Whatever your view on sex and gender, freedom of speech is key
German artist Jess de Wahls received an apology from the Royal Academy weeks after it accused her of ‘transphobia’ and stopped stocking her work. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images
German artist Jess de Wahls received an apology from the Royal Academy weeks after it accused her of ‘transphobia’ and stopped stocking her work. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images
Sun 27 Jun 2021 01.30 EDT
Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of democracy, which cannot flourish unless citizens can articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship or sanction. So it should concern anyone who claims to be a democrat that there is growing evidence that women who have expressed a set of feminist beliefs that have come to be known as “gender-critical” have, in some cases, faced significant professional penalties as a result.