Simon Fanshawe rector of Edinburgh

[Chrysanthemum5]

In case you haven't seen it, Simon Fanshawe (one of the founders of Stonewall who left recently as he felt it had lost its way) has been elected as Rector for Edinburgh University.

It was unopposed as the other candidate had to withdraw. As you might imagine the TRAs are losing their shit with one linking it to the murder of Brianna Ghey which is truly despicable.

Dr. Gina Gwenffrewi
@GinaGwenffrewi
Ten days since the judge at the trial of Brianna Ghey's killers identified transphobia as partial motive for the murder, the University of Edinburgh announces its new Rector is a founder of LGB Alliance, an organization categorized in Ireland as an "anti-transgender" hate group.

I bet there's going to be a candlelit procession of 'unsafe' students and staff tonight.

It would be lovely if someone very senior at Edinburgh University sent out a swathe of official warnings to the assorted staff and students libelling Simon Fanshawe and the LGB Alliance and alleging the election was somehow rigged. Freedom of speech is important, but so is truth and fact-checking.

I love that in the BBC article his photograph shows him a the front of a pride march, actually holding a banner that says 'lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender' and 'no section 28'- especially since everything we ever say is met with 'its just like section 28 all over again'

well done Simon Fanshawe

This is fantastic news.

Does anyone know how the Rector thing works? It's all a bit of a mystery to me, how Simon got to be a candidate, and why there was only one. Do uni managers put two people forward and then students vote or something?

Anyone in the university can nominate a candidate but they need to then get a certain number of people agreeing to nominate that person - I think about 60? There were two candidates but one was deemed ineligible - according to the student newspaper the other candidate worked occasionally for the university which is against the rules. the rector cant be a student at Edinburgh or work for the university.

There aren't usually many candidates the current rector (who is very pro trans) was elected unopposed and none of the people moaning about simons election had a problem with that

I don't think it's got anything to do with the university management. There was another candidate in this election, but she was apparently ruled ineligible because she has a paid job at the university, even though it's just a few hours a week. Nobody else put themselves forward so Simon gets elected unopposed.

If there had been an election, the electorate would have been the student body and the staff.

whilst very glad to see Simon get the gig I am a bit puzzled. Given the fuss about showing a certain film there recently I thought Edinburgh was headbanger central? In which case why did they not put in more effort to get a gender loon elected?

Arrogance and laziness? It is odd.

Maybe the other candidate was more gender friendly?

Maybe they just didn't understand the rector role or its importance in the running of the university? Or maybe they didn't expect the other candidate to be ruled ineligible

Experience has taught us that TRAs are not the best at understanding things so maybe they thought the rules wouldn't apply to them

Indeed.

https://imgflip.com/i/5u5h6i

It was just whinge whinge whinge whinge whinge from Mr MacBride!

SF is an very good choice. He is measured, thoughtful and compassionate. I'm sure he will do an excellent job.

In the unlikely event that the permanently outraged allow him to do so.

In the unlikely event that the permanently outraged allow him to do so.
…
I bet there's going to be a candlelit procession of 'unsafe' students and staff tonight.

News just in of the procession through Edinburgh.

Little by little we are chipping away.
Small but important gains.

It’s brilliant news. Well done Simon!

I'm sure the university will be providing support for the wee flowers at this incredibly difficult time.

Christ almighty

https://twitter.com/JoPhoenix1/status/1757351638698746045

Another day, Another letter.

.

they must have amazing psychological defences to ignore the fact that Simon Fanshawe (and for that matter many outspoken critics of gender ideology) are actually LGB and have a proven track record of fighting for LGB rights
Is there not even the slightest whisper of a doubting thought?

I just had a quick look at that. What a mess. One person screenshotting Wikipedia as evidence that Simon is transphobic. Another person replies that the edit page for that article shows that necessary corrections to factual errors in the article are not being made, or are immediately reversed.

Pleased to see I wasn't the only pedant wincing at the person who said something like 'I am a proud alumni of Edinburgh'. No! You are a proud alumnus or alumna, depending on your sex. Alumni is the plural form used for an all-male or mixed-sex group of graduates. If you are speaking about an entirely female group, the word is alumnae.

There's a lot of illiteracy about.

USians often use the slang term 'alum', though to me that's a mordant used in dyeing