Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard
Bath Spa University is conducting an internal inquiry into claims that it turned down an application for research on gender reassignment reversal because it was "potentially politically incorrect" and would attract criticism on social media.
James Caspian, a psychotherapist who specialises in working with transgender people, proposed the research about "detransitioning" to the university in south-west England, which, he said, initially approved the application.
When he went back with his preliminary findings that suggested growing numbers of young people, particularly women, were regretting gender reassignment, Bath Spa said his proposal would have to be resubmitted to the ethics committee, which rejected it.
Caspian, who enrolled on an MA course at the university, said he was "astonished" by the decision and had sought legal advice.
"The fundamental reason given was that it might cause criticism of the research on social media, and criticism of the research would be criticism of the university. They also added it's better not to offend people," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday.
I was going to add some snark here but they pretty well covered making a mockery of academia for me.
Source: The Guardian
Also at: The Times
(Score: 2, Disagree) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday October 10 2017, @07:27PM
Or it's another device to divide everyone and keep the outrage machine primed. Everyone stopped giving a crap about marijuana and gays getting married, and The Powers That Be had to scramble to come up with something else. Honestly, choosing transgenders is weak beer. Who cares? Statistically speaking 99% of humans have never met a transgender in their life, so asking them to get worked up about their plight is like asking your average man on the street to wax apoplectic about the theoretical rights of aliens on Alpha Centauri. At best you'd elicit a shrug.
Washington DC delenda est.