![From left: Alice Sullivan, Cathy Devine, Kerry McGawley and Mara Yamauchi. The speaker panel pictured at the event. [Source: Twitter/X @cathydevine56]](https://images.cheesegratermagazine.org/article_images/2026-07-03-ucl-hosts-gender-critical-book-launch-on-womens-sports/main_image.webp)
The event was organised by Women’s Place UK (WPUK), a gender critical campaigners’ group built on the claim that “biological sex is a material reality”.
The conference hosted three speakers in late June: Cathy Devine (editor and author of the book), Mara Yamauchi (former olympian), and Kerry McGawley (sports science researcher and triathlete).
The blog post introducing the event states that the event will be focused on investigating the “relationship between biological sex and gender identity in the context of sport“ and its consequences for sports policy.
All three speakers are ‘gender-critical’, meaning they oppose the inclusion of transgender people (primarily transgender women) in sports. Two out of three have served or are serving as an advisor to Sex Matters, a charity which opposes banning LGBTQ+ conversion therapy in the UK.
UCL Women’s Liberation is a consortium held by UCL, not the Student’s Union. The book launch will be its first panel in 2026, chaired by convenor Professor Alice Sullivan.
The LGBT+ network released a statement shortly after the event was announced, decrying the event as a continuation of “anti-Trans propaganda on campus” and urged organisers to cancel the event.
“Trans+ particiation in sports has been occurring for decades, and not to the detriment of women’s rights. Inclusion reflects the spirit of sportsmanship and there have been previous long-lasting policies allowing Trans+ athletes to compete.
The heightened scrutiny towards Trans+ athletes, compared to their cisgendered counterparts, thus reflects the abject hostility such groups hold towards any notion of Trans+ inclusion in sports.”
A spokesperson for UCL has stated the following:
““We have a long-standing commitment to upholding academic freedom and a legal duty to protect freedom of speech.”
“Each year we host hundreds of external speaker events representing a wide range of views, including those that some members of our community may find challenging or contentious. The right to debate and challenge ideas is fundamental to the nature of universities and we aim to ensure UCL remains a place where free and open discussion can take place and different viewpoints can be exchanged.”