Great essay by two American professors

[teawamutu]

On freedom of thought in universities, queer theory and the tone of the public conversation. University of Hull, take note: blog.lareviewofbooks.org/essays/open-letter-queer-studies-scholars/

Did you mean to post this? It’s an open letter from queer studies scholars, not an essay. Were you trying to link the piece they were responding to?

I did mean to, I was pointed to it from reddit where it was described as an essay so suppose I just picked up the same terminology.

I know v little about queer theory but I thought they were very good on the polarisation of shouting down of debate in universities.

Did you mean to link this one?
blog.lareviewofbooks.org/essays/conversion-therapy-v-re-education-camp-open-letter-grace-lavery/?fbclid=IwAR1hEjVHmMRz_s33nApItFvaZzIZ8RcqYUm2rrFQjRrw5bKA6uREOxX26Gg

Jesus Christ, these people are thick. There is no right of unchallenged self-definition. If there were, society would break down, because pretty everyone would self-define as the emperor of their own little kingdom, these two square meters under their feet that always travel with them, where there are no taxes to pay and no rules to observe. For the emperor at least. Unfathomable idiots the lot of them.

What you have posted is an open letter from a group of TRA queer studies scholars who are angry that someone has said that misgendering can be part of academic freedom.

Oh weird, that's the response to the piece I thought was good, which I haven't even read!

Yes Steve, that's exactly the one I meant. Sorry for the confusion, everyone.

Haha - no worries Tea. Yes, thought it was an excellent letter

Aha! Will read. Was a bit surprised when I thought you were talking about the open letter and calling it ‘great’. It’s just the normal drivel about how misgendering is literal violence.

It's a very passionate and professional letter defending academic freedom to scrutinise ideas and theories without fear of losing your job.

Yeah, the letter that OP meant to link to is very articulate and spot on.

maybe I should go and praise Jane Clare Jones' Annals of the TERF Wars in Dr Haddock's twitter feed, just to redress the balance...

I actually enjoyed reading the drivel you linked to accidentally. Reading obvious absurdities like ‚right to self-identify‘ makes me feel so superior - a great start into the day!

"To be specific, we identify as adolescent the furious response to the discovery that others do not perceive you exactly the way you’d like to imagine to yourself."