Kathleen Stock cancelled by UEA

[BovaryX]

In another example of the ongoing existential threat to freedom of speech, Kathleen Stock's speech at the University of East Anglia has been 'postponed'

^I think this is part of a wider pattern where an invitation to speak is given in the normal way, and then senior management panic in response apparently to some kind of protest,” she said.
“They know that can’t say they are cancelling the talk, so they say we are ‘postponing’ it in the interests of something nebulous like health and safety" The university said the talk could go ahead if a “transgender speaker” is also invited the following week. They said a bigger venue was needed as well as additional security^

The funny thing is, it's very unlikely that a majority of the transsexual population in the UK would support the silencing of Doc Stock. It's often well intentioned folk that push this agenda. I suspect the majority of trans people haven't heard of her and those that have I would hazard a guess would welcome a chance to chat to her if they didn't agree with her opinions use intellectual debate and statistics in an effort to counter her opinions.

Personally, I believe the GC position has a more than adequate platform with the likes of the Times Sky news and the the Mail et.al often trotting out articles that show trans people in a negative light. I appreciate that sometimes they are challenged on mist representations or plain lies but, a printed apology in a box in the corner of page 35 pays homeage to the thought that a misrepresentation is twice around the world before the truth lifts the duvet cover.

All that said Doc Stock should be heard and debated.

#nodebob

The existential threat to freedom of speech in the very institutions where it should be defended is getting widespread coverage. One effect of the insidious advance of #no debate is a reinvigorated defense of freedom. It is fitting that on the anniversary of Orwell's death, people are challenging the authoritarian zealots who want to stifle public discourse.