Statement from UMSU Queer re: Email from Dean of Arts regarding Fight Transphobia UniMelb stickers.

UMSU Queer has long been deeply concerned that the subject PHIL20046: "Feminism” has been allowed to continue running without independent review after a wealth of student complaints about their safety while undertaking the subject and the conduct of the subject coordinator.

If you would like to read more about this, you can find our “Report to Request a Review of the Subject PHIL20046: Feminism” (2021, second edition forthcoming) HERE. After being presented with this report, the Faculty of Arts investigated itself and conveniently found no wrongdoing.

Posters and stickers have appeared around campus which rightly call out the conduct of the subject coordinator, who spoke at the “Let Women Speak” rally on 18th March, hosted by well-known fascist collaborator, Kellie-Jay Keen (AKA Posie Parker), and proudly attended by Nazis. Academic freedom requires a standard of ethics and academic integrity. Making friends with fascists clearly does not meet this standard.

The Queer Political Action Collective is not responsible for creating or distributing any posters or stickers, but we strongly support these efforts to keep the university accountable for its failure to protect students from fascists, and we echo the call to boycott PHIL20046: “Feminism”.

We were disgusted to receive a Faculty-wide email from the Dean of Arts, Russell Goulbourne, condemning and threatening the students responsible for distributing the material. It is blatantly hypocritical that similar TERF materials have not been met with the same hostility. Posters and stickers are frequently distributed around campus, and the targeted suppression of these anti-transphobia materials speaks volumes about the university’s priorities. Plastering the campus in transgender flags means nothing when our right to safe and free expression is not respected. Visibility without action is just a trap.

We once again call on the university to commission an independent review of the PHIL20046: "Feminism", and call on students to join us in a boycott.

SIGNED,

UMSU QUEER DEPARTMENT AND THE QUEER POLITICAL ACTION COLLECTIVE

Endorsed by UMSU President, Hiba Adam.

Link to UMSU Queer’s statement post.