An academic abused by students for allegedly “transphobic” views says it is a “sign of the toxicity” of today that she is considered dangerous.
Last night the head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Baroness Falkner of Margravine, called the attacks on Professor Kathleen Stock disgraceful and said that tougher regulation was needed to protect people from abuse.
Students put up posters calling for Stock to be sacked and critics abused her in vitriolic terms online. Sussex University, where she is a professor of philosophy, defended her and the right of freedom of speech. Stock is a gender-critical feminist who believes individuals cannot change their biological sex. She has faced other periods of abuse over the past couple of years before the latest campaign.
A group called Anti Terf Sussex described her online as “one of this wretched island’s most prominent transphobes, espousing a bastardised variation of radical feminism”. It said she was dangerous to transgender people, adding: “We’re not up for debate. We cannot be reasoned out of existence.”
Posters appeared around campus this week saying: “We’re not paying £9,250 a year for transphobia — fire Kathleen Stock”, “Kathleen Stock makes trans students unsafe, Sussex still pays her”, and “It’s not a debate, it’s not feminism, it’s not philosophy, it’s just transphobia and it’s not on”. Yesterday supporters put up stickers defending the academic. These showed quotes from Stock that were supportive of trans people, including: “Trans people are trans people, we should get over it. They deserve to be safe, to be visible throughout society without shame or stigma and to have exactly the life opportunities non-trans people do.”
Sussex’s vice-chancellor, Adam Tickell, repeated his defence of Stock yesterday, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today that staff “have an untrammelled right to say and believe what they think”.
Stock wrote on Twitter: “I couldn’t begin to adequately thank the hundreds of people who have helped or encouraged me in the last few days so I won’t try here, except to say you have my undying gratitude, and I certainly now know who my friends are. I’d also like to thank the outgoing Sussex vice-chancellor Adam Tickell for standing up for my academic freedom.
“Universities aren’t places where students should just expect to hear their own thoughts reflected back at them. Arguments should be met by arguments and evidence by evidence, not intimidation or aggression.
“Finally, hello to new followers. If you expected to find a transgressive culture warrior with outrageous takes, I am afraid I’m extremely boring and vanilla, and it’s a sign of the toxicity of times that I’m considered remotely dangerous.”
The treatment of Stock was criticised by a fellow academic in a letter to The Times today. Professor Selina Todd from Oxford University said that attracting and pacifying student consumers was now paramount for universities. She said: “Offensive posters and stickers were visible by Tuesday, October 5. Only after public pressure was applied did the university remove these and (on Thursday, October 7) make a public statement, which paid lip service to academic freedom while assuring students of the university’s ‘inclusivity’.
“Any scholar engaged in researching women or gender-identity ideology is vulnerable to bullying and intimidation. Yet the Universities and Colleges Union, and the professional associations for humanities scholars, remain silent. I hope Professor Stock’s bravery and integrity will inspire more concerned academics to speak out.”
Lady Falkner said: “The rights of trans people must of course be protected, but the attempt to silence academic freedom of expression is the opposite of what university life is about.
“University is not a place where people bully and harass professionals and berate institutions because they disagree with someone’s entirely lawful, expert views. Other institutions faced with the same problems should follow Sussex University’s lead to stop this growing trend of attacks on freedom of speech.
“The use of social media for people to anonymously spread hatred and harass people is an issue we will be taking a very close look at in our role to protect people’s rights. Tougher regulation is needed, and we will be considering what can be achieved through our work on the online safety bill.”
