JK Rowling stickers on campus ‘not a transphobic dog whistle’, tribunal told

Stickers saying “I Love JK Rowling” were not a “dog whistle” for transphobia, a university professor has told an employment tribunal.

Academics Deirdre O’Neill and Michael Wayne are suing the University and College Union (UCU) after its Edinburgh branch said their film Adult Human Female was an attack on transgender identity.

The film challenges trans rights claims and sparked protests when they tried to show it at the University of Edinburgh, the tribunal heard.

The academics say that this was unlawful discrimination by the UCU against their belief that there are only two sexes.

On Wednesday, the tribunal heard that the film screening took place amid online reports about the discovery of “transphobic” stickers on the campus, including some saying “I Love JK Rowling”.

Rowling, 59, who wrote the Harry Potter books in the Scottish capital, has outspoken views on gender issues that have seen her called transphobic by activists, which she has denied.

Although it was accepted that Mr Wayne, a professor at Brunel University, may not have been aware of the stickers, he was asked if he believed they could be a “dog whistle”.

He replied: “So you’re saying that the author JK Rowling is what?”

Tom Brown, for the UCU, said: “Professor Wayne, are you saying that you don’t appreciate that JK Rowling is a very well-known proponent of gender critical views?”

Mr Wayne replied: “Yes, but she’s not a transphobe in my opinion, you used the word ‘dog whistle’, the word ‘dog whistle’ is a reference to coded messages underneath something that is apparently innocuous.

“So I can’t accept that this is a dog whistle because that would be implying that I believe JK Rowling is a transphobe.

“She’s gender critical, the two things are not the same and that is the nub of the disagreement between us.”

Mr Wayne said the stickers were “clearly a statement”, but not transphobic.

The tribunal also heard reports about other stickers on campus and Mr Brown asked: “Do you accept that the context to the showing of your film on the campus of Edinburgh University was stickers such as these being spotted on campus?”

The academic responded: “If the respondent says that these stickers were on campus then I’m happy to accept that they were on campus, yes.”

Mr Brown said: “If somebody was a trans member of staff or a trans student that being on the campus with stickers like this could have an impact on how somebody felt?”

Mr Wayne replied: “It could have an impact on how they felt, yes.”

Pressed if this could have had a negative impact, Mr Wayne added: “It’s possible, yes, that doesn’t mean to say the stickers were illegitimate.”

Mr Wayne told the tribunal that the film was recognising concerns that women’s rights were being “marginalised” and was “not an attack on trans identities”.

He said attempts to stop it being screened were an “attack on academic freedom” and that it was not possible to express their beliefs “without being classified as transphobic”.

The academic added: “We shouldn’t be here, we should have had these discussions and the debate on the university campus but it was not us who cancelled that, it was the respondent who cancelled that.”

In November 2022, Ms O’Neill, a lecturer at Hertfordshire University, and Mr Wayne released Adult Human Female, which examines claims that “trans women are women and should be treated as women in all legal and social contexts”, the tribunal heard.

When UCU’s Edinburgh branch became aware of a planned screening in December 2022, it demanded the event be cancelled and called the film transphobic, the tribunal was told.

Protesters blocked the venue, preventing 100 to 150 attendees from watching the film, it was said.

The screening was rescheduled for April 2023 but was again blocked by protesters. It went ahead in November 2023 with extra security, the tribunal heard.

The UCU says its actions were in support of the rights of trans and non-binary people, and denies discriminating against or harassing Ms O’Neill and Mr Wayne, according to tribunal documents.

The tribunal, which is being held remotely, continues.