by Craig Simpson, Telegraph
Filmmakers launch legal battle after judge says title of movie was potential ‘dog whistle’
Filmmakers will launch a legal battle after a judge ruled their feature called Adult Human Female could be considered transphobic.
Academics Deirdre O’Neill and Michael Wayne produced the gender-critical feature film setting out the position that women are defined biologically rather than by self-identification.
This film was decried by trans activists, who stormed a screening at the University of Edinburgh in 2022, and opposed by the University College Union, the trade organisation for academics.
Ms O’Neill and Mr Wayne, who were members of the union, sued the body and claimed that its leadership whipped up “hostile” opposition to screenings by branding the film “transphobic”, and therefore impinged on their rights to express criticism around transgender issues.
But an employment tribunal dismissed these claims earlier this year after hearing evidence that the words “adult human female” could be considered “transphobic” and a “dog whistle”.