Jacob Breslow

Last updated
Jacob Breslow
Nationality (legal) American
TitleAssociate Professor of Gender Studies
Academic background
Alma mater London School of Economics
Thesis The theory and practice of childhood: interrogating childhood as a technology of power  (2016)
Doctoral advisorClare Hemmings and Sadie Wearing
Website https://drjacobbreslow.wordpress.com

Jacob Breslow is an American academic and independent scholar. He was Associate Professor of Gender and Sexuality in the Department of Gender Studies at the London School of Economics (LSE) [1] until he resigned in July 2023, claiming harassment that he claimed was "part of a broader movement against the field of gender studies, and against trans rights and dignity". [2] In 2022, he resigned from the transgender charity Mermaids after it emerged that he had spoken at a conference B4U-ACT, an organization that provides support to paedophiles. [3] [4]

Contents

He completed his PhD at the LSE Gender Institute in 2016, and published his first monograph entitled Ambivalent Childhoods in 2021 through University of Minnesota Press, in which he analysed childhood in relation to blackness, transfeminism, queerness, and deportability. [5] He was previously an LSE Teaching Fellow in Transnational Sexuality and Gender. [6]

Research

Jacob Breslow participated in queer youth activism for almost a decade prior to beginning his PhD, which led him to study #MeToo, homonationalism, and incarceration. [7] Breslow soon became an expert on contemporary U.S. social justice movements, and the ways in which the idea of childhood operates within and against them, including Black Lives Matter, transfeminism, queer youth activism, and anti-deportation movements. [1] [6]

His PhD thesis analyses the category of childhood as a power structure, [8] an idea which is further developed in his book Ambivalent Childhoods. [5] This book has been described as "a landmark achievement" that "braids together scholarly approaches to childhood that center Blackness, transgender, queer sexuality, and migration in order to show how each twists through ambivalent, fraught, and necessary claims to the protections of childhood innocence." [5]

Breslow's research expertise also includes the analysis of transphobia in UK public discourse, [9] [10] where he developed a critique of the third conditional, "If I had grown up now, I would have been persuaded to transition", arguing that it is not only being used as a "fabricated straw man" to undermine trans healthcare, but that it could actually be used to support "solidarity between cis and trans" perspectives. [10]

Controversy

A former trustee of the transgender children's charity Mermaids, Breslow is an active critic of gender critical viewpoints, [9] [10] giving a January 2022 lecture at the University of Cambridge entitled ‘Sex is Real,’ and other Gender Critical Non Sequiturs: A TERF Grammar Book. [11] [12] He quit Mermaids a year later when gender-critical campaigners publicized that, as a graduate student, he had spoken at a conference in 2011 that was organized by B4U-ACT, an organisation founded in 2003 by Russell Dick, a clinical social worker, and Michael Melsheimer, a convicted child abuser [13] which provides support to paedophiles. [3] [4]

In the abstract for that talk, [14] he argued in favour of recognising paedophilia as "a sexual or political identity":

Allowing for a form of non-diagnosable minor attraction is exciting, as it potentially creates a sexual or political identity by which activists, scholars and clinicians can begin to better understand minor-attracted persons (MAPs).

After an independent investigation by the LSE in 2022, [15] the School stated in January 2023 that, "The independent investigator found that there was no basis for the School to take action against the individual." [16]

Breslow released a statement on 6 October 2022 regarding his participation in the B4U-ACT conference when he was an early PhD student:

"I unequivocally condemn child sexual abuse. My work is about protecting marginalised children and young people, not exposing them to harm.

It was my understanding in 2011 that B4U-ACT was an organisation that promotes treatments to prevent offending by paedophiles. I believed at the time that the purpose of the conference was to enable better treatments and interventions that prevent harm to children. I would not have attended the symposium otherwise. I have not been affiliated with B4U-ACT since.

I decided to resign as a Trustee of Mermaids as I did not want to distract from the good work the charity is doing to help transgender and gender diverse children." [16] [17]

Mermaids remains the subject of investigation by the Charity Commission for alleged safeguarding failures. [3] [18]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transphobia</span> Anti-transgender prejudice

Transphobia consists of negative attitudes, feelings, or actions towards transgender people or transness in general. Transphobia can include fear, aversion, hatred, violence or anger towards people who do not conform to social gender roles. Transphobia is a type of prejudice and discrimination, similar to racism, sexism, or ableism, and it is closely associated with homophobia. Transgender people of color can experience many different forms of discrimination simultaneously.

Queer studies, sexual diversity studies, or LGBT studies is the study of topics relating to sexual orientation and gender identity usually focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender dysphoric, asexual, queer, questioning, and intersex people and cultures.

Heteronormativity is the concept that heterosexuality is the preferred or normal sexual orientation. It assumes the gender binary and that sexual and marital relations are most fitting between people of opposite sex.

LGBT slang, LGBT speak, queer slang, or gay slang is a set of English slang lexicon used predominantly among LGBTQ+ people. It has been used in various languages since the early 20th century as a means by which members of the LGBTQ+ community identify themselves and speak in code with brevity and speed to others. The acronym LGBT was popularized in the 1990s and stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender. It may refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual or non-cisgender, instead of exclusively to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. To recognize this inclusion, a popular variant, LGBTQ, adds the letter Q for those who identify as queer or are questioning their sexual or gender identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transfeminism</span> Branch of feminism

Transfeminism, or trans feminism, is a branch of feminism focused on transgender women and informed by transgender studies. Transfeminism focuses on the effects of transmisogyny and patriarchy on trans women. It is related to the broader field of queer theory. The term was popularized by Emi Koyama in The Transfeminist Manifesto.

Boi is slang within butch and femme and gay male communities for several sexual or gender identities.

<i>Kathoey</i> Gender identity in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand

Kathoey or katoey is an identity used by some people in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, whose identities in English may be best described as transgender women in some cases, or effeminate gay men in other cases. These people are not traditionally transgender, however are seen as a third sex, being one body containing two souls. Transgender women in Thailand mostly use terms other than kathoey when referring to themselves, such as phuying. A significant number of Thai people perceive kathoey as belonging to a separate sex, including some transgender women themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transmisogyny</span> Intersection of transphobia and misogyny, experienced by transfeminine individuals

Transmisogyny, otherwise known as trans-misogyny and transphobic misogyny, is the intersection of transphobia and misogyny as experienced by trans women and transfeminine people. The term was coined by Julia Serano in her 2007 book Whipping Girl to describe a particular form of oppression experienced by trans women. In an interview with The New York Times, Serano explores the roots of transmisogyny as a critique of feminine gender expressions which are "ridiculed in comparison to masculine interests and gender expression."

Feminist views on transgender topics vary widely.

The Swedish Women's Lobby is a Swedish gender-critical political advocacy organization, and an umbrella organization for various Swedish organizations. It was founded in 1997, originally named Samverkansforum för Kvinnor i Sverige (SAMS). It has 40 member organizations and is a member of the European Women's Lobby. Its president is Susannah Sjöberg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TERF (acronym)</span> Acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist

TERF is an acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist. First recorded in 2008, the term TERF was originally used to distinguish transgender-inclusive feminists from a group of radical feminists and social conservatives who reject the position that trans women are women, including trans women in women's spaces, and transgender rights legislation. Trans-inclusive feminists assert that these ideas and positions are transphobic and discriminatory towards transgender people. The use of the term TERF has since broadened to include reference to people with trans-exclusionary views who are not necessarily involved with radical feminism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of LGBT topics</span> Overview of and topical guide to LGBT topics

The following outline offers an overview and guide to LGBT topics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transgender rights in the United Kingdom</span>

Transgender rights in the United Kingdom have varied significantly over time, with transgender Britons facing many issues not experienced by non-trans individuals. These include various laws and public attitudes in regards to identity documents, as well as anti-discrimination measures used by or pertaining to transgender people, in the areas of employment, education, housing and social services, amongst others.

Detransition is the cessation or reversal of a transgender identification or of gender transition, temporarily or permanently, through social, legal, and/or medical means. The term is distinct from the concept of 'regret', and the decision may be based on a shift in gender identity, or other reasons, such as health concerns, social pressure, or discrimination and stigma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mermaids (charity)</span> British charity that supports transgender youth

Mermaids is a British charity and advocacy organisation that supports gender variant and transgender youth. It also provides inclusion and diversity training. Mermaids was founded in 1995 by a group of parents of gender nonconforming children and became a charitable incorporated organisation in 2015.

The following is a timeline of transgender history. Transgender history dates back to the first recorded instances of transgender individuals in ancient civilizations. However, the word transgenderism did not exist until 1965 when coined by psychiatrist John F. Oliven of Columbia University in his 1965 reference work Sexual Hygiene and Pathology; the timeline includes events and personalities that may be viewed as transgender in the broadest sense, including third gender and other gender-variant behavior, including ancient or modern precursors from the historical record.

The LGB Alliance is a British nonprofit advocacy group founded in 2019, in opposition to the policies of LGBT rights charity Stonewall on transgender issues. Its founders are Bev Jackson, Kate Harris, Allison Bailey, Malcolm Clark and Ann Sinnott. The organisation has said that lesbians are facing "extinction" because of the "disproportionate" focus on transgender identities in schools.

Gender-critical feminism, also known as trans-exclusionary radical feminism or TERFism, is an ideology or movement that opposes what it refers to as "gender ideology": the concept of gender identity and transgender rights, especially gender self-identification. Gender-critical feminists believe that sex is biological and immutable, while believing gender, including both gender identity and gender roles, to be inherently oppressive. They reject the concept of transgender identities. These views have been described as transphobic by feminist and scholarly critics, and are opposed by many feminist and LGBT rights organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FiLiA</span> British gender-critical feminist charity

FiLiA is a British gender-critical feminist charity founded in 2015 that describes itself as part of the women's liberation movement. FiLiA organizes a conference, held first in 2008 as Feminism in London, in different cities, which it now describes as the "largest annual grassroots feminist conference in Europe". FiLiA is gender-critical, and states that it supports "sex-based rights" and opposes what they refer to as "gender ideology." It has lobbied against gender recognition reform and considers gender self-identification a threat to "women's protected rights." Critics describe it as anti-transgender and transphobic. FiLiA is critical of the sex industry and as a result, it considers pornography harmful. It has campaigned on behalf of women internationally, and as a result, it has held its campaigns in countries such as Iran, Cyprus, and Kenya. It has been described as one of "the most important 'gender critical' groups" alongside Women's Declaration International. FiLiA has faced protests and attempted cancellations, notably in 2023 when the venue Platform attempted to cancel the conference due to alleged transphobia.

B4U-ACT is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Baltimore that works to prevent child sexual abuse by providing resources and treatment for potential sexual offenders.

References

  1. 1 2 "Jacob Breslow". London School of Economics and Political Science. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  2. ↑ "Press Statements – Dr Jacob Breslow". 2023-07-27. Archived from the original on 2023-07-27. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  3. 1 2 3 Beal, James; Bannerman, Lucy (4 October 2022). "Trustee of the transgender charity Mermaids quits after speech to paedophile aid group". The Times . ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  4. 1 2 "Mermaids trustee quits over paedophile-group links". BBC News. 2022-10-04. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  5. 1 2 3 "Ambivalent Childhoods". University of Minnesota Press. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  6. 1 2 "Q&A with Jacob Breslow". London School of Economics and Political Science. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  7. ↑ Science, London School of Economics and Political. "Q&A with Jacob Breslow". London School of Economics and Political Science. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  8. ↑ Breslow, Jacob (2016-08-30). The theory and practice of childhood: interrogating childhood as a technology of power (phd thesis). London School of Economics and Political Science.
  9. 1 2 May 14th; 2020|Anti-gender; Featured; Comments, Politics|0 (2020-05-14). "The Non-Essential Transphobia of Pandemic Disaster Politics". Engenderings. Retrieved 2023-06-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. 1 2 3 Breslow, Jacob (December 2022). "They would have transitioned me: third conditional TERF grammar of trans childhood". Feminist Theory. 23 (4): 575–593. doi: 10.1177/14647001211046442 . ISSN   1464-7001.
  11. ↑ "'Sex is Real,' and other Gender Critical Non Sequiturs: A TERF Grammar Book". Eventbrite. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  12. ↑ "Research Seminars Archive | University of Cambridge Centre for Gender Studies". 2023-05-09. Archived from the original on 2023-05-09. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  13. ↑ Bleyer, Jennifer (24 September 2012). "How Can We Stop Pedophiles?". Slate.
  14. ↑ Breslow, Jacob (17 August 2011). Sexual Alignment: Critiquing Sexual Orientation, The Pedophile, and the DSM (PDF). Pedophilia, Minor-Attracted Persons, and the DSM: Issues and Controversies. B4U-ACT.{{cite conference}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  15. ↑ Somerville, Ewan (2022-11-05). "Academics demand apology from LSE over 'hostile environment for gender-critical staff and students'". The Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  16. 1 2 "Press Statements – Dr Jacob Breslow". 2023-05-09. Archived from the original on 2023-05-09. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  17. ↑ "The Beaver". 2022-10-26. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  18. ↑ "Regulator announces statutory inquiry into Mermaids". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
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