Typically lunatic statement about 'transphobia' from NUS

[RoyalCorgi]

They've just issued the following statement:

NUS statement on the rise of transphobia in Academia

Trans people, trans liberation, trans lives are not ‘contentious subjects’.

Under the pretence of being “gender-critical”, NUS Liberation team have noticed the sharp mainstream increase of transphobia within academic institutions. The gender critical perspective is rooted in opposing trans people and trans liberation and is nothing more than trying to rebrand transphobia. The increase in transphobic discourse has been coupled by the government's argument of free speech in Universities.

For example, a “Gender Critical Research Network” has been launched and approved by the Open University, whose senior leadership has be neutral, and therefore, has decided to be an accomplice of this blatant transphobia and bigotry.

This is not an isolated incident. LGBT+ delegates at our Liberation Conference 2021 discussed concerns about rising transphobia in many of their Universities - including transphobic rhetoric from staff targeted directly at students.

Recently, Stonewall launched their new strategy, re-affirming their support and active campaigning for trans liberation. In response, ‘gender-critical’ academics called for the boycott of the organisation's Diversity Champions scheme citing issues around freedom of speech, as we say for example at Cardiff University.

Some might have expected the UK governments' Equalities Minister to do her job and stand up for equality and against transphobia, but instead she seemed to have done the exact opposite and call for departments to also leave the scheme. It is very clear that while Stonewall and many organisations have shown their dedication to trans people, the government has, yet again, failed trans people and therefore, failed all of us.

NUS has, since its founding, supported and been at the forefront of student liberation and this is no exception. We unequivocally support trans communities, and join LGBT+ activists, campaigning organisations, and charities who are fighting for trans equality and call for all of the vice-chancelors who allow transphobia to thrive on their campus to apologise and resign immediately.

NUS UK Liberation Campaign Committee

Could someone ask them how the Jess Bradley investigation is going?

@dyslek

ScreamingMeMe; I think your username suscintly sums them up.

Well they can certainly spell transphobic, even if they can't explain what is transphobic about, errm that sort of thing. Maybe they think if they just write it often enough, we'll all start to believe it must be true. Although, to be honest, all I get from that was trans, transphobic, freedom of speech, transphobia. Did I miss anything important?

I don't know if it is still the same, but back in my day, the SU officers were paid. Are they still paid? If so, I would be really p*ed off, as a student or taxpayer, to know that I was paying for someone to write this.

And I agree, my God, the standard of essay writing has fallen. But, I suppose those who went into the full-time SU roles were never the students likely to get a Goldman Sachs job on the Milk Round.

I just want to get my pen out and correct it! These people are at university, ffs. Fair enough to have —embarrassing— strong political ideas when you’re young but the lack of literacy is shameful.

Stupid "freedom of speech" and those stupid wimmins. BAN IT, AND BAN THEM!!!!

The increase in transphobic discourse has been coupled by the government's argument of free speech in Universities.

I think they mean

The increase in transphobic discourse has risen since the Government has implemented new guidelines regarding the protection of free speech in Universities.

So they are against free speech it's transphobic.

I am now wondering if I am actually transphobic as well as a feminist. I mean, if that is the vanguard, my judgey pants are hoiked right up. But, it might just be I have always had no time for jumped up little pricks, whatever their banner.

@BarbaraPapa

I had to check, as I'm a bit elderly, but that opening sentence... that's what the kidz call a 'fronted adverbial', right?

Nice to hear the 'NUS Liberation team' has been going undercover as GC. How investigative!

In all fairness - I have a photograph of myself standing outside Barclay's bank in the late 70s holding a poster accusing that institution of "rascism".

I think it's a misrelated modifier, though it certainly is fronted. I used to know all this. I forgot it because in years of English teaching, I discovered that saying "This doesn't mean what you think it means" was more productive. Focusing on meaning rather than hordes of categories kinda works.

www.sarahmcculloch.com/statement-jess-bradley/

From Jess' ex.

That is the first time I have seen a TRA acknowledghow safeguarding concerns get swept away in the face of trans rights. I don't think she recognises that this may be part of the plan for people like Jess, but she is at least calling it out from within.

They could start by learning how to write properly.

Has jess Bradley just faded away then? Or is jess still around and about somewhere? Like lily madigan - haven't heard from lily for ages....

But what is quite frightening is if they really did just want to disappear into obscurity again, they could detransitioner. If jess Bradley detransitioned and then got a job elsewhere, who would ever know why jess was dismissed from her nus role?

Jess would cease to exist?

@ArabellaScott

www.sarahmcculloch.com/statement-jess-bradley/

From Jess' ex.

Wow. I hadn't seen that before. Bloody hell

@Annasgirl

I don't know if it is still the same, but back in my day, the SU officers were paid. Are they still paid? If so, I would be really p*ed off, as a student or taxpayer, to know that I was paying for someone to write this.

And I agree, my God, the standard of essay writing has fallen. But, I suppose those who went into the full-time SU roles were never the students likely to get a Goldman Sachs job on the Milk Round.

I used to work in an SU (until they made most of the older staff (and majority women) redundant. And yes they are paid about £21-24k a year for being a Sabb. They have far too much power and no knowledge to back any of it up. Hence why the older people got made redundant (all under the cloak of covid obviously).

NUS get so much money from SU's and they do not represent the issues students really want to know about.

Under the pretence of being “gender-critical”, NUS Liberation team have noticed the sharp mainstream increase of transphobia within academic institutions.

BarbaraPapa, we must be the same vintage! I thought the same as you, though I’d forgotten the name for this grammatical blunder. I feel like writing to the not-at-all preposterous NUS Liberation Team to say I’ve heard of the excellent undercover work they’re doing …

@ArabellaScott

www.sarahmcculloch.com/statement-jess-bradley/

From Jess' ex.

Oh God, all the wooooooooooords. Can no one write succinct prose these days?

When, oh when, are all these groups going to realise that “the sharp mainstream increase of transphobia” is actually the world waking up and feeling astonishment, rapidly followed by righteous anger, as they realise fully intact men now have the right to enter all women’s spaces without consequence and that women now have no protection from any perverted male who chooses to take advantage.