Selina Todd, threats, security, wrong side of history my arse

[janeskettle]

Prof Selina Todd, a historian who specialises in the lives of women and the working class, said that she has now been provided with “routine security” to ensure she is not attacked {by TRA's}

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/23/oxford-university-professor-given-security-guards-lectures-threats/

Female historian needs security guards on campus (Oxford) to accompany her to lectures because of threats.

And we're the aggressive orthodoxy!!! I don't bloody think so!!

Do we know what the alleged threats consisted of

No. But we know that the university investigated and deemed them sufficiently serious and credible to provide Professor Todd with security
This is from The Times:

^Threats were of sufficient severity that the university will provide two security guards for lectures that she gives. The two men will accompany her to lecture halls, check she is not being followed and then sit at the back so that students see them when they arrive.
“The activists organise through social media and I’m blocked by many of them. The university did an investigation into the social media [threats] to make sure that what I was hearing wasn’t gossip. They were reassured that realistic threats were being made^

Do not be surprised if some or even many of them work at the St Petersburg troll factory.

Putin has made a big issue about returning Russia to 'traditional values' rather than Western imports like homosexuality and feminism.

The Russian security services aim to sow discord in the West. They're not bothered which side they support so long as it ends up with two or more sides becoming more and more polarised and angry with each other. It's long been suggested that the troll factories will post extremist stuff on both sides of these heated and highly polarised debates. They're pushing chaos rather than any particular worldview.

If only inciting hate against women could be recorded as a hate crime.

I was just reading a US story of a person attacked on the underground - spat on and insulted. Huge story, lots of fuss. Fine international.

Yes - bloody awful - but I was wondering how many women are groped, sexually assaulted, harassed, threatened every day?

Why is one type of harassment held up as a heinous crime and another is just ‘oh well, shit happens, what did she do to cause it?’

Current relevent thread discussing Prof Rosa Freedman's call for inquiry.

Sunday Times
(extract)
"A law professor has asked the universities minister to set up an inquiry into the “suppression of academic freedom” after complaining of being blacklisted from events and jobs because of “spurious allegations” that she is transphobic.

Rosa Freedman, a professor at Reading University and one of the UK’s leading human rights experts, says senior university managers seeking to “silence, block and gag” are acting “in the style of tinpot dictators”. (continues)

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3806141-rosa-freedman-challenges-universities

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3806141-rosa-freedman-challenges-universities

apologies for the double link

Charming tweet from an organisation calling itself Media Diversity Institute:

"Is the ‘scandal’ about threat to Oxford professor Selina Todd just one small part of this propaganda? For one, Oxford has been less than transparent about the nature of threats she received. Have the police been informed? Many questions remain... t.co/F9uPIdZfrN "

twitter.com/MDI_UK/status/1221805333145845762?s=19

Warning: their not-exactly-professional-looking website may give you a migraine:

www.media-diversity.org/en/

Oh. Oh! I hope they get sued.

As always, British media like @MailOnline, @thetimes and @Telegraph blew Todd’s story out of proportion. But, they failed to mention that Todd has been bullying trans people on social media and numerous complaints against her, submitted by Oxford students. t.co/8ksNJneqJI

twitter.com/MDI_UK/status/1221805334848856064?s=19

Oh look who they are close to (sorry for the triple post!).

We need to actively push for inclusion of lived trans experiences in UK media. @StopFundingHate works to achieve this by lobbying advertisers to boycott anti-trans media. As consumers, we vote with our pockets. Which media do you want to support? t.co/LzouwcNa8u

twitter.com/MDI_UK/status/1221805338179051520?s=19

Ok this is from last Saturday (just discovered it) but did anyone else see someone who's currently running for Women's Rep at UCU telling Selina on Twitter to "go for a walk or something" because "it's the weekend"?!

Wow really? Awful! Do you have a link/screenshot?

twitter.com/hagenilda/status/1221034807481786369?s=21

twitter.com/hagenilda/status/1221555408395022336?s=21

Disgusting and victim-blaming which is standard for this person. There is no way she should be a women’s rep for UCU. Her manifesto talks about how she’s going to improve things for trans rights and barely mentions women.

In her tweet about radio 4, one of her friends even had to mention that it was about threats of violence and she said ‘oh I don’t condone that of course’. Well, that’s really not clear from the tweets which have sought to victim-blame and use the misogynistic trope of women overreacting by telling Selina to ‘go for a walk’.

I had to log out of twitter to read those, as that person, who I have never interacted with before, has me blocked.

I’m sure she does. What a great candidate for women’s officer. Probably blocks half the women she’s supposed to be representing. There’s her and a bunch of other people who are hangers-on of Jo Grady and the misogynistic and aggressive way they talk about and to people is so so depressing.

I’m no longer in the UCU because of what it’s become. Getting someone like this as women’s officer will make it even worse and I suspect others will also leave because of it.

Honestly, hasn't it occurred to Edge, Gray and others that if you cannot bring yourself to defending and supporting someone you don't agree with, maybe you shouldn't be a Union officer? Even if the accusations against Selina had a leg to stand on, I would think that the Union's role would be to make sure that a proper investigation is being conducted by the university, that this is done transparently and according to the university's own regulations, and that any sanctions imposed are commensurate.

Agree totally aridapricot. None of them should hold positions in a trade union.

A (Male) UCU member asking what the union is doing about supporting free speech on Twitter received a death threat.

Still, the UCU has not responded. Seriously thinking I need to resign from the UCU.

I've just joined GMB this morning, following recommendations from another academic on here who is a member. The UCU leadership no longer understands what a union is.

Yeah what a coincidence eh?

"This is a thread for and about @DrJoGrady.

Jo is the general secretary of the @ucu , and I’m a member of the union. Over the weekend Jo tweeted in favour of ‘accountability’ and said that members could ‘check in’ with her. So I’m trying to do that. I take this seriously. t.co/DNZvBWOieW "

twitter.com/runthinkwrite/status/1222093180574797824?s=19

"Well, that's a surprise. Just got my first death threat for 15 years, to my OU email. Will, of course, be reporting it to the OU, the police and the @UCU "

twitter.com/runthinkwrite/status/1222137039056928776?s=19

The UCU leadership no longer understands what a union is.

Exactly this. What does it think it's there for?

I've just realised something else. The Times, the Mail, the Telegraph and the BBC have all carried a story about Selina. We already know that the Guardian and Indy are hopeless cases. But you know who else hasn't carried a story about her? Times Higher Education - a publication whose content is exclusively about what happens in universities. Isn't that extraordinary?

That same academic, runthinkwrite, was making the point in another thread that, rather than leaving the UCU, GC academics should stay and speak out. I am torn: I completely see his point, and although other unions like GMB might provide individual assistance, only an industry-specific union will have collective bargaining power, which is important to me. On the other hand, I am increasingly aware that if someone decided to doxx me and report me to my employers for the horrific crime of liking GC posts on Twitter (I'm afraid I'm too cowardly to speak out), the UCU would not only not support me but also actively contribute to me being disciplined or sacked...

I do understand the argument that one should stay and speak out. But I think we are well past that stage now. I have to think of my protections at work, and frankly these are better served by being in a different union. There is one GC academic whose local UCU branch was planning to support students to boycott her teaching. Let's just think about that for a minute. UCU was going to support people it doesn't represent to exacerbate a witch hunt against one of its members. It's a fucking joke. Except it's not funny. And for that we are supposed to pay them £27 a month? No thanks.

RoyalCorgi

As far as I know, the Times Higher has published only one article on the gender lack of "debate" in universities:

www.timeshighereducation.com/news/kathleen-stock-life-front-line-transgender-rights-debate

It's interesting to see the comments below it, which largely accord with my own sense from speaking to academics that few of them are on board with trans activists' demands but are scared to speak out. The death threats, threats of violence, accusations of bigotry and racism, etc, are designed to ensure it stays that way.

Wow GCAcademic every time I don’t think the UCU could stoop any lower, along comes another story. That’s shocking that they were going to support her students harassing her basically. It’s beyond disgusting. I also see the point about fighting from within but there is a limit. I am giving the union my money in subs. How can I give my money to a group of people who would like to see me sacked or disciplined? There are a few sane voices from within but they are few and far between and at risk of being ousted.

Wow GCAcademic are you able to name the academic or institution in question?