To think top universities should do better encouraging respectful debate?

[F1rstDoNoHarm]

"A hero in Oxford University’s Biology Department has been putting post-it notes with challenging quotes on top of trans propaganda. In response, Oxford has launched a 'formal investigation into unacceptable defacing'. When the 'culprit is caught', they’ve threatened expulsion." (James Esses, therapist and investigative journalist.)

Am I being unreasonable to think that the University of Oxford of all places should be able to cope with a piece of paper presenting an opposing view on a notice board, rather than seek to silence critical thinking and biological reality? Oxford isn't your average university - it'd be great if they kept it that way!

Am I being unreasonable?

• Yes you are being unreasonable - the 'culprit' must be found and investigated. Quotes on post-it notes on a notice board are entirely unacceptable.
• No you are NOT being unreasonable - the university should encourage an open debate and welcome all views when it comes to contested beliefs.

https://x.com/JamesEsses/status/1980298054105477172

YANBU. The real shocker is what happened to one of the young women who later set up the Cambridge University society for women when she was seen buying gender critical books.
The universities should be ashamed to have allowed an environment to develop in which such bullying is acceptable, and should regard it as a crisis requiring immediate action.

Those notes were being placed on posters for LGBTQ+ initiatives. What is it that makes you think the notes were solely a "challenge" to the T part of LGBTQ+?

You’d have to really stretch to decide a quote on a Pride progress flag with an explanation label about how it came to replace the original rainbow, was a challenge to the original rainbow meaning rather than the progress aspect. Anyone suggesting that is disingenuous imo.

Besides, even if it had been, quotes which are challenging but not in themselves homophobic in any way whatsoever should not be grounds for expulsion in an organisation that believes in free speech.

Someone who sees "challenging" notes attached to LGBTQ+ posters and instantly assumes that they can only refer to trans people is someone who is so obsessed with a single issue that they cannot possibly believe that other people may have different agendas.

Are you not aware that there's a whole bunch of people out there who think that you can be indoctrinated into being lesbian/gay/bisexual, just as many people on mumsnet think that you can be indoctrinated into being trans?

The alphabet soup isn’t a sacred cow. Their “initiatives” can be challenged.

Of course there is, but they don’t tend to communicate via George Orwell quotes.

Defacing a university noticeboard is not free speech. It's vandalism.

If the poster wants to put their own notices up separately explaining their views, that's fine. They don't have the right to cover up notices placed by others, especially official university communications.

Also these emails are from a year ago! That investigation is probably concluded. Why is a "journalist" digging it up now?

I cannot imagine being this sad and pathetic.

Why deface somebody else’s sign because you have an issue with it. Just make your own posters. Good Lord!

Are you in favour of expulsion for all such stickering? Because I think you would find that there would be people sent down from all sides of the political spectrum, if it was consistently applied. Personally I think that would be draconian and disproportionate.

For stickering alone? Yes, it would be inappropriate.

For continuing to engage in a behaviour when your manager/head of department has told you to stop, and not engaging with them to discuss a way in which you can express your views without vandalising university notice boards? Maybe it is appropriate.

As I said, people have a right to express opinions. They don't have a right to deface workplace notices.

I’ve had another look and the stickers aren’t actually stopping the information on the posters being accessed. Unlike trans activists, who interfere with freedom of speech by stopping others from being heard, this isn’t stopping anyone from reading that poster.

Do you think trans activists who show up where gender critical people are gathered, to scream and shout and blast deafening music and generally interfere with freedom of speech, are “sad and pathetic”?

The fact that that behaviour is usually ignored but a post it note is cause for an investigation demonstrates exactly how much power and influence the T lobby has over everyone else.

Why is he a hero? Students will be students, unlikely they will be caught and if they are probably a slap on the wrist for defacing notice boards. Not sure what it has to do with debate, they haven't invited anyone to a debate or suggested they wanted one.

Look - A Squirrel!!

So if you believe people have a right to express opinions, and no space is being made for them on noticeboards like this to express their opinions, where do you propose that they protest about the violation of their right to express their opinion?

Why are you trying to deflect attention from the issue at hand?

I think there is a difference in fighting against prejudice and gathering to complain about the way others live their lives. But let's not distract from the point at hand.

No one would accept racist notes put on an anti racism poster. This is no different. A poster advocating for a groups rights being defaced with propaganda from people who dislike that minority is not remotely acceptable.

That is what you are doing with your post.

Agree. I thought of both Oxford and Cambridge as excellent options for my kids (or anyone else highly academic, for that matter!) for such a long time that I'm really struggling to recalibrate my thoughts and feelings about these universities, knowing what I know now.

For those who don't know about what's going on in Cambridge, Nick Wallis is covering it here:
Cambridge students launch single-sex Society for Women

How are those notes anti-LGBT?

No - I’m showing the continuing lack of balance that treating trans as a sacred cow creates. See also the police case against Susan Smith of For Women Scotland today.

The IRONY! Are you just giving words random meanings?

I am talking about the specific “issue at hand” mentioned in OP.

You are “trying to deflect [my] attention” to a different topic.

No - it’s all part and parcel of the same thing. I’m looking at the bigger picture.

(Trans activists like the change the meaning of words - you should know that.)

I am only interested in commenting on the specific topic mentioned in the OP.

If you want a different topic of conversation quote respond to somebody else.

The topic is the university’s disproportionate response.