A researcher who wanted to study people who had gender reassignment surgery reversed has been banned from doing so by his university on the grounds that it was potentially 'politically incorrect'.
According to the Times, psychotherapist James Caspian, who specialises in counselling transgender people, proposed the study to Bath Spa University for a master's degree in counselling and psychotherapy.
He was told he would need clearance from the university's ethics sub-committee to conduct interviews. This was initially granted, but he then asked to amend his proposal to include women who had transitioned to men but reverted without reversing their surgery, and asked to post a request for interviewees on an online professional forum.
On the sub-committee's rejection form it said: 'Engaging in a potentially "politically incorrect" piece of research carries a risk to the university.
'Attacks on social media may not be confined to the researcher but may involve the university.'
It also expressed fears about Caspian's own safety and wellbeing.
Caspian accused the university of failing to follow 'the most basic tenets of academic and intellectual freedom of enquiry'.
He told The Times: 'Where would stand the reputation of a university that cannot follow the most basic tenets of academic and intellectual freedom of enquiry? I am more concerned about the potential impact of that stance on its reputation than I am about possible comments on social media.'
Interviewed on Radio 4 this morning Caspian rejected a suggestion that studies on transgender people could have a 'political undercurrent' and potentially have a negative effect on how they are treated.
He said: 'The whole field has completely changed over the last few years.
'The idea that we might use the information from the research I was going to do in a way that wouldn't help people is completely wrong.'
He has complained to the university, which told Christian Today it could not comment while the complaint was under investigation.
