The biologist Maria-Luise Vollbrecht has announced legal action in connection with the debate about her lecture at Berlin's Humboldt University.

Within a day she collected 15,000 euros in donations for legal aid.

Under the title "Resistance against the threat to freedom of opinion and science", Vollbrecht announced that he would take legal action "against defamation in connection with my canceled lecture on biology and the evolution of the two sexes".

In the call for donations on the “Gofundme” portal, which has since ended, Vollbrecht writes: “Because I campaign online for women’s rights and represent gender-critical opinions, the above-mentioned activists put so much pressure on the Humboldt University that they had to cancel my lecture. She refers to a YouTube channel on which 120,000 people have now viewed her lecture online.

slander and insults

The media interest has "led to an intensification of the public character assassination campaign and to new lows in the form of defamation and insults, both online and in real life." She is now collecting money in order to use a law firm specializing in media law in the form of cease and desist letters and to defend counter-notices against the attacks if they continue to “exceed the bounds of what is permissible”.

Vollbrecht was supposed to give a lecture on biology and the evolution of the two sexes at an event during the Long Night of Science in early July, which was initially canceled after student protests.

Critics accuse the biologist of having a hostile attitude towards transsexuals.

Vollbrecht's central thesis is: There are only two sexes in humans and these are retained until the end of life.

Almost two weeks later, the event was rescheduled on Thursday.

Vollbrecht did not want to answer questions afterwards.

In a panel discussion following the lecture, neither Vollbrecht himself nor her critics sat on the podium, which in turn caused criticism of the organization of the university.

Vollbrecht justified her decision not to participate by saying that her lecture did not have to be contextualized.

A discussion of this magnitude is not productive.

In her appeal, Vollbrecht now wrote: "Scientists should not be afraid to speak the truth, because otherwise they fear becoming the target of harassment and a character assassination campaign." benefit".