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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Launch: Open University Gender Critical Research Network

65 replies

Deathsquito · 17/06/2021 06:31

Hello everyone!

I’ve been a lurker on these boards for the last year or so. I’m a mature student at the OU and was made aware of this whole debate when I was warned to be very careful what I was saying by my (friendly) OU tutor. He told us that what we were discussing may get us threatened online. The whole tutor group was told this.

This was because we were discussing a group experiment we were doing for the module. One involving using biological sex as an independent variable. Like comparing male/female heights.

We had what I thought was a considerate, polite discussion around how best to make sure the data was correct. We decided on asking for biological sex rather than gender as we all understood it to be a different thing.

It was quite a shock to realise this (what I thought was) widely accepted scientific view would get us publicly hung, drawn and quartered, even by other students in the sciences.

I haven’t posted in here before, mostly because I haven’t had anything new to say. But I came across this on Twitter this morning and thought it may be interesting to some.

The OU has launched a GC research network and podcast. The podcast can be viewed on YouTube and after being scared to speak my opinion in real life/my OU studies it has restored my faith in the OU!

Launch: Open University Gender Critical Research Network
Launch: Open University Gender Critical Research Network
OP posts:
SoMuchForSummerLove · 17/06/2021 23:34

I think it's desperately sad that already vulnerable young people have been indoctrinated to believe they're 'unsafe' due to thoughts, discussions, conversations and disagreements. It's a fucking travesty.

aweegc · 17/06/2021 22:55

Just seen the Reddit thread. It's shocking (and pretty tragic) that someone would find an educational institution in which you never need to see a single person or even interact with anybody other than a tutor (which is relatively rare), you don't even need to leave your bedroom for the entirety of your education, an unsafe place! How on earth do these people even go to the supermarket if an online education provider is unsafe?

NotTerfNorCis · 17/06/2021 21:45

Really pleased to see this, and finding it hilarious (but also a bit scary) how worked up the TRAs are getting.

Olderbadger1 · 17/06/2021 21:40

Cardiff University academics are also fighting back (CU is a Stonewall champion). Please support them if you are on twitter...

"it is inappropriate that such a group should be embedded within the university, influencing policies which affect freedom of expression and expose dissenters to harassment".

twitter.com/prossertj/status/1405453727662841859

SoMuchForSummerLove · 17/06/2021 15:04

Not any more it seems...

Or at least not on this one forbidden topic.

Deathsquito · 17/06/2021 14:56

If anything it’s made me feel safer! After realising what a minefield this all was, it felt too dangerous to actually express a belief which I thought was mainstream (in biological sex).

And since I’ve started paying attention I’ve seen the awful threats mainly women (and via them their children) have received for stating a legal and reasonable opinion.

I had to hold my tongue (finger?) when I saw someone tweeting that they were glad they had quit OU now.

Isn’t that supposed to be part of the whole university experience, learning to get along and debate with others who have vastly different experiences/opinions to you?

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Justme56 · 17/06/2021 14:37

I watched the first podcast yesterday and found it really interesting. Seems to be covering all sort of issues like why there is so little research into female health.

The TRA's are in full attack mode which I assume means that they haven't bothered to watch it. Surely they all have mothers/sisters/grandmothers who would greatly benefit from some discussion on this?

Loved the idea that a well known [they/them] no longer feels safe attending an Open University course!

Deathsquito · 17/06/2021 14:35

A WhatsApp group I’d joined in preparation for my two modules in October is in complete melt down.

I’ve left it now (can see it’s not going to be the useful kind of group anyway) but a few members in the group appeared to be having difficulty distinguishing between a research network and a genocidal study in to their existence (non binary).

I hope freedom of thought/expression and the ability to fundamentally disagree with someone whilst remaining civilised roars back in to fashion some time soon!

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ScreamingMeMe · 17/06/2021 14:14

This is great!

GrownUpBeans · 17/06/2021 14:11

Great news. I'm an OU student too.

PurpleHoodie · 17/06/2021 13:59

Good news.

accessorizequeen · 17/06/2021 13:53

[quote SoMuchForSummerLove]@accessorizequeen it's hard isn't it. I really don't want to hide behind a pseudonym, I want to stand up and be counted, but we know how organisations cower in the face of tantrumming adolescents.[/quote]
Maybe the Forstater judgment will help there, hard to tell yet. I work for myself. Don't know if that means I should carry on in my quiet way. Or not.

Chrysanthemum5 · 17/06/2021 13:28

Well Sally Hines will know all about academic mediocrity

allmywhat · 17/06/2021 13:26

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SoMuchForSummerLove · 17/06/2021 13:23

@accessorizequeen it's hard isn't it. I really don't want to hide behind a pseudonym, I want to stand up and be counted, but we know how organisations cower in the face of tantrumming adolescents.

MalcolmTuckersBollockingface · 17/06/2021 13:18

Thanks for posting this. I’m a current OU mature student and this is welcome news. I have also witnessed people tearing into anyone who believes in biological reality on student Whatapp groups.

accessorizequeen · 17/06/2021 13:16

@SoMuchForSummerLove

Yeah, same. I know that one tweet will only escalate so I'm laying off today.

Also - depressingly - I feel like I have to restrain myself as I'm job hunting and my Twitter account is in my own name.

My account is in my biz name and I'm wondering if that's sensible. I don't lose my temper, I'm never rude, I ask questions and correct lies or inaccuracies. Ive still managed to get blocked by people.
Ereshkigalangcleg · 17/06/2021 13:15

This has unsurprisingly been jumped on. Sally Hines is now trying to set up a counter-network

Aren't all the other networks "gender inclusive"?

YellowFish12 · 17/06/2021 13:14

Oh go OU Smile

SoMuchForSummerLove · 17/06/2021 13:09

Yeah, same. I know that one tweet will only escalate so I'm laying off today.

Also - depressingly - I feel like I have to restrain myself as I'm job hunting and my Twitter account is in my own name.

accessorizequeen · 17/06/2021 13:07

@SoMuchForSummerLove

Am absolutely sitting on my hands trying not to reply to the utterly brainless people tweeting that the existence of a podcast discussing the concept of gender and sexed bodies makes them literally unsafe.

I'd hate all this less if so many people in the debate were not completely and utterly dumb.

It's hard not to respond sometimes. Not always in the mood to get called bigoted. Or accused of genocide.
SoMuchForSummerLove · 17/06/2021 13:00

Am absolutely sitting on my hands trying not to reply to the utterly brainless people tweeting that the existence of a podcast discussing the concept of gender and sexed bodies makes them literally unsafe.

I'd hate all this less if so many people in the debate were not completely and utterly dumb.

accessorizequeen · 17/06/2021 12:56

This has unsurprisingly been jumped on. Sally Hines is now trying to set up a counter-network after calling the OU academics involved mediocre. twitter.com/sally_hines/status/1405261064724439046?s=21

aweegc · 17/06/2021 12:09

This is amazing! Hopefully it'll lead to some change with OU teaching material too... there was recently a FB thread in which students from loads of modules and different courses from maths to psychology talked about how (lgb)T (in that priority) appeared in their materials. It was quite striking. There were so few students who said it hadn't appeared in their studies at all.

Maybe they'll take on the "sex work as great job" narrative too. I know someone who began a module with the idea that sex work wasn't something she'd ever want to do and ended with "It's just a job like any other! If I needed the money I'd do it now."

SeaShoreGalore · 17/06/2021 11:17

Excellent!