Audrey Smedley is Professor Emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University in anthropology and African-American studies.

Rachel Dolezal, the White woman and former National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chapter president who courted major controversy nearly 10 years ago for falsely claiming she was Black, has been fired from her position with an Arizona school district over an OnlyFans account.

British-born white influencer Oli London has doubled down on their assertion that they're "transracial," after declaring they now identify as Korean.

Dolezal spoke up in Oli London's defense, asking for more "compassion and kindness" regarding one's "personal identity."

An article in a leading feminist philosophy journal has touched off a firestorm of criticism and countercriticism, illuminating a divide within feminist philosophy itself and raising a thorny question: Just what counts as good philosophy where sensitive issues of identity are concerned, and who gets to decide?

The son of a white woman who identifies as black says he resents some of his mum's choices.

A reddit user created a video defending Transracialism.

Excerpt: There was support there for both Botts's and Tuvel's positions; according to Botts, the view was expressed that Tuvel's ideas were out of step with recent scholarship, but that she might be onto something in calling for the right to reject one's designated race.

Racial dysphoria, also known as ethnic dysphoria, refers to a psychological condition characterized by a profound sense of disconnection from one’s own culture and a strong identification with a different culture, typically one that is distinct from the individual’s background.

A union that represents academics has reasserted a commitment to allowing its members to self-identify as being black, disabled or female.

A Twitter post by the Edinburgh branch of the University and College Union (UCU) said: “A reminder of UCU’s strong position in support of trans inclusion. Liberation cannot be built on exclusion”.

It contained a link to a policy document endorsed by the UK-wide union that states: “UCU has a long history of enabling members to self-identify, whether that is being black, disabled, LGBT+ or women.

“UCU supports a social, rather than a medical, model of gender recognition that will help challenge repressive gender stereotypes in the workplace and in society.”

One staff member at Edinburgh University, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, claimed that trans rights activists within the union were seeking to “weaponise” the issue and force out academics who expressed scepticism over the concept of self-identification.

“The branch is being used as a platform for an ideological crusade, with no resistance from University of Edinburgh management,” they said.

Robert Davis, a professor of religious and cultural education at Glasgow University, commented on Twitter: “Was Rachel Dolezal a member [of UCU]? Might have saved her a lot of bother.”

Dolezal, a US university professor, was dismissed in 2015 after she was revealed as pretending to be African-American.

She taught Africana Studies at Eastern Washington University and served as president of a branch of a black civil rights organisation.

She admitted to being “biologically born to white parents” after her mother and father presented her birth certificate to a newspaper. Dolezal now identifies as being “transracial” and goes by the name Nkechi Amare Diallo.

Hilaria Baldwin, wife of Alec Baldwin, the Hollywood actor, insisted she was from Spain in dozens of interviews and spoke with an Iberian accent.

This year, Oli London, an English influencer and singer, faced criticism after claiming to identify as Korean and having eyelid and nose surgery.

In July, Professor Braden Hill, of Edith Cowan University, an Aboriginal Australian, co-authored an essay that criticised “transracialism”, writing: “There is a difference between affirming your gender as a trans person and choosing to live and appropriate another culture.”

James McEnaney, a college lecturer, author and commentator on Scottish education, defended the union’s position. Addressing critics of self-identification, he said: “What’s the alternative to self-ID in those cases? What systems are supposed to be put in place to police it? Genetic tests to see if someone is black enough?”

A spokesman for UCU said: “Self-ID is not new and is standard practice across the UK. Adults will regularly self-ID when accessing national and local government services, the NHS, and when applying for jobs or completing the census.”

In June, Ann Henderson, a former rector of Edinburgh University, said that she feared for her safety on campus after students falsely accused her of transphobia. Neil Thin, 60, a senior lecturer, stepped back from teaching at Edinburgh University this year after campus activists claimed he had voiced “problematic” views on social media and had penalised candidates who challenged him. He was vindicated after an eight-week investigation.

Rebecca Tuvel argues that analogies, while useful for revealing biases and inconsistencies in thought, can be controversial, particularly in discussions of sex, gender, and race. In her article, she defends transracial identity by drawing an analogy to transgender identity, which sparked significant backlash and controversy. Tuvel emphasizes that respecting people's identities requires careful ethical consideration, balancing individual self-identification with the valid interests of marginalized groups. She concludes that the ethics of transracialism depend on specific contexts rather than generalizations, focusing on how to respect identities while addressing social inequalities.