ Helen Joyce in Michaelmas 2022 was similarly deplorable and tone deaf.

The Caius undergraduate community asks you to cancel Friday’s speaker event and to not give harmful, trans-exclusionary views a platform within the home of over 500 undergraduate students.

Yours sincerely,

Isaac Mellis-Glynn (GCSU President)

Pip Alpin (LGBTQIA+ Officer)

114
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  1. Pip Alpin, Student, Cambridge
  2. Tia-Renee Mullings, Student, Cambridge
  3. William Bajwa
  4. Lara, Student, Cambridge
  5. Ellie Hogg, Student, Cambridge
  6. Alexandra Claessens, student, Gonville and Caius College, LONDON
  7. Isaac Mellis-Glynn, Student, Cambridge
  8. Lauren Guye, Student, Cambridge
  9. Erika Bunjevac, Student, Cambridge
  10. Ezra Izer, Student, Cambridge
  11. Lauren Collins, Student, Cambridge
  12. Renae, Cambridge
  13. Kate Tilley, Student, Cambridge
  14. Liam Macmillan, Student, Cambridge
  15. Ellie Bevis, Student, Cambridge
  16. Elizabeth Bratton, Student, Gonville and Caius, Cambridge
  17. Tallis Inger Flecker, Student, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
  18. Holly Pritchard, Student, University of Cambridge, Cambridge
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  4. Finley Brighton, Student, Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge
  5. James Wiseman, Student, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
  6. Grace Hanley, Student, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
  7. Aoife O'Driscoll, Student, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
  8. Janusha Jeevananthan, Student, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
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