Frozen out for speaking up at work (academia)

[NineteenSeventySix]

I've lurked here for a while and am seeking some advice...
I work in a large department at a RG university where GC views are openly ridiculed and dismissed by staff and students (with nothing but the usual rhetoric to back this up). This term I decided I’d had enough of feeling silenced so I started to challenge a few of these comments when they came up - always calmly and in the spirit of respectful debate. Since then I’ve been blanked by colleagues, had emails ignored and been left out of a meeting about a new project I was supposed to be working on. I’m 100% certain this is not in my head as I’ve previously only ever been on very good terms with colleagues. I suspect my line manager is sympathetic to my views but is unwilling to admit it, so I don’t feel I can speak to him about it, and there’s no-one else I feel safe talking to at work: HR and senior management are utterly captured and my union is.... well, UCU. I need the job and I've worked hard to get it, but I have no idea how to continue to work in such an isolating and intimidating environment. Any advice on how to deal with this would be gratefully received!

Yes, for God’s sake, leave UCU, they are no use to you. Keep a record of everything and back up your emails. Affinity offer free advice over the phone. Read your institution‘s policies on bullying and harassment and how to start a grievance.

Academia is full of bullies fond of backstabbing, smearing, slagging off, black balling and other delights. Develop a thick skin and find allies in unexpected places.

archive.ph/q0dSr

Slightly off topic but an interesting article in the Telegraph about the problem of feminists being discriminated against in universities.

I recnetly posted on a thread to alert FWR users that the House of Commons Library have now drawn up a summary recent court cases re the right to gender critical beliefs. If you think that would help the link to the summary is in the op of www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4693689-employment-tribunal-rulings-on-gender-critical-beliefs-in-the-workplace-house-of-commons-library-summary

Skimmed through this but couldn't see that anyone had suggested the GC academic network: www.gcacademianetwork.org/ You might get some good advice/support there, OP.

A bit of a tangent, but it might provide a comparison for future studies into the capture of universities. I was watching Janine Ramirez' programme "Raiders of the lost past" on the lion man carving found in the Swabian Jura. She went to Tubingen University where work was done on the find, and covered changes in the way the academics worked during the 30s. The gradual process by which it transformed from normal academia to full on swastikas and Heil Hitlering seemed somewhat familiar. And, of course, the process involved a more real reason for fearing being outed as not going with the dominant belief system.
Interestingly, in her later visit to a Sami shaman (a university academic in Norway), she put great emphasis on the extent of shamanic belief that they could change themselves into animals, that this activity was real, as in, for example, trans-wolves are wolves. Her language seemed familiar.
I did wonder if she was talking about more than Ice Age artists representing a shamanic lion before any art anywhere else in the world.

Forgot to mention, the Sami emphasised that our brains can do remarkable things.

I know the world oughtn't to be like this, and ideally everyone would act professionally at work, getting on with their own work while remaining civil at all times.
But it ain't, and this aside, academia comes across as a poisonous atmosphere so often.

Is there any way you could do similar work outside academia, or outside universities at least? That might be the quickest and best solution for you personally.

I worked in normal firms for over 30 years and the emphasis was everyone cooperating to get the work done so that our customers were happy and we all had money to take home at the end of the day.
That was the focus; personal matters such as politics, religion, marital status, sex, age etc were for outside work unless there were legal regulations around it e.g. maternity leave. Church elders, atheists and the local degenerate were all expected to work together and be civil.

Speaking of J. Ramirez, not so long ago I went to an academic event and heard her enunciate the word ‘female’ before quickly correcting herself and saying ‘woman’ (used as an adjective). Because of course acknowledging that female people exist is very, very problematic. They all know they are lying …

Slight derail (apols OP) but which Unions are best if you have gc views? The main one where I work at is UCU...

Affinity have made a statement in relation to free speech and referenced Allison Bailey and those with gender critical views...

workaffinity.co.uk/employers-must-respect-the-law-on-freedom-of-expression/

Also Free Speech Union are offering support to many GC women (notably Gillian Phillip) but obviously their support would be limited to the speech side of things.

My understanding is that UCU are completely captured and are unlikely to offer adequate support of any GC person who is being discriminated against on the basis of belief.

Thank you @Signalbox that's really helpful.

Yup UCU would be dreadful on GC issues.

I suspect the degree of capture will vary between departments. I'm a prof in a RG university and there's an awful lot of us about who are quietly but fervently GC. (And most are pretty decent people who aren't childish)

I suspect that departments Like Sociology and Creative Industries are totally captured whereas Engineering and Physics probably haven't the foggiest idea what the issue is.

Keep records and good luck. Remember there really are more of us than there are of them.

For teachers, is naswut really captured?