Content note- this article contains mentions of transphobic ideology and links articles that discuss transphobia

The SU released a statement today (14/10) reinforcing their “commitment to protecting trans students and ensuring they have a safe university in which to live, study and socialise.”

In an article published on 13/10, the Daily Mail criticised the Cambridge SU pro-trans guide on ‘How to Spot TERF Ideology’. The article contends with the idea published in the guide that being a woman is not just down to ‘biological sex’.

Milo Eyre-Morgan, the Cambridge SU Women’s Officer, wrote the guide and tweeted about it, saying that they were “so excited about getting the update of this amazing resource together.”

The guide clarifies that “Trans liberation is part of feminism. Fighting for autonomy and freedom must be a fight for everyone, and there should be no room for transphobia or TERFs in feminist organising.” It aims to help raise awareness about how to spot and deal with TERF ideology and “how to make spaces trans inclusive.”

Inflammatory comments in the last 24-hours to the guide tweeted on 11/10 by Eyre-Morgan include calling it “deceitful garbage” and “delusional ramblings”.

In response to the comments directed towards the guide, the SU released a statement (14/10) defending the publication of the guide: “The guide was printed after being approved through our normal democratic processes at Student Council at the end of the 2020-21 academic year.”

The Daily Mail article comes after their backlash against the Sussex UCU for publishing a statement in solidarity with trans and non-binary communities, a statement which Kathleen Stock, Professor of Philosophy, claims “has just effectively ended my career at Sussex University.” Stock has been criticized for her trans-exclusionary views as she believes that biological sex takes precedence to gender identity “particularly when it comes to law and policy.”

In response to protests against Stock, a University of Sussex spokesperson commented that “as a university community, we must be able to have complex discussions without bullying or harassment” and that it will not tolerate threats to “academic freedoms.”

An anonymous JCR Women's Officer told Varsity that they supported the creation of the guide and “hope the university produces a statement in defence of Milo and much of the content of the guide.”

While the Cambridge SU statement recognised the need to support trans rights “at a time when trans people are subject to an incredibly hostile political and media environment,” it also clarified that the ‘How to Spot TERF Ideology’ guide was originally published in 2019 and “was not produced in response to any recent events.”