ISBI [8] University of Glasgow- Alumni Encouragement

1. Background

On 27^th Jun 2024 we emailed the University asking them to provide a position on whether or not it is possible for a human to change sex.

We have had no response so we are asking alumni to write to the VC to encourage him to provide one.

2. Glasgow University Has an Institutional Position on the Matter

It is clear from the University’s policies¹ that the University has taken an institutional position that it is possible for a human to change sex/gender. (Before the GRA 2004 the terms sex and gender were used interchangeably. Since then sex/gender/gender identity have been conflated, making it nigh impossible as to what term is meant. We take the position that references to gender means a reference to sex (male or female)

(a) From E5.1 Awareness of potential barriers

(b) From E5.2  Planning and Managing transition

(c) E5.6 Provision of Gender Neutral Facilities  

(d) E5.7 In class/In front of colleagues

Third person pronouns are sexed and refer to a preceding noun in a sentence. For example, “The man entered the room, and he shut the door behind him”. The pronouns “he” and “him” refer to “The man”. In the sentence “The ‘trans’ woman entered the room, and she shut the door behind her” the pronouns “she” and “her” are grammatically wrong because a ‘trans’ woman is a biological male. To use the pronouns “she” and “her” is to state that a male observed at birth can become a female.

3. Please write to Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli

Below is a suggested email to send to Professor Muscatelli:

To: principal@glasgow.ac.uk

Subject: [8] Is it Possible for a Human to Change Sex?

To Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli,
Principal and Vice-Chancellor,
University of Glasgow

Dear Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli,

The Substack Post

https://mneill.substack.com/p/isbi-8-university-of-glasgow-alumni

shows that the University of Glasgow has taken the position that it is possible to change sex.

Please can you:

• Provide scientific evidence that a male observed at birth can become a female

• or, like the UK’s Sussex University, state that it is not the University's position that a male observed at birth can become a female.  You could add a statement along the lines that the University recognizes that some people claim a Gender Identity that does not match their birth sex and, in the interests of diversity and inclusion, the University makes accommodations for such beliefs?

If the University’s position is not provided within two weeks, the University’s position will default to: “The university refuses to state its position on whether a human can change sex”

As my alma mater I feel this will be an abandonment of the University’s responsibility to provide scientific knowledge to the academic community and to the public at large.

I will post the University’s position as: “The university refused to state its position on whether a human can change sex” on X/Twitter, tagging in the account [@] ISBI3

Yours sincerely,

• <Name>

• <Degree Subject and year of graduation>

4. We are

Martin Neill
Louise Moody
Alessandra Asteriti²

Version History

Version 2: 21 Nov 2024

• Removed copying in ISBIMAN@outlook.com

• Changed ‘Sussex University’ to ‘ ‘the UK’s Sussex University’

• Changed ‘declined’ to ‘refused’

• Changed ‘evidence’ to ‘scientific evidence.

• Changed respond-by date to ‘within two weeks’

• Removed the alumnus’ <Address> field from the email to the alma mater

• added summary infographic

• Replaced the link to Alumni Encouragement process, with instructions to post the alma mater’s response (or failure to respond) on X/Twitter, tagging in ISBI3

Version 1: 17 Jul 2024

1. https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/equalitydiversity/policy/equalitypolicy/app-e/
(Accessed 17 Jul 2024)

2. Click on the link for the background to this initiative
https://mneill.substack.com/p/isbi-is-human-sex-binary-and-immutable