Now trans row professor’s own union blasts her
But LGBTQ community offers support against ‘abusive’ attacks by activists
A UNIVERSITY professor targeted by trans activists claims her own union has ‘effectively ended’ her career by backing her attackers.
Kathleen Stock has been accused of transphobia over her views that people cannot change their biological sex.
She had to flee Sussex University last week after masked activists called for her sacking while letting off flares – and now the Leftwing University and College Union (UCU), which is supposed to support lecturers, has declared its support for protesters.
But amid growing fears that trans rights activists are stifling debate on campus, Prof Stock has also won support from a wide range of backers – including people in the trans community who say they are ‘appalled’ she is being silenced.
The UCU, of which the philosophy professor used to be a member, sent out a ‘Statement in Support of Trans and Nonbinary Communities at Sussex’ to its mailing list on the Brighton campus.
It said following ‘recent events on campus’ it ‘condemns all forms of transphobia’ and extends ‘solidarity’ to the Sussex ‘trans community’. It added: ‘We urge our management to take a clear and strong stance against transphobia at Sussex.’
Prof Stock posted the statement on Twitter yesterday with the caption: ‘My former union branch Sussex UCU has just effectively ended my career at Sussex University. This just sent to all members.’
The row comes as a new bill to safeguard freedom of speech works its way through Parliament.
Yesterday a government source condemned the attacks on Prof Stock. They said: ‘This disgraceful drive by a censorious mob harassing a professor they disagree with shows there is a real problem with free speech on our campuses.
‘What’s worse is academics can’t even rely on their unions to protect them from these puritanical purges. This is why our academic freedom bill is so important.’
In addition, dozens of philosophy professors from top universities have signed an open letter to Sussex in support of Prof Stock.
And yesterday she was backed by people in the trans community. A group wrote a letter to The Times saying: ‘As transsexual people, we deplore the continuing attacks...
We are appalled that trans rights – our rights – are being used to excuse an unprincipled campaign of harassment and abuse.’
Among the signatories to the letter are Kristina Harrison, an NHS nurse attacked on social media for tweeting that ‘sex and gender are not the same’.
The UCU has called for an ‘urgent investigation into the ways in which institutional transphobia operates’ at Sussex.
But its statement added: ‘We do not endorse the call for any worker to be summarily sacked.’
Prof Stock has previously said she is ‘at odds’ with a large section of academia as she believes biological sex is more important than gender identity, ‘particularly when it comes to law and policy’. She has become important in debates over whether male-bodied prisoners who identify as female should be allowed in women’s prisons.
A Sussex University spokesman said: ‘We have acted – and will continue to act – firmly and promptly to tackle bullying and harassment, to defend the fundamental principle of academic freedom, to support our community and continue to progress our work on equality, diversity and inclusion.’
‘Campaign of harassment’