Times article - Professors bullied into silence as students cry transphobia

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Apols if this has been shared. I couldn't see it.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/professors-bullied-into-silence-as-students-cry-transphobia-b52t5gzz5?shareToken=b96ac887c301097e77782583e716feb4

Thanks for the share token. Stock's answer was great, so many areas of this ideology's impact really are desperate for debate, was a good list where the harms having been emerging into public consciousness in the last few weeks.

Our UK Government / Parliament / MPs plus the Equalities and Human Rights Commission [EHRC] need to say, unequivocally, that UK acknowledges that no human can ever change sex; that the issue of a GRC is a Legal Fiction which applies only for very specific legal purposes and that the sex-based rights of females written in law are immutable.

They also need to say that the UK Human Rights Act 1998 must be upheld and that university students cannot undermine any of those rights.

Such an action ends all this!

The Times are good at covering these stories-the comments (when eventually published) show people are fed up with trans tyranny.

It seems like a concerted group at several universities use the procedures to bully and harass women and men who don’t toe the line and don’t do as they are told

I think this must be frightening for them.

Bullies bullies bullies

I can't see the comments, just the standard comments are moderated and there may be a delay... yada yada...

Anyone else?

Students who bully staff should be disciplined. Staff who bully other staff likewise.

Hi All,

I am one of the dozen who spoke to Ewan and the situation is clearly insane.

I am presently under investigation as Harrop and Hayden have written to York describing themselves as "prominent members of the LGBT community" who have "reasonable concerns" about a "safeguarding risk" (i.e. me). Now, it seems to me that the only safeguarding risk.is from someone with a conviction for assault. Not to mention that the two of them have harassed and doxxed at least six women now.

Obviously, I cannot say more whilst the investigation is on-going but I am not apologetic for thinking that trans women are not, without qualification, women nor being sceptical of the concept of gender identity.

I'm in the process of getting legal advice as I have not violated any social media policy, and what I post in my own time is my own business (and frankly, anyone monitoring me in multiple places is exhibiting creepy behaviour).

Is safeguarding the opposition's latest appropriation then? Seen us talking about it, then nicked it and made it into something it isn't? Does my head in.

So sorry you're being harassed Louise And yes. Creepy is exactly what it is. Usual suspects involved, I see.

Those comments.... argh. There's always the blokes who'll trot out the good old 'well if you silly women hadn't insisted on getting out of your box in the first place this wouldn't have happened. This is what you deserve for getting above yourselves'.

Yeah Lang safeguarding is the buzz word they are using now

Where’s that vid of the harrop getting owned by posie ?

It's a Word That Makes Something Happen Lang

Used because it's been seen to be used and regarded with importance. No understanding whatsoever of what it means or the context. It's like kids shouting Big Words to try and get what they want. As pointed out at the Challoner review, despite repeated discussion the conclusion had to be that the review subject was incapable of understanding what safeguarding actually meant as opposed to the meaning they had placed on it.

Gaslighting is another one thrown around with gay abandon, devoid of any comprehension of context. DARVO is another one. Some of this I honestly think comes down to the comorbidity in this ideology with diagnoses that involve challenges with rigidity of thinking, literality, with generalising and processing context, perseveration behaviours and intense anger and sense of personal threat caused by others breaking perceived social rules/doing things the individual finds uncomfortable or doesn't agree with, even if those things are not actually wrong or against the rules. The above, including using learned phrases without understanding their context or meaning is something many kids with social communication challenges struggle with, and I wonder how many of the proponents here are those kids grown up. If this has a role here it needs to be addressed and separated from contentious misogynists with other disorders who enjoy conflict and harassment of women and have found a useful outlet.

Solidarity, Louise. It’s unbelievable.
I also despair at the lack of intelligence of very highly educate people in academia. I have seen countless ‘gotchas’ from academics who say ‘well, clearly you’re not being silent because you’re in the national press’. God, these women are not asking for a guaranteed platform- they are asking to be able to do their jobs without getting harassed and intimidated and punished for having opinions. And, FYI, for those, like me, who see how these women are treated and dare not speak out because of fear of repercussions, we ARE being silenced. It causes me quite serious distress that I cannot speak freely for fear of being unfairly labelled as hateful and prejudiced.

I also see that Caroline Dodds-Pennock, the author of that bland 6000+ signature letter that supposedly showed that nobody agrees with these women has piped up and said she opposes threats of violence towards academics. Forgive my language but you fucking idiot. That has always been the issue in the first place. Not the existence of trans students or anything like that. Just the fact that women are being threatened with violence, with being sacked, are ostracised and frozen out by others in the academy. Caroline and her virtue-signallers are nothing but bullies and this will not be forgotten.

It's like kids shouting Big Words to try and get what they want.

It's exactly like that.

Solidarity Louise. This is McCarthyism warmed up for the 21st century. I suppose we should be grateful that no one is being sent to jail - yet? - nor forced to name others if they want to keep their jobs, and their freedom.

I think the House Un-American Activities Committee was eventually found to be unconstitutional and America looks back with a sense of shame to those times. I hope something similar happens here.

This is truly scary. Silencing academics for speaking the truth.

I'm really glad this has hit the national press. There is an inexorable move towards exposure.

And yes, using words like safeguarding is a temporary weapon. Safeguarding has specific definitions, honed over time. They won't be able to back up their use of this concept to silence academics.

It's an attempt at muddying the waters, isn't it? The issue that's really gaining traction is the lack of safeguarding, so if it can be used against women there's a chance of silencing them AND causing confusion.

Louise, is there anything we can do to help you?

NC.

I'm one of the people interviewed for the article. I was shaking for 2 days after, but I'm now quite glad to be out in the open & public about it.

What's interesting are the SJWs on Twitter who assume that if one has had a complaint of transphobia made against one, one is automatically transphobic. The complaint against me was resolved with no disciplinary action, and no apology. The complainant wanted me sacked ... I was doxxed, basically.

You people here, you nest of vipers, have been such a great support. I don't know if you know this, but reading threads here (and occasionally posting) and knowing that I'm not bonkers, and that 99% of people think as I do has been very helpful.

And the irony is, I'm pretty much on the fence about TWAW - I have a TW colleague whom I'd never think of as "he" or male. Not a natal woman, but not a man ...

And I've taught queer theory - from a feminist materialist perspective of course! (I have actually read Butler's work which many TRAs and SJWs have not. I know they're wrong about what she's arguing).

Anyway to all you man-hating, hairy-legged, dungarees-wearing women! I'm a feminist from the late 1970s, can't you tell?

Thank you so much all!

Well, I'm on holiday right now and this is annoying to be dealing with. York's social media policy says you can post whatever providing you're not claiming to represent the uni (I never have) but there's also a vague clause about not doing anything to bring the uni into "disrepute", where "disrepute" is not specified. I really cannot see how expressing the view that trans women are not women constitutes that.

I've got two lawyers presently giving me free (!) advice and am going to have to respond to the absurd complaint in a week. It is a bit overwhelming but I'm pretty resilient and will take no nonsense from the likes of Harrop and Hayden.

Mouthy
Solidarity. I think there are so many who stand with you and agree with you.
The other tactics these academic SJWs are using is saying that being a TERF is based on ‘white feminism’ and ‘punching down’. It’s so so ludicrous. They are the ones employing racist arguments, consistently comparing transwomen to black women. It’s disgustingly offensive and a clear tactic to alienate gender-critical women even further and make them appear to be part of the far right.

I am so so SICK of academia sometimes. If I won the lottery, I would pack it all in and go and live on an island somewhere. Dealing with deliberate stupidity and irrational arguments is so exhausting and demoralising.

Solidarity Louise and Mouthy, you brave wonderful women. We hear you and will help if we can. Courage calls ...

for Louise and Mouthy.

Thank you Louise and Mouthy and anyone else who has been speaking publicly. It takes a lot of bravery in this climate.

twitter.com/GoingMedieval/status/1162828698791436288?s=20

This is the sort of idiocy that is rife in academia now.

Ironic that the person fuming in that twitter thread about supposed “dehumanisation” of trans students is the one calling gc academics “trash”. I mean, does she even hear herself? What an idiot.

Eleanor Janega doesn't seem like a very nice person, does she?

I don't really understand academics like this. Academics should be able to present thoughtful, reasoned argument. Even if they feel angry about something, you'd think they'd see it as being in their own self-interest to appear calm and rational. But Janega comes across as unhinged. It's not a good look, and especially not when you are one of the public faces of your university.