Adult Human Female (film)
| Adult Human Female | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Deirdre O'Neill and Michael Wayne |
Release date |
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Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Adult Human Female is a 2022 documentary film directed by Deirdre O'Neill and Michael Wayne. It was published on YouTube in December 2022.[1][2][3]
It was a subject of controversy and was subject to protests due to its content, which a number of critics have characterised as being transphobic.
Title
The phrase "adult human female", after which the film is named, is a slogan adopted by anti-gender and gender-critical (also known as "TERF") movements, with the aim of excluding trans women from the definition of a woman.
History
The film had its screenings at a university in Australia cancelled in October 2022, and then had screenings cancelled at the University of Edinburgh in December 2022 and April 2023, due to protests by transgender advocates.[4] It successfully screened at Edinburgh in an event organised by the University of Edinburgh Academics for Academic Freedom in November 2023 despite protests.[5][6]
A discrimination and harassment lawsuit was filed by the filmmakers against the University and College Union in 2025 due to the union's campaigns to prevent the documentary from being screened.[3] In mid-2025, a judge ruled that the film could be considered transphobic.[7] The filmmakers disagreed with the ruling and in late 2025 launched an appeal.[8]
References
- ^ Carrell, Severin (2023-04-26). "Edinburgh University cancels film screening after trans rights protest". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-10-31.
- ^ Smith, Mark (2023-04-26). "'Anti-democratic' trans groups prevent gender film screening". The Times. Retrieved 2025-10-31.
- ^ a b Weale, Sally (2025-03-31). "UK academics accuse their union of discrimination over gender-critical film". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-10-31.
- ^ "Edinburgh film screening no-platformed over 'transphobia'". Times Higher Education. 2022-12-15. Retrieved 2025-10-31.
- ^ "Free speech group hopeful for Adult Human Female film screening". BBC. 2023-11-21. Retrieved 2025-10-31.
- ^ "Adult Human Female film is shown in Edinburgh". BBC. 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2025-10-31.
- ^ Badshah, Nadeem (2025-06-10). "Academics who sued union after being called transphobic lose tribunal case". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- ^ "Academics challenge ruling that gender-critical film could be 'transphobic'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2026-04-18.