Campaign of bullying and intimidation at Sussex University vs Professor Kathleen Stock

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Absolute disgrace. Posters on campus calling for her to be sacked. Academic colleague tweeting that he agrees with this. twitter.com/FrancescoFv37/status/1445727937660076032?t=-Di7mRf5sznFvvzww8UI2w&s=19 I saw a tweet saying there was a burning in effigy. Can't confirm this but nothing would surprise me now. Time for Sussex staff, students and alumni to put their heads over the parapet.

I have long thought that activists who attack free speech, in a manner that organisations like the old Amnesty International used to oppose, will find themselves turned against in the end.

But it will be for androcentric reasons, not gynaecentric ones.

You know who else is vile? David Lammy.

There is a saying that goes something along the lines of "find out who controls you by finding out who you cannot criticise". It's pretty clear, isn't it? It's not women in control.

Of course certain men are watching this thread and reporting anyone who tells the truth.

When the York saga occurred, I recall that a prominent philosopher - although one who is not widely cited within the discipline itself - messaged to say that, whilst sympathetic, they could not publicly support owing to their friendship with York's Head of Dept. It was difficult to consider this as anything but a spineless act by someone trying to boost their career. And, of course, we are seeing the same now. So, unfortunately, I know full well how K.S feels and have every sympathy with someone as esteemed as herself.

Liz Truss speaking out (Times article):

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/597bb7ae-29fd-11ec-a1c0-649c1183346f?shareToken=4e224f7e97e235dd586424c1d04ad522

God, who'd have thought we'd ever see the day I was cheering bloody Truss on!

I don't know if it has been posted anywhere else but there is a letter from Sex Matters for academics to sign.

us7.list-manage.com/survey?u=46a58c952648fba2a6ace567d&id=3ba9cfe767&attribution=false

It will be sent to the EHRC by 1pm.

Full letter can be found here:

sex-matters.org/posts/updates/ehrc-letter/

Thanks Igneo
Haven’t got time to look up Liz Truss’ tweet but I do hope she said more than ‘it’s OK to have opinions’.

Truss, the minister for women and equalities, wrote on Twitter: “No one should be targeted and harassed simply for holding an opinion.”

Part of the madness here is that Prof Stock is completely basing her opinions on biological reality, unchangeable facts. Yes of course everyone should be able to have opinions on campus, Truss is quite correct, but I do hope she is not attempting sitting on the fence by suggesting that the material reality of biological sex is just an ‘opinion’?
Because pretending like that is how we (…’we’ meaning a large number of individuals and key UK institutions..) got into this complete mess in the first place. Plus unacceptably turning a blind eye to male-led authoritarianism harassment and threats of violence.

“No one should be targeted and harassed simply for holding an opinion.”
"Truss said she “fully supports” a letter to The Times by the head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Baroness Falkner of Margravine, who called attacks on Stock, 48, disgraceful and said that tougher regulation was needed to protect people."

That is what the Times quotes. Maybe there was more in the tweets.

Yes, I wish here were a clear statement that binary unchangeable sex in mammals is a fact not an mere opinion but it seems she went at it from a free speech angle. I'm not keen on introducing new laws either, I wish they would use the ones that are already in place, surely open threats are covered by existing laws.

Off to my lab now doing my daily evil work as a biologist firmly rooted in facts.

Re: "find out who controls you by finding out who you cannot criticise" - it was an American neo Nazi who said that and he was referring to Jews. I think that reveals what is dumb about the statement - there are many possible reasons why people may be jumpy about what is said about certain groups.

I kinda hate these "profound, pithy" fridge magnet sayings that sound meaningful because they pick out one strand of reality, but by leaving out the rest of it they really distort.

But anyway, that's an aside.

@ChattyLion

Thanks Igneo Haven’t got time to look up Liz Truss’ tweet but I do hope she said more than ‘it’s OK to have opinions’.

Truss, the minister for women and equalities, wrote on Twitter: “No one should be targeted and harassed simply for holding an opinion.”

Part of the madness here is that Prof Stock is completely basing her opinions on biological reality, unchangeable facts. Yes of course everyone should be able to have opinions on campus, Truss is quite correct, but I do hope she is not attempting sitting on the fence by suggesting that the material reality of biological sex is just an ‘opinion’?
Because pretending like that is how we (…’we’ meaning a large number of individuals and key UK institutions..) got into this complete mess in the first place. Plus unacceptably turning a blind eye to male-led authoritarianism harassment and threats of violence.

Indeed. And the commenters under the times article are just as bemused that saying sex is real might be considered an 'opinion'.

I don't know if it's a tactical move to force a wtf reaction to transgenderism, but in my experience shilly shallying around actual facts is jumped on as a 'giving an inch' argument.

@AnotherLass

Re: "find out who controls you by finding out who you cannot criticise" - it was an American neo Nazi who said that and he was referring to Jews. I think that reveals what is dumb about the statement - there are many possible reasons why people may be jumpy about what is said about certain groups.

I kinda hate these "profound, pithy" fridge magnet sayings that sound meaningful because they pick out one strand of reality, but by leaving out the rest of it they really distort.

But anyway, that's an aside.

I was very clear about the context. Too bad that your post overlooks that.

@Hattie765

God, who'd have thought we'd ever see the day I was cheering bloody Truss on!

Looking increasingly likely the sucession contest is going to be Rishi Rich Boy vs Truss

I guess the fact is sex exists.
The opinion is that it's not inappropriate to mention it from time to time or organise public spaces by it where relevant.

How have things gone so back to front though that it's seriously suggested that what sex someone is should become taboo?

"find out who controls you by finding out who you cannot criticise" - it was an American neo Nazi who said that and he was referring to Jews.

And first they came for the jews.

This on-campus madness begins with the Israel-Palestine question and the BDS movement.

the fact is sex exists.

We need that on a T shirt.

@thirdfiddle

I guess the fact is sex exists. The opinion is that it's not inappropriate to mention it from time to time or organise public spaces by it where relevant.

How have things gone so back to front though that it's seriously suggested that what sex someone is should become taboo?

Because it hurts men's feelings. men who present 'as women'.

They dress like second-class, inferior people, which begs the question why on earth would they do it, if it wasn't really, really important. Be kind to these poor men who have had to debase themselves.

It switches the power dynamic.

Suddenly women become powerful over these men who have reduced their currency by actually saying they need to be the lower class citizens, for the sake of their mental health.

"find out who controls you by finding out who you cannot criticise" - it was an American neo Nazi who said that and he was referring to Jews.

It's like decrying GC feminism because it has the same goals as the extreme Christian right (or whatever the nonsensical argument is). My point stands: women cannot criticise men without being deleted or cancelled or threatened.

I looked and Liz Truss’s tweet only commented on ‘opinions’. Lots of what Kathleen Stock has been saying is also fact (from which Prof’s Stock’s subjective opinions derive) so Liz truss’ supportive tweet seems to rebut only half the glaring problem of a widespread denial of facts in favour of magical thinking. Potentially that can be extremely harmful in individual cases, but it’s absolutely catastrophic when it’s allowed as the basis for public policy or the law affecting 51% of the population (plus our kids).

Still I guess if Truss had said that sex is a real unchangeable fact then the Tories wouldn’t be able to kick GRA reform into the long grass and then leave it there peacefully for much longer.

The threat of government support for self ID in law (which IIRC, they haven’t revoked, just put the whole question on ice as it was too controversial) is a really useful weapon to wield over women. The prospect/threat of reviving that self ID question will no doubt be used with women’s groups who are trying to call for repeal of GRA. It will be used to tell them to just be grateful for what we already have.

The Tories should instead use their massive Parliamentary majority and repeal the GRA, so we all rely equally on the Equality Act, meaning that no special groups can assert their own validation interests over specific other groups’ (eg women and children) evidenced needs for safety, privacy and dignity.

I really hope Liz Truss has principles and she isn’t just a smart zeitgeist surfer who can see which way the wind is blowing at the moment. The only way women can start to feel safe on this issue is for Parliament to actually shore up our rights in law. They’ve shown fuck all appetite to do that. Freedom of speech is important and affects men too so that gets Parliamentary attention, which is great, but I really want to see them address women’s concerns properly via legal change. I don’t just mean repeal GRA but whatever’s needed so that female academics dont have to have bloody bodyguards if they refuse to lie about reality. Women at work don’t have to worry about being sacked for their views.

Let’s stop being content with a few positive crumbs from the table. It’s understandable that all these years of shouting into the void have ground us down. It’s not enough though. It’s not changing anything about the future. If our MPs can’t act now, when will ever be a good time? What will happen to women in the meantime?

Have the Biology faculty at Sussex commented on this, by any chance?

This is interesting, I hadn't heard of the Women's Organisation but from their website they look like they might be the kind of organisation the Tories will listen to. www.thewomensorganisation.org.uk/

Article in the Telegraph.
Calls for public inquiry into 'bullying' of people who speak out about gender issues.

The Women’s Organisation says attacks by trans activists on Professor Stock - along with similar campaigns against Joanna Cherry QC, the barrister and SNP MP for Edinburgh, and the author JK Rowling - are part of a virulent campaign by groups whose aims also include dismantling the current Equalities Act, Education and Gender Recognition Act.

This allows for certain women-only spaces and facilities, such as in sports and in hospitals, prisons, refuges and other institutions.
Opponents of the Act are demanding that trans people who self-identify as women should have access to such official women-only spaces and facilities, regardless of their biological sex.

The Women’s Organisation claims trans campaigns in the field of policing, health, the arts, housing and sport, are creating a climate of fear in which organisations become reluctant to provide facilities for women only.

It says such campaigns are also leading to widespread inhibition by people as to what they say and even what language they use, even when describing themselves.
In her letter to Ms Truss, Ms Carroll - who has been named as one of the 100 most influential people in the UK’s social enterprise sector - states: “In workplaces up and down the country . . . staff members are reporting feeling intimidated to publish their pronouns in the workplace, fearing reprisals from other staff and union representatives if they do not subscribe to a particular workplace dogma relating to gender identity or shared facilities.”

Just to lower the tone a bit, Sussex just got one of the lowest scores I've ever seen on University Challenge. At one point it looked as if they would end with a minus score.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g just out of interest i had a look at what happened re: University Challenge. 245 - 10 😬

Some of my favourite Twitter comments -

If these are the four most intelligent people at Sussex University, they should probably just close it.

Really enjoyed watching @SussexUni team getting completely annihilated by team from @unibirminghamon University Challenge. Maybe the students at Sussex should concentrate more on learning and less on hounding female academics. #IStandWithKathleenStock

Sussex apparently here by mistake and were actually going to a fancy dress

I'm beating Sussex by not answering a single question

I've just watched Uni Challenge. Sussex performed as one would expect when facts don't matter.