Report
Leading scholars worldwide react to Lega attack on gender studies at the University of Sassari
Against the crusade launched by Sasso, the Gender, Intersex, Feminist, Transfeminist and Sexuality Studies research network (GIFTS) has published an open letter to University Minister Bernini.
Judith Butler, the American philosopher and one of the world's leading exponents of queer thought, is the first signatory of the open letter addressed to University Minister Anna Maria Bernini, written in support of philosopher, activist and translator Federico Zappino, professor of Political Philosophy at the University of Sassari, where he teaches Gender and Queer Theories and Global Critical Theory.
A few days ago, on social media and in an interview with the Sassari daily La Nuova Sardegna, Lega Deputy Rossano Sasso called for the government to intervene and shut down the courses taught by Prof. Zappino. “It has really crossed all lines: gender ideology and queer theory propaganda is being pushed with public funds. We hope that Minister Bernini will intervene as soon as possible.”
Against the crusade launched by Sasso, the Gender, Intersex, Feminist, Transfeminist and Sexuality Studies research network (GIFTS) has published an open letter to University Minister Bernini, signed by Judith Butler and supported by many influential Italian and international academics and scholars of LGBTQIA+ and feminist thought. In just a few days, the letter has reached almost 2,800 signatures.
“Just a few weeks ago,” the letter reads, “we witnessed with concern the attack by Pro Vita and RadFem organizations against a research group at the University of Roma Tre engaged in studying gender creative childhood. This aggression was immediately picked up and amplified at the parliamentary level by the Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies, Fabio Rampelli, who defined a workshop organized at University of Roma Tre on gender creative childhood an ‘ideological madness,’ demanding your immediate intervention.”
“Today, we have to report another serious case of interference by a governing party in the freedom of research and teaching. The case that compels us to further raise our guard has targeted not only the freedom but also the legitimacy of a political philosophy professor at the University of Sassari: Federico Zappino.”
The signers of the letter stress that ”despite being a fixed-term researcher, Zappino has significantly contributed to the dissemination of queer thought in Italy. He has numerous scientific publications, including articles in international scientific journals, as well as widely read books that have been translated into other languages. For over a decade, he has translated prominent works by Judith Butler and other important queer and feminist authors, such as Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick and Monique Wittig. Recently, he was also awarded the title of Honorary Fellow at Birkbeck College, London. The course under attack, ‘Gender and Queer Theories,’ which he teaches in the Political Science degree program at the University of Sassari, has achieved extraordinary success among students: his course, which allocates significant space to the issue of gender-based violence, has seen over 200 enrollments.”
The condemnation of the attack is followed by an appeal to Bernini: “This new serious episode compels us to fear that a domino effect may develop. The attack on Federico Zappino is an attack on anyone in Italy who conducts research or teaches. As GIFTS network, we appeal to you to unequivocally guarantee the inalienable prerogatives of freedom of research and teaching, without which there can be no progress in knowledge and research. It is unacceptable for anyone’s freedom of research, teaching, speech, and expression to be called into question, nor, above all, for the scientific and educational legitimacy of the work of individuals who, despite their clear contributions to research and philosophical and scientific debate, even find themselves in precarious conditions.”
Finally, the letter denounces the general environment in which the attack against Zappino arose: “this is happening in a context where, with blatant arrogance, an attempt is being made to impose a new cultural hegemony that seems to be centered around opposing the alleged ‘gender ideology’: a buzzword that, using the Trojan horse of safeguarding the so-called ‘natural family,’ effectively threatens Article 33 of the Constitution, which not only guarantees freedom of research and teaching but also protects the dignity and legitimacy of those who conduct research and teach every day.”
Two hundred sixty-nine academics and public figures have signed the letter, including Elena Loizidou, Birkbeck College, London; Michael Hardt, Duke University, Durham; Anne Fausto-Sterling, Brown University, Providence; Chiara Bottici, New School for Social Research, New York; Clare Hemmings, London School of Economics; Sandro Mezzadra, University of Bologna; Lea Melandri, essayist and feminist; Brunella Casalini, University of Florence; Éric Fassin, Université Paris 8; Sophie Bourgault, University of Ottawa; Maria Rosaria Marella, University of Roma Tre; Elżbieta Korolczuk, University of Warsaw; Porpora Marcasciano, activist and chair of the Bologna City Council Equality Commission; Lorenzo Bernini, University of Verona; Angelo Schillaci, Sapienza University of Rome; Emanuela Abbatecola, University of Genoa; David Paternotte, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Cinzia Arruzza, Boston University; Marco Pustianaz, University of Eastern Piedmont; Judith Revel, Paris Ouest Nanterre La Defense; Tania Rispoli, Duke University, Durham; Massimo Prearo, University of Verona.
Originally published at https://ilmanifesto.it/teoria-queer-alluniversita-di-sassari-lappello-contro-lattacco-leghista on 2024-10-15