TV scientist Alice Roberts abandons Twitter after ‘hate’ from anti-trans feminists
Professor Alice Roberts, and some of the tweets she was sent. (Wikipedia/Twitter)
Academic and television presenter Professor Alice Roberts has abandoned Twitter, after receiving “hate and bile” from anti-trans feminists for posting biological research affirming that there are more than two sexes.
Roberts, 46, is a biological anthropologist who has appeared on Channel 4’s Time Team and Britain’s Most Historic Towns.
The Birmingham University professor said that she had experienced more misogyny than ever before after asking people to discuss sex and gender with reason.
“I’m taking a holiday from Twitter for a while,” she said on June 19. “I’ve argued for reason, compassion and empathy in discussions about sex and gender.”
“That’s opened me up to more hate, bile and even misogyny than I’ve experienced before. I’m sad and shocked. Humans can be so much better than this,” Roberts said.
Alice, please understand and be aware, that there is a new/not new #WarOnWomen Sex based rights are being taken away. We are Not bigots, nor 'terfs' (made up slur) for disagreeing with being called "bleeders" "menstruators" "non men" – (Green Party quote) "cis" and "terfs"…
— Jan 🕊 (@KittiwakeRock) June 19, 2019
On June 18, Roberts tweeted a 2015 Guardian article by Doctor Vanessa Heggie, entitled “Nature and sex redefined – we have never been binary.”
“Here’s @HPS_Vanessa on the elusive notion of binary sex,” Roberts said in the tweet.
Reason, tolerance and compassion are important to me. I don’t like seeing science being used as an excuse for bigotry and the oppression of minorities. The history of anthropology is littered with such examples of the misuse of science.— Prof Alice Roberts💙 (@theAliceRoberts) June 19, 2019
“Alice Roberts has succumbed to the trans madness as well,” one person replied, according to The Independent.
The Guardian article was based on research in the scientific journal Nature. The research was publicised in a Nature article, which said that the notion of two biological sexes was “simplistic” and that “biologists now think there is a wider spectrum than that.”
The Times columnist Janice Turner, who was recently labelled an “anti-trans fanatic” for questioning the NSPCC’s decision to use trans model and activist Munroe Bergdorf as their first-ever LGBT+ campaigner (Bergdorf was abruptly dropped by the NSPCC days after Turner tweeted them, questioning their use of a “porn model”), also weighed in.
Saying that Roberts’ view on gender and sex not being binary was “magical thinking,” Turner said, “I’m sorry the robustness of those debating with you is difficult.”
But you’re a public scientist, Alice. Your compassion is admirable. And I’m sorry the robustness of those debating with you is difficult. But whatever you argue MUST be congruent with science not magical thinking.— Janice Turner (@VictoriaPeckham) June 20, 2019
The online abuse that Roberts alleges she faced began after Graham Lineham, who used to write on TV series Father Ted, screenshotted one of her comments and tweeted it to his 630,00 followers.
Lineham’s involvement in the “gender-critical feminist” movement has earned him verbal warnings from the police, according to Wales Online.
