Oxford Law Professor Cancels Lectures After Activist Disruptions
Oxford law professor Dr. Michael Foran cancels remaining lectures after pro-trans activists disrupt his talks on gender law, continuing a pattern of intimidation targeting gender-critical scholars at the university.
Dr. Michael Foran stood at his lectern in Oxford's Keble College on June 5, ready to deliver his second lecture on gender law when two activists emerged from the audience. One read from his phone, declaring Foran "masks his transphobia behind a thin veneer of academia" and urging attendees to "refuse to platform this bigot." The disruption silenced a leading legal scholar whose work informed the UK Supreme Court's landmark ruling on biological sex.
Foran, a 32-year-old associate professor of law and tutorial fellow at Keble College, announced on June 7 he cancelled his remaining two lectures due to "escalating disruptive protests." The 10-minute disruption marked the second time activists targeted his four-part series, forcing cancellation of talks on "Gender Critical and Gender Identity Belief" and "Sexual Assault by Deception" scheduled for June 12 and June 19.
The episode exposes a recurring pattern at Oxford where activists who claim to champion tolerance deploy bullying tactics to shut down dissent. That pattern now threatens the university's commitment to open inquiry.
The law professor's academic work was cited by the UK Supreme Court in its April 2025 ruling that "sex" in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex. His research also informed the UK government's veto of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. His book, Sex, Gender Identity and the Law, published by Cambridge University Press this year, formed the basis of the lecture series open to both students and the public at the 120-seat HB Allen Lecture Theatre.
Activists first disrupted Foran's May 29 lecture "How Sex Changed" when the same two protesters walked to the front as he prepared to begin. At the June 5 event "Single-Sex Spaces," after the initial pair left, two additional protesters hidden in the audience stood up to continue the disruption before being escorted out. A PhD student attendee told The Telegraph the attacks were "very intimidating" and "pretty unacceptable at this sort of academic event."
The cancellations come as the Equality and Human Rights Commission published updated draft guidance on May 21 confirming single-sex spaces must be based on biological sex, a legal framework grounded in the Supreme Court's ruling. Hundreds of pro-trans activists organized by Oxford For Trans Rights marched through Oxford around June 1 in response, carrying banners reading "Trans rights now" and "They don't want us alive, they want us quiet or gone."
The activist who addressed the May 29 audience explicitly rejected intellectual engagement, stating "He will not be convinced by your arguments. Please join me in walking out." Foran responded on X, stating "It is unfortunate that these protesters have chosen disruption over genuine intellectual engagement grounded in academic charity and rigour. In attempting to shame students into deplatforming these lectures, they manifest the antithesis of what a university stands for."
Oxford University issued a statement asserting "Freedom of speech and academic freedom are fundamental to the University of Oxford" and that it would "work with him to explore how the remaining events can take place." The institution took no specific action against the student protesters, offered no security guarantees, and provided no timeline for rescheduling. The gap between rhetorical commitment to free speech and concrete protection of faculty remains stark.
This incident follows a documented six-year pattern of suppression at Oxford. In 2023, trans activists disrupted a talk by gender-critical academic Kathleen Stock at the Oxford Union, with one protester gluing their hand to the floor and police forced to remove demonstrators. In February 2025, over 10 activists staged a walkout during Helen Joyce's talk at Balliol College after 600 people signed a petition protesting her appearance. In January 2020, Professor Selina Todd received security protection after threats from trans activists.
Kate Barker, CEO of the LGB Alliance, said the people of Oxford have been "deprived of Michael's expertise, especially at a time when clarity and expertise on the law is so sorely needed." Joan Smith called the activists "bullies and cowards" on X. Tracy Edwards questioned whether "we were past 'no debate'" and warned about what young activists will encounter "face to face with reality."
Foran shared recordings of the two delivered lectures with disruptions edited out, demonstrating the academic content proceeded despite interruptions. The cancellation of two remaining talks signals what happens when activists decide certain ideas are not worth hearing. Students at Oxford deserve to hear these arguments for themselves, without intimidation.