Labour's pick for equalities chair backs gender-critical feminists
Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson said 'freedom of expression' was very important to her, as she spoke out against women being 'harassed or sacked from their jobs for peaceful expression of legally protected beliefs'.
Appearing before MPs and peers, she criticised trans rights activists' attempts to 'no platform' women's rights groups as part of their 'attempts to close down debate'.
Dr Stephenson, the director of the Women's Budget Group, is the Government's pick to lead the Equality and Human Rights Commission when Baroness Falkner, the incumbent, steps down later this year.
'Attempts to close down debate'
But supporters of trans rights have criticised the choice, accusing her of having attended women's rights conferences at which gender-critical views were aired.
On Tuesday she was challenged at a joint meeting of the Lords and Commons' equalities committees over her decision to sign a letter calling for open, non-violent discussion on gender issues, a letter which some activists have described as transphobic.
'They were about my opposition to practices of no platforming and attempts to close down debate,' she said.
'I started my professional career at Article 19 which is an international human rights organisation which focuses on freedom of expression. It's a really important value to me.
'I don't think freedom of expression should be an absolute value but it should be restricted in very limited circumstances, and I think that attempts to close down debate in any area is generally a mistake.
'To be honest I think that had we been able to have better dialogue on some of these issues 10 years ago we might be in a better position than we are in now.'
Employment tribunal
Dr Stephenson defended her decision to donate to a lawyer who was discriminated against at work for opposing trans self-ID.
She also donated £25 to the legal fund of Allison Bailey, a barrister who took her chambers to court after they asked her to remove two gender-critical tweets. An employment tribunal found she had been discriminated against after clerks gave her less work to do.
'The donation was very specifically because I was upset at seeing women being harassed or sacked from their jobs for peaceful expression of legally protected beliefs,' she said.
Dr Stephenson added: 'The debate has been so toxic that people just stepped away… so you end up with discussions taking place on social media.'
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