The civil rights advocate and critical race theorist Kimberle Crenshaw, known for developing the concept of ‘intersectionality’, was “aggressively interrupted” by a man at her workshop at the LSE on Monday the 21st, according to the LSE Gender Institute. Crenshaw is a Visiting Professor at the LSE Gender Institute.
The Gender Institute’s head Professor Clare Hemmings said in a statement the man also “talked over her, shouted misogynist invective, threatened students and staff, and needed to be physically removed from the premises…we can reassure you that this particular person is known to security across campus”. The Institute addressed faculty, students and visitors in saying that it “will continue to generate open, inclusive spaces for discussion of important, difficult, complex ideas and principles”, and praised Crenshaw’s “extraordinary and positive response to aggression.”
The 3-hour, interactive workshop focused on “histories of intersectionality and explore contemporary intersectional politics.” The event was exclusive to current MSc Gender students and ticketed.
An LSE spokesperson told The Beaver: “LSE Security were notified that an individual was disrupting a workshop being held in the Shaw Library organised by the Department of Gender Studies on Monday 21 January by attendees at the event. Security staff escorted the individual to the entrance of the Old Building and removed them from campus. The individual does not appear to have any connection to the School, and was subsequently banned from campus.
“Thankfully, incidents of this kind are rare at LSE but anybody with further information or concerns about this incident is advised to contact LSE Security”.
Crenshaw subsequently tweeted: “Heading home from teaching at the Sorbonne and LSE. Madness is everywhere so I am fine to come back to my own special brand in the good ol USA.”
“Thank you CH & #lsegendertweet for not letting hate, trauma or fear derail us—on any day, but especially on this day. We spoke our truths and dreamt together abt the concrete ways we can own our power. We made lemonade & left stronger together than when we arrived. We r #Unbowed”
“2day after recalling how MLK’s courage inspired me over the years, a white man shouting obscenities in Italian interrupted & rushed toward the podium w/ anger and unclear intent. Prof Hemmings was Zena! The fact that it happened at all tells us abt the times even on MLK Day.”
