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.

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

Imagine a general election with this debate still raging but more widely reported on, and with the Tories putting up a potential third female PM against a man who doesn't know what a woman is.

You couldn't make it up.

Re University Challenge - I was half expecting Sussex to give their pronouns in the introductions.

I'm sure this has already come up on this thread but my concern is that Tickell will soon be leaving Sussex to go to Birmingham University so I'm very much worried that his successor will also take a robust stand against this campaign of hate against Kathleen Stock.

Letter in support of Kathleen Stock by transgender people.

Article:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/5fb2776a-2ad5-11ec-a548-f9bb1ebf6985?shareToken=310deedf8cdd7e3710bd9ebcd586c77f

Actual letter:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/30b30cea-2ab7-11ec-a1c0-649c1183346f?shareToken=34605ddfdab1321e098ea67e120a5009

And a Times comment piece:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/9c463e40-2ac7-11ec-a1c0-649c1183346f?shareToken=348487865771c05556766ef4f9b1b393

Comment finishes with:

"It is no hyperbole to say that the defence of Professor Stock, a cogent thinker and valiant voice for women’s rights, is now the defence of liberty itself."

Thanks Igneococcus.
Great end line, this is the truth...."first they came for women..." etc
I dont like the tone upthread of diminishing the intellect of Sussex students in general or gloating at their UC performance.
Rise above.

Excellent Leader from the Times.

And excellent letter from Transpeople.

Thank you for making them accessible.

"first they came for women..."

Not really. The usual first victims, as ever. The racist, anti-semitc campaigns against Israel, holding it alone to a higher standard than its neighbours, are the start of all this. Way back, there was an attempt to 'arrest' the Israeli foreign minister. Demands that British jewish students denounce Israel or be shouted down with the cry of ZIO! ZIO! ZIO! Israeli Arab speakers shouted down, accused of being liars and Mossad agents for stating they exist. Etc.

@FionaMacCool

Thanks Igneococcus. Great end line, this is the truth...."first they came for women..." etc I dont like the tone upthread of diminishing the intellect of Sussex students in general or gloating at their UC performance. Rise above.

Its also important to remember that the vast majority of students are not taking part in this hate fest and many of them probably condemn it although they are probably afraid to say so.

That Times Leader piece (YES!) is great to see:

Final para in full
A university has no obligation to shield impressionable minds from opinions they may find challenging and even offensive. On the contrary it has a duty to ensure that a full spectrum of views are aired without restraint. It is no hyperbole to say that the defence of Professor Stock, a cogent thinker and valiant voice for women’s rights, is now the defence of liberty itself.

YES!

Thank you for the link Igneo

I do admit to laughing during University Challenge last night.

The Times piece is bloody great!

Kathleen Stock is an inspiration.

@thinkingaboutLangCleg

Kathleen Stock is an inspiration.

Yes she is. I believe that is one of the reasons she is being targeted so ferociously.

It’s not gloating to point out that Maybe the students at Sussex should concentrate more on learning and less on hounding female academics or Sussex performed as one would expect when facts don't matter.

It’s a serious concern. These kids are paying a fortune for what they believe will be a valuable education. Still, you can’t educate someone who refuses to listen.

The irony of University Challenge was that Sussex was trounced in humiliating fashion by the university - Birmingham - to which Adam Tickell, Sussex's Vice Chancellor is headed. As I said earlier, I hope his robust defence of Stock will be upheld by his successor.

Great Times article.

Just seem Kathleen Stock’s latest tweet about comment from UCU.

I don’t understand how functioning adults can think this way.

I also note that there never was a reply on this thread explaining how/why/whether it is harmful to state that sex is sometimes relevant in policy and legislation.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

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.

That's what happens when you prioritise feelings over facts. People who know facts trounce you.

So far as I can work it out, the argument seems to be that someone in a Stock lecture, or walking past an open window, (covid rules,) where one is taking place may hear her say Transwomen are not really women, and will be so upset by this they will go off and kill themselves.

@Jaysmith71

So far as I can work it out, the argument seems to be that someone in a Stock lecture, or walking past an open window, (covid rules,) where one is taking place may hear her say Transwomen are not really women, and will be so upset by this they will go off and kill themselves.

The wholesale acceptance of the encouragement of suicidal ideation, particularly in an environment where young people often feel isolated, is a scandal that needs to be investigated.

Just putting it here as it continues previous articles but I put it on the UCU thread as well:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/b2dd7b6a-2b52-11ec-a548-f9bb1ebf6985?shareToken=1150863bdc3df44692b33d9b3edb5132

@Igneococcus

Comment finishes with:

"It is no hyperbole to say that the defence of Professor Stock, a cogent thinker and valiant voice for women’s rights, is now the defence of liberty itself."

I had my first inkling today, that this might end up being a hugely significant moment. After all, Kathleen Stock is so utterly reasonable that it’s hard to understand what they are criticising. In addition, she’s both female and a lesbian, so whichever way you cut this, they’re attacking someone who is part of two groups that are significantly marginalized.

And with the university (so far) backing her, and now this union encouraging the bullying, there is a feeling of lines being drawn on either side. I hope to goodness the university stands strong.

It is utterly bonkers. People in the future will wonder what they were on in the early 21st century. Maybe that 90s health scare about the mobile phones micorwaving our brains turns out to be true?

The nearsest parallel I can think of was the spiritualism craze, driven by frauds and shysters preying on the mass-grief of loss after WW1 and the Spanish Flu.

AnyOldPrion

I had my first inkling today, that this might end up being a hugely significant moment. After all, Kathleen Stock is so utterly reasonable that it’s hard to understand what they are criticising. In addition, she’s both female and a lesbian, so whichever way you cut this, they’re attacking someone who is part of two groups that are significantly marginalized.

And with the university (so far) backing her, and now this union encouraging the bullying, there is a feeling of lines being drawn on either side. I hope to goodness the university stands strong.

I agree.

Mumsnetters, among others, have known for some time that academics are targetted and frightened. There have been many threads about it. With academic after academic saying they agree with the gc position but are too scared to say so publicly. The threats to their livelihood are all too real.

The appalling treatment of KS is bringing it out into the open. And MSM have finally wised up to the madness of trans ideology, the bullying it relies on, and how it can be leveraged to sell copy and make politicians look ridiculous.

It's not going away.

"Meanwhile Sussex Police have said they are investigating, with a spokesman saying: On Wednesday, we received a report of harassment of an employee at the University of Sussex and we are investigating"

Here's the outcome of that