Sally Hines - criticised for tweets

The Tab is, I believe, a student newspaper and I'd have expected them to be supportive of Hines.

The article was written by Ewan Somerville, a student at Sheffield University, who has had a few articles published in the national press which are critical of gender ideology.

I agree she should have left them up so students can follow her insightful comments. Or something.
I am definitely not a fan of censorship of ideas, they should be discussed.

To be honest, if Sally Hines wants to make s fool of herself for all the world to see (including her employers and parents of young people considering Sheffield University) then let her. What's far more interesting to me is that The Tab is, I believe, a student newspaper and I'd have expected them to be supportive of Hines.

When it comes down to it, I don't think any of us would recommend that a Sheffield Sociology student took a course run by Sally Hines. University is for education, and to teach analytical skills. So far there is no evidence of much academic rigour in anything I have read or heard. A student might be better off saving time and money and relying on a a sensible mix and diversity of TED talks.

If the messages were taken out of context, why delete the messages so people can’t read them in context?

As a queer woman, whose tweets were in threads/conversations with other queer women about current debates within our community, accusations of homophobia are risable [sic], if not slandorous [sic].

What is risible is that this was written by a professor, to a newspaper.

What does she mean when she says she's a "queer woman?"

Pretty sure she's gay. She has a girlfriend and has made reference to being a lesbian; usually, however, she studiously avoids the L word.

What possible context could there be that would make any of that acceptable?

Many of her tweets are just random nonsense/rudeness in response to GC discussion. I thought the article did a good job of giving context where there was some.

"gender-critical feminists, some of whom are lesbians, who argue women’s sex-based rights should be upheld alongside trans rights" - to see this in a Tab article has given me hope!

A spokesperson for the institution said: "The University supports the principles of academic freedom and the right for its staff to hold, challenge and rigorously debate a wide range of beliefs and positions within the law.

That’s good, so I assume they would be supportive of any gender critical feminists who choose to say that people can’t change sex? After all, “academic freedom and the right for its staff....” Or is it only the ‘woke’ language that is included in these rights?

her online history appears so spectacularly awful that I would be dubious about whether she is a suitable person to be teaching young people

Exactly this. My DD will be starting uni visits at the end of this academic year, and sociology and Sheffield are amongst her potential choices, though probably not now!

What does she mean when she says she's a "queer woman?"

Is she using some kind of "I kissed a guy who later said she was trans" status as her defence for insulting lesbians? Even if she's genuinely same sex attracted she can fuck off with that shit, I'm bi and I don't think it's okay to fling homophobic insults at lesbians. But identifying into a community of people that you don't belong to in order to excuse yourself for flinging insults at that community, seems like a particularly heinous (Hines-enous?) thing to do.

There’s a difference between academics being reported for stating facts (however unpopular) and those reported for using crude insults aimed at homosexual women, amongst other embarrassing nonsense.

Yes agreed.

people being sacked or facing hr investigations won't help the discussion get onto a more sensible footing either. It just heightens the tension.

While I can see this might be true, her online history appears so spectacularly awful that I would be dubious about whether she is a suitable person to be teaching young people.

There’s a difference between academics being reported for stating facts (however unpopular) and those reported for using crude insults aimed at homosexual women, amongst other embarrassing nonsense.

There is no doubt whatsoever, that she risks bringing the university into disrepute.

Hahahaha bahahah this is hilarious well done to the journalist. I noticed it's written like a proper TRA style article, except it's not fawning over TRAs. I really think people are peaking all over the place.

"The University supports the principles of academic freedom and the right for its staff to hold, challenge and rigorously debate a wide range of beliefs and positions within the law.

Hine's tweets aren't anything like 'rigorous debate' though, are they?

As to people suggesting the tweets were done under the influence of alcohol - I assume that's because people can't quite believe a uni professor would be foolish enough to make them while sober.

The Tab reporter might like to dig up the tweets about skeletons as a follow up, perhaps?

Beware of time stamps on twitter Prawnofthepatriarchy. Many tweets are at PST (GMT -8). However, users can choose to set their local time for their tweets.

This means that a UK woke academic apparently posting nonsense at midnight can actually be in sound mind at 8am.

She said happily that women athletes will now have to work and train harder in order to compete against men.

I don't think there's any evidence that she was drunk other than people assuming. I'm not keen on jumping to that conclusion - it's often levelled at middle aged women. I've seen Frances barber getting the same on our 'side'.

I also think it's better not to report people to their employer for saying stupid things, or things you really really disagree with on twitter. I don't agree with what she says on this issue, but she's entitled to her opinion. I completely don't support (and actually don't understand) the stupid things she said about lesbians according to the article, but people being sacked or facing hr investigations won't help the discussion get onto a more sensible footing either. It just heightens the tension.

I'm embarrassed for the university that this person works for them. Her behaviour is absolutely shameful.

I've heard it suggested that Sally Hines drunk Tweets (which definitely seems likely from their content) but is there any actual evidence?

“Out of context”?

What possible context could there be that would make any of that acceptable? 🤔

And she teaches reproduction? Goddess help her students.

😬

You don't think the establishment would let women rise to positions of prominence unless they were good, compliant ones, ready to bully and keep the non compliant ones in their place? Hines is just an astoundingly gauche example of an unimpressive woman who is useful to the establishment.

There's a lesson here about not posting on social media when drunk.

thank you nettie343, that is great

Gosh there are two women that dim who have been on Women's Hour!!

Not right in the head surely ?!

I love the word dimwit for this person, so apt.