Edinburgh Uni under pressure for hosting discussion on women's sex based rights

[GCatEdinburgh]

Scotsman article here

So far they have been firm re. protecting freedom of speech, but the pressure is escalating and will continue, and they will keep a close eye on the balance of negative/positive correspondence.

The event details are here.

If any of you could write in support of the event the key recipients would be the head of the School of Education Prof. Rowena Arshad ([email protected]) and the Principal Prof. Peter Mathieson ([email protected]).

There's also been a lot of negative social media from students and other groups, so if you could send a positive tweet or two to @ EdinburghUni and @ MorayHouse (without the spaces), talking about the importance of women' rights and right to freedom of discussion, that would be very helpful!

I thought that article was actually quite good. I feel reassured by the stance the uni seems to be taking.

I agree - but they need to be empowered to hold to it!

I tried to get tickets to this but it's sold out.

it's sold out

Surely this will be a sign of the event’s popularity

Great event. I would go to that if I still lived in Edinburgh. And with Juiie Bindel! What’s not to like? I’m sure there will be the usual crowd of blue-haired speshul folks picketing outside of it, however. I hope the university stands strong.

Will do. Would be disgraceful if Edinburgh uni caved in and cancelled.

No surprise that lighthouse books are tweeting against this - they have definitely lost my custom.

Good that event looks good! Wish I could go. The ranting "Liberation" group sound bonkers to be quite frank. I remember the photos of the Sisters Uncut / Action for Trans Health protest outside the Woman's Place UK meeting in Edinburgh in early 2018. They looked really sinister with their masks. They banged pots and pans and used megaphones to drown out the words of those inside, including the testimony of a rape survivor. They are intolerant and authoritarian, and seriously unhinged. Remember the Edinburgh Action for Trans Health "manifesto" that advocated for "revolutionary violence" and said that their violence will be a "force for good"?

Brilliant panel Will write in support of free speech and for it to go ahead

At what point does a group become an extremist hate group? I mean in the eyes of the law, obviously we can see those tweets and understand what they mean.

Hull university stood firm.
You have to stand firm against bullies.

Sigh. This is fucking ridiculous

Really gutted that the tickets are sold out! But I went the professors an email thanking them for setting up the event.
Thanks for highlighting this. :)

Remember the Edinburgh Action for Trans Health "manifesto" that advocated for "revolutionary violence" and said that their violence will be a "force for good"?

Those comments were made in direct response to the assault by TRA Tara Wolf on Maria Mclachlan, which makes it even worse.

Emailing the university now.

It's absurd that intimidation and threats of violence are stopping this debate from happening. It can't last, really - the more groups like ATH threaten, the more unhinged and dangerous they seem, the more it becomes clear that the debate has to be had. Thankfully, it seems more people and bodies are starting to gingerly admit that there may be rights conflicts between Self ID and women and girls' sex based rights, and that we can and must discuss these.

Keep pulling ...

According to the Scotsman article, the Lighthouse bookshop tweeted "the bigots don’t get to dominate our narratives".

Just a reminder of the meaning of the word bigot: "a person who is intolerant towards those holding different opinions".

I wonder how many complaints there have been about the university holding a transgender conference later this month, compared with the number of complaints about the women's rights event?

Who is trying to shut down free speech, and is showing intolerance towards those with different opinions? If the word 'bigot' is going to be used, it should be applied to the right group of people - and that's not the people who are arguing for freedom of speech.

The Lighthouse bookshop can have whatever narrative it pleases with itself and whoever chooses to join in. It can't stop other people with differing views having their own narrative/discussion/debate.

Edinburgh Uni is hosting this sold or discussion and also a trans discussion in May - it is showing balance and supporting different groups. Those trying to shut down this discussion are the ones showing their intolerance of others and their opinions, the speakers and supporters of women's rights by contrast are not trying to shut the other side down. I think the more the public see this the more support we will gain for GC perspective.

Emailed in support

The lighthouse bookshop are irrelevant - a teeny wee shop that used to be a radical independent shop - not sure what I’d call it now. But what their owners tweet isn’t like say, a uni or charity tweeting it’s just a couple of people with a business. Strange line of work to get into admittedly if you have such a closed mind..

The lighthouse bookshop are irrelevant

I'm not sure if that was in reply to my post, but I was just pointing out the absurdity of an anti-free-speech business calling other people 'bigots'.

Wow some hyperbolic lies are being posted!

What a silly little person! Send that account this via Twitter:

www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-download/freedom-expression-guide-higher-education-providers-and-students-unions-england

@SarahPickles Thanks for sharing that tweet. Went through and reported a load of her posts and some of her nasty pals. How awful to be so full of hate all the time.

Did anyone get a ticket?
I met some lovely MNers at the last Edinburgh event then my phone broke and I lost everyone's details.

I got a ticket! Looking forward to it.