Massey confirms it is an enemy of free speech

Massey University announced:

Massey University has advised Speak Up For Women to find an alternative venue for its Feminism 2020 event. The University has received external advice on its health, safety and wellbeing obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, and its duty of care to the University community, and has made the decision on these grounds.
The legal advice we have received is that cancellation of the event, as concluded by the report, is the only way to eliminate the risk to health and safety and to ensure that the University would not be in breach of its health and safety obligations.

What weasel words. First of all there is no obligation to eliminate risk, only manage it.

But more importantly this is again using health and safety as a pretext to stop people receiving views they want to hear, just because others disagree with it.

Massey University is committed to the values of academic freedom, the freedom of speech, and the freedom of expression, as values that lie at the very heart of the tradition of a university and academic inquiry.

No you’re not. You talk the talk but time and time again don’t walk the walk.

It is ludicrous to say that you are no longer allowed to even discuss trans-gender issues. Ironically the more ones tries to suppress speech, the stronger people will fight against it.

Personally I am supportive of people being able to change their gender identity both socially and legally. The mental health issues with being trans-gender are significant, and legislative and social changes which allow them to live a happier life are a good thing in my view.

But that doesn’t mean one should close down debate on where the boundaries are. There are legitimate policy issues around stuff such as:

• Should a change of legal gender (identity) be on demand, or have some sort of test
• Should biological sex trump gender identity in certain circumstances
• If a trans woman still has male sex organs and has been sentenced for sexual crimes, are these circumstances where they might not go into a women’s prison?
• Should trans women be able to compete in professional sports as women without restriction

Now Massey University has said they will ban a speaker who has a view on any of the above, which is different to their view. That is deeply chilling.