On Wednesday 26 April, the University of Edinburgh will host a second attempt at screening the controversial film ‘Adult Human Female’.
A number of both students and staff at the University of Edinburgh have called the film transphobic.
The creators of the film claim it is “the first UK documentary feature to look at the clash between women’s rights and trans ideology.”
In December, a screening of the film was scheduled to take place on campus, but was later cancelled due to protests that stopped attendees from entering the venue.
Prior to the screening, both the Pride Society and Edinburgh University Student’s Association (EUSA) had condemned the decision to show the film, accusing it of spreading misinformation.
In a statement, EUSA said it believed the event would “contribute to an unsafe and unwelcoming environment on campus for our trans members.”
Edinburgh’s branch of the University and College Union (UCU) also condemned the film’s screening.
They called on the film to be banned “on the grounds of a UCU motion stipulating that transphobic, biphobic or homophobic content should not be allowed on campus”.
In response to the event’s cancellation, the university was met with accusations that it was “stifling academic freedom”.
Responding to the accusations, the University of Edinburgh stated that they “stand by the decision to allow the screening to take place”.
The university also reaffirmed their commitment to academic freedom, stating that it is their “duty to make sure staff and students feel able to discuss controversial topics”.
They also sought to clarify in their statement that the event was cancelled “when it became clear that safety could no longer be guaranteed for all present”.
Earlier this month, University of Edinburgh Vice-Chancellor and Principal Sir Peter Mathieson said that “the decision to allow it [the film] to go ahead is the correct one” and further said, “it’s not the case that we are not listening; it’s a case that we disagree”.
In a statement by Edi Youth In Resistance and Staff Student Solidarity Network Edinburgh, they said: “Shutting down this event is not an attack on academic freedom, it is an assertion of our right to feel safe on campus”.
The screening next Wednesday will be limited to an audience of 100 people and will take place in the Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre at 6pm.
A counterprotest is set to take place outside the theatre from 5pm on Wednesday with the support of several prominent student groups.
A Q&A with the film’s directors Dr Deirdre O’Neill and Professor Mike Wayne is set to take place after it concludes.
The directors will also be joined by three of the contributors to the film including Dr Shereen Benjamin, founder of Edinburgh Academics for Academic Freedom.
“George Square Theatre” by the Magnificent Octopus is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.