The Beaver Newsroom
Dr. Jacob Breslow, Associate Professor of Gender and Sexuality at the LSE Department of Gender Studies, resigned as trustee of transgender children’s charity named Mermaids on 3 October following reports regarding an allegedly pro-paedophile speech he made in 2011 at a conference held by the US organisation B4U-ACT. He has since issued a press release addressing the allegations and his resignation.
In 2011, Dr. Breslow, who was then a graduate student at LSE, attended a conference hosted by B4U-ACT, an organisation that allegedly “promotes support for paedophiles” according to the BBC. BBC reported, “A published summary of a presentation Dr Breslow is understood to have given uses the phrase ‘minor-attracted persons’ instead of paedophile.”
B4U-ACT has also received widespread criticism on grounds that it was founded by convicted sex offender Michael Melsheimer.
These reports emerge amid ongoing scrutiny confronting Mermaids, which is also under investigation by the Charity Commission regarding the supply of chest-binding devices to teenagers. Dr. Breslow, who is on sabbatical leave until January 2023, had been appointed trustee of Mermaids in July 2022.
Following reports by mainstream media outlets such as The Times, BBC, and The Telegraph of Dr. Breslow’s resignation and his alleged links to B4U-ACT, Mermaids Chair of Trustees Belinda Bell issued the following statement:
“We have explained that it was only on the 3rd October that we became aware of his participation in a 2011 conference that would have disqualified him from becoming a trustee. Once notified, we immediately launched an investigation and Dr. Breslow tendered his notice that same day.
“We want to apologise for the distress and concern this news has caused. It is clear that Dr. Breslow should never have been appointed to the board, and as Chair of the trustee board I am horrified that he was.”
An LSE Spokesperson told The Beaver, “We have been made aware of a presentation at an external event in 2011 by a then graduate student, now faculty member of LSE. We have also been made aware of other material reportedly by the individual. We are investigating these reports.”
LSE Students’ Union’s Sabbatical Officers also issued a statement on the situation on 13 October, “We find it abhorrent that safeguarding procedures and processes have been overlooked and we welcome LSE’s decision to investigate the reports of Dr Jacob Breslow’s presentation at the B4U-Act conference in 2011 and look forward to hearing the outcome.
“We also want to make it very clear that Dr Jacob Breslow does not represent the wider trans community and LSESU will not tolerate any harassment or bullying of trans students at LSE. If anyone does need support, please get in contact with us, or our advice service which offers free and confidential advice.”
In response to the media attention, the LSE Department of Gender Studies sent out an email to the entire department on 5 October informing them of “extra security measures” at the Department due to the nature of allegations made against Dr. Breslow. The email also stated that Dr. Breslow “unequivocally condemns child abuse of any kind” and called the depiction of his research in the media as “inflammatory.”
When asked about the enhanced security measures at the department, the LSE Spokesperson said, “We do not comment on specific security measures in place at LSE. However, we take the safety and security of all students extremely seriously. Our security are always operating and available as needed 24/7 on campus.”
Thea*, a graduate student at the LSE Department of Gender Studies, told The Beaver, “Jacob’s research, from what I understand, touches upon childhood, sexuality … but [it] also touches upon trans and queer identitities. And I think people made that association way too fast because from what I understand, there is no evidence that anything this man wrote is pro-paedophile.” Thea also noted how the vast majority of media scrutiny surrounding Dr. Breslow stems from “TERF networks”, referring to trans exclusionary radical feminist media networks.
Thea explained, “There used to be a really negative association in 1970s between [queer people] and paedophilia, which is a very complicated historic association, and now, I think there’s a similar negative association and moral panic being made between queer studies and paedophilia.”
Dr. Breslow has since put out a statement on his website, “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.”
*Names in this article were changed to preserve anonymity.
