Follow-Up: MIT Free Speech Alliance Great Debate

Post-Debate Reflections by Holly Lawford-Smith and Aaron Kimberly

On Apr 17, 2024 the MIT Free Speech Alliance and Adam Smith Society co-hosted the third Oxford Union-style debate at MIT, with the following proposition: “Resolved, that sex is biological and binary, and gender identity is no substitute for sex in social policy.” Alex Byrne, Professor of Philosophy at MIT and author of Trouble with Gender: Sex Facts, Gender Fictions, and Holly Lawford-Smith, Associate Professor of Political Philosophy at the University of Melbourne and author of Gender-Critical Feminism, are arguing in favor of the proposition. Alice Dreger, historian and author of Galileo’s Middle Finger, and I, Aaron Kimberly, argued against the proposition.

The full debate can be viewed here:

This event left many of us frustrated or dissatisfied. It’s possible that frustration would have been resolved had a trans activist stepped up to argue against the proposition, rather than me. We all know that none would dare.

For those of us who did show up, I think the wording of the proposition itself was wrong, and therefore prevented the very conversations we really wanted to have, among different stakeholders who do actually like one another and are capable of solving the real problems at hand.

I’m glad I frustrated the whole thing. Instead of fulfilling the public entertainment quota of gladiator-style spectacle, what we got was better: a medicalized butch lesbian and a radical feminist lesbian, from very different parts of the world, talked, and found more agreement than disagreement. From my perspective, this was constructive…and hey, it’s Holly, so it was enjoyable too. Thanks for the laughs Holly.

This recording has been cross posted with the LGB Alliance Australia