40 Oxford dons sign letter in support of Kathleen Stock

[ArabeIIaScott]

This seems pretty significant.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/05/16/free-speech-oxford-university-trans-row-kathleen-stock/

'Oxford dons have warned students that freedom of speech is at risk as a trans row engulfs the university.
More than 40 academics - including Prof Richard Dawkins, the evolutionary biologist, and Prof Nigel Biggar, the theologian - have intervened in support of a planned appearance at the Oxford Union by Prof Kathleen Stock, a leading feminist, in a letter to The Telegraph.'

...

Letter includes:

'“Professor Stock believes that biological sex in humans is real and socially salient, a view which until recently would have been so commonplace as to hardly merit asserting.
“Whether or not one agrees with Professor Stock’s views, there is no plausible and attractive ideal of academic freedom, or of free speech more generally, which would condemn their expression as outside the bounds of permissible discourse.”'

Am I right in thinking there aren't any names from Exeter where Stock herself was?

Depressing but totally unsurprising to see no one from my old college on the list. Also sad that no one from my kid's current college signed, so I am going to cling on to the fact that Professor Selina Todd isn't on the list to suggest this might have been done in a hurry.

I would have liked to be able to send an appreciative email to someone this afternoon.

Instead I think I may just write a quick note to the master asking why no one at the college is apparently bothered about this ridiculous challenge to free speech/critical thinking/academic rigour.

Gah, come on Oxford!

You're welcome. Simon Edge's new book is very funny and highly recommended - the Kindle edition was less than £4 the other day.

Well done to the 40.
<Waits impatiently for Cambridge to get into gear>

God tell me about it.

Between this and the frankly awful conversation I had with a student who phoned to ask for a donation I feel like my college has lost the plot. I’ve been off work sick a lot this year, so on a reduced salary, but even if I’d been working full time I’d probably still only have given them £10 after that hot mess.

Hoo flipping ray! About time. I hope that now the ball is rolling more are prepared to put their heads above the parapets.

oh fantastic

on now!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_fourfm

Can't another similar letter be sent from other Oxford academics?

Should we start a sweepstake on whether either will be female?

Amied De Mann (sp?) Phd student. Just finished. Now Prof Laurence Goldmann.

Again no idea of spelling, sorry.

Amied de Mann was a man. At least, that's what the voice would have suggested. Another man on now.

Whatever the question is the student Amiad answers with standard TRA answers, they don't have to fit the question! How has he got onto a PhD!

Pathetic.

From 13.31. That was a really quick segment.

That Phd student answered one question that I had been wondering about… this accusation that Prof Stock has claimed that ‘trans people don’t have a right to exist’ when AFAIK she’s never said this.

According to the Phd student, if you don’t agree TWAW, then you have denied their existence which, in turn, equates to denying their right to existence. This logic failure is pretty alarming to hear from an Oxford doctoral student.

Anyhow, pretty poor handling of the interview inferring it’s a generational thing and no raising of specific concerns around sport, prison, refuges, short lists etc Missed opportunity to hear a response on those issues.

https://www.oulgbtq.org/college-reps.html

This is the organisation, I think?

I see they are doing important work. Here is one of their motions - suggesting that colleges should fund sex toy disinfectant:

Motion to fund sex toy disinfectant
Proposer:
Seconder: *
This JCR notes that: (Facts about the current situation)
1) As noted by the NHS, the main mode of STI transmission among lesbian and bisexual women is the sharing
of sex toys
2) The aforementioned issue also applies to individuals of other sexualities and genders
3) A recent survey, published by the Cherwll, ahs found that Oxford University students are he most prolific users
of sex toys amongst university students in the UK
4) Currently the JCR does not fund disinfectants for sex toys
5) Other JCRs have funded the provision of sex toy disinfectants for their members
This JCR believes that: (Why the situation should be changed)
1) Normalisation and safe use of sex toys should be encouraged and informed
2) That providing sex toy disinfectant would raise awareness around issues of sexual health and protect JCR
members from the spread of STIs
This JCR therefore resolves to: (What do you propose we do?)
1) To spend £16 of the budget to buy 60 individual sex toy disinfecting wipes

How is your dc feeling about this ? Only one of my dd’s friends has said anything, (that the Union is “transphobic “ depressing level of idiocy from a 19 year old lad with nothing to lose) .

Just listened. I felt in the first part the interviewer missed a chance to disentangle the interviewee's thoughts on sex and gender.

The History don was, rightly IMHO, focused on free speech, without which we cannot debate properly about any issue.

Excellent. The tide is turning in allowing more free speech (and indeed statement of facts).

I think this is the student, he is the leader of Oxford LGBT soc and wrote the original call to deplatform Kathleen Stock:

twitter.com/addihd02/status/1650623577513762824?s=46&t=SPorwN-mokktL467rcZ57g

He was named by the Telegraph in their article about it, and complained about loudly on Twitter.

I'm sorry! They are funding wipes for sex toys! WTAF! If they don't know how to clean it, don't use it. Mind boggling!

Are these people going to end up in positions of influence and power?

[email protected]
To complain to Oxford about him. I didn't have the name at the time. I was so enraged listening I called Oxford uni immediately and asked for details to complain, she said the media office will know about it.
What a nasty piece of work he is.

Yes mate lesbians amd women have never been oppressed!

This is meant to be the best uni in the country if not the world and these are the people it gives phds to? Wtf? Horrific. And they actually think they are right and nice people too. He said anyone who doesn't believe twaw is right wing. What a dick.

There's a survey to give feedback to the LGBTQ society of which Amiad Haran Diman is president of.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCsIjawWAo4u_MIS2XzGQE4AydvTRFkyS83pbK3wybTaY5YQ/viewform

It says it's anonymous, but I have no idea at all whether that's accurate - google forms will log your info, I expect?