Self-proclaimed feminist and Australian writer Germaine Greer delivered a public university lecture despite protests of her transphobic views, The Guardian reports.

During her lecture at Cardiff University on Wednesday, November 18th, “Women & Power: The Lessons of the 20th Century,” she argued that post-operative men are not women. “I don’t believe a woman is a man without a cock,” she said. “You can beat me over the head with a baseball bat. It still won’t make me change my mind.”

She added: “Being a woman is a bit tricky. If you didn’t find your pants full of blood when you were thirteen, there’s something important about being a woman you don’t know. It’s not all cake and jam.”

More than 3,000 people signed the petition urging Cardiff University to prevent Greer from giving the lecture because of her “Trans-exclusionary views,” which “should have no place in feminism or society.”

Rachael Melhuish, who began the petition on Change.org, added, “While a debate in a University should be encouraged, hosting a speaker with such problematic and hateful views toward marginalised and vulnerable groups is dangerous. Allowing Greer a platform endorses her views, and by extension, the transmisogyny which she continues to perpetuate.”

Cardiff hosted the event despite the petition, and the university’s vice-chancellor, Professor Colin Riordan, maintains that the university is committed to free speech. “Our events include speakers with a range of views, all of which are vigorously challenged and debated,” he said. “This event will be no different. Our commitment to our LGBT+ students and staff members is unwavering and we fully recognise the tremendous benefits of having such a diverse community brings to Cardiff University.”

He added: “We work hard to provide a positive and welcoming space for LGBT+ people and we are in consultation with student and staff groups to ensure that views of LGBT+ people are represented at our events. We in no way condone discriminatory comments of any kind.”

Greer called the university’s statement “weak as piss,” reports The Guardian. “If the University of Cardiff cannot guarantee that I will not have things thrown at me, then I won’t go there. I can’t be bothered.”

A dozen peaceful protesters showed up for the event, and Greer’s hour-long talk “about the suffragette movement, the ‘nightmare’ of the corporate world, equal pay, systematic sexual abuse of vulnerable girls and abortion” went on without major incident.

Related News: Melbourne University Press may publish a novel-sized letter by Germaine Greer to novelist Martin Amis about their affair—against her consent.

Photo Credit: Eleanor Bentall/Corbis.