Wellington 15 November 2019
The feminists they don't want you to hear, uncensored
Meghan Murphy
Canadian Journalist and feminist
Dr Holly Lawford-Smith
Sr. Lecturer, Philosophy, University Of Melbourne
Dr Melissa Derby
Ngāti Ranginui, AUT
Ani O'Brien
Spokesperson, Speak Up For Women
Meghan Murphy, the founder and editor of Feminist Current, Canada’s leading feminist website, was permanently banned from Twitter for refusing to call men women. She is one of the most in-demand speakers and commentators on the issue of gender identity ideology and legislation, and has recently addressed the Scottish Parliament.
Dr Lawford-Smith, a New Zealander and Senior Lecturer in Political Philosophy at the University of Melbourne, has written extensively on women’s rights and the issues surrounding gender identity. She has faced attempts to deplatform her, attacks on her employment, and even denigration from the New Zealand Green Party; a recent email to Green Party members in the wake of the furore over Jill Abigail’s article in Te Awa gave as suggested reading a blog post aimed at discrediting her work. Dr Lawford-Smith will speak about the conflation of gender with sex in law, and how ‘cancel culture’ is operating within universities.
Dr Derby (Ngāti Ranginui), an education academic and Fulbright Scholar from Auckland University of Technology, will discuss aspects of Māori identity, identity politics and the shutting down of debate in various parts of New Zealand society.
Ani O’Brien, Speak Up For Women spokesperson, says: “We are thrilled to be able to host such an amazing calibre of feminists. Their contribution to the vital conversations we are demanding to have around gender identity are immense and we wanted to ensure Kiwi women have a chance to hear them speak. This event will be an opportunity for women who have been scared into silence to hear from feminists on the front lines. No censorship – we are unafraid to talk about the issues that affect women.