Academics for Academic Freedom
Academics For Academic Freedom (AFAF) is a campaign group founded in late 2006 for teachers, researchers, support staff and students who want to defend academic freedom and freedom of expression. The group is active in the United Kingdom and Ireland and is therefore not a global organisation.
What you can find
Anyone wishing to join signs a statement on academic freedom. According to its own figures, there are branches at dozens of universities. The website includes, among other things, a list of speakers and academics who have been barred from institutions or put under pressure, as well as articles, case studies and references to related organisations.
Why it is included on this list
Some of the cases tracked by AFAF concern academics with gender-critical views. An academic overview of this school of thought can be found at Oxford University Press — Gender-Critical Feminism. The site therefore offers insight into how freely the academic debate on gender can be conducted at universities. AFAF is an advocacy group, not a research institute.
Organisation and funding
AFAF reports having more than 1,800 members and 35 branches, including student branches under the name Student Academics for Academic Freedom. Formal membership has existed since 2022. The list of branches also includes an American university, the University of Nebraska-Kearney. The group is registered with the UK's Companies House as Academics For Academic Freedom Limited. According to the website, its funding comes from donations by members. In January 2026, AFAF also received a grant from the John Armitage Charitable Trust for administrative costs. Many articles on the site are written by Dennis Hayes.
Activities
In addition to its list of barred speakers, The Banned List, AFAF covers individual cases and provides legal assistance to members. It organises an annual conference, a series of seminars and a Heroes and Zeros section. AFAF participates in International Academic Freedom Day, which falls on 20 May in 2026. The topics extend beyond gender. In March 2026, the group wrote about the UK government's definition of anti-Muslim hatred; in September 2026, it addressed how someone can file a complaint about freedom of expression.
How to assess this source
AFAF names more than fifty affiliated organisations, including FIRE, Heterodox Academy and the Free Speech Union. The Banned List was compiled by the group itself and describes incidents from the perspective of the speakers involved. The university's account is usually absent. The list is useful as a starting point, not as a complete tally. One example of a cancelled debate on this site is the women's rights debate that was cancelled in Belfast. More on the broader discussion can be found under society.