Professor says career ‘effectively ended’ by union’s transphobia claims

Were you not a child once? Did you not find certain other children in your class pretty or good looking? I did. I knew that boys were my friends and girls were pretty. I didn't know why but I did know that was how I felt. As you put it, in retrospect, I was exhibiting the feelings of a heterosexual cis man.

I have quite a few gay friends. All have spoken about the same thing but for them, they were attracted to people of the same sex. Except they were really confused because every message they received in school told them that to be normal they should be attracted to people of a different sex.

I have yet to meet someone who was either trans or gay who didn't know how they felt at primary school.

Today I work in a secondary school. You would be amazed how many kids come out at the age of around 14 - 16. And good for them. When I was at school no one came out. But thinking about it, there were still gay and trans kids there. They were just too afraid to come out.

I quite agree. But equally people should be permitted to express themselves as they like without fear of recrimination or oppression. In other words, just be nice. If it is permissible to question the sexuality of some people then it surely follows that everyone should have to justify who they are at the whim of whoever is questioning them?

Alternatively, some people are gay / bi / trans. Get over it. It is no concern of anyone except the individuals themselves. And if you don't like the toilet they use, feel free to use the disabled one.

All the boys at my infant school thought girls were sick and girls thought boys were sick they didn't like each other.

How many hot blooded hets were at some point worried that they might need to come out as gay when in their teens? Plenty.

Again you seem to be confusing the purpose of this thread. We are not discussing the rights of gay people or the rights of transgender individuals.

Here the discussion is very different and relates to whether political activists and transgender groups have any right to interference in academia or try to influence science by applying politics and their wild ideas of political correctness. I am sure most of us would say that they have no right to do so and most of us don't take them seriously as they are lacking academic knowledge and they are irrelevant (in most cases) with science and academia.

You are referring again to gender identity which is by far very different to biological sex that many here have pointed out.

The question in my mind is where does the line lie? Who has precedence? An academic to question the sexuality, gender and identity of a community within society, or that community to express themselves as they please without having to justify their identity or existence as per the Equalities Act 2010.

I don't particularly condone the actions of anyone meaning the lecturer in this case harm, but I do think that in the current climate, speaking publicly in questioning the existence of trans and non-binary people doesn't really further debate or progress attitudes in society any more than the fact we would never debate "This house believes that all men are secretly women in disguise." We never question gender or sexuality of the mainstream yet some feel it is acceptable to question the sexuality / gender of minorities. For what purpose other than to vilify or demonise?

You have invalidated how I felt at primary school. No doubt you wish to invalidate the identities of others? For what purpose?

The question in my mind is where does the line lie? Who has precedence? An academic to question the sexuality, gender and identity of a community within society, or that community to express themselves as they please without having to justify their identity or existence as per the Equalities Act 2010.

I don't particularly condone the actions of anyone meaning the lecturer in this case harm, but I do think that in the current climate, speaking publicly in questioning the existence of trans and non-binary people doesn't really further debate or progress attitudes in society any more than the fact we would never debate "This house believes that all men are secretly women in disguise." We never question gender or sexuality of the mainstream yet some feel it is acceptable to question the sexuality / gender of minorities. For what purpose other than to vilify, devalue or demonise?

You have invalidated how I felt at primary school. No doubt you wish to invalidate the identities of others? For what purpose?

Your feelings at primary school are irrelevant in this conversation. And I haven't invalidated them as claim. You can feel whatever you want.

However children are not aware of their sexuality or sexual orientation yet, as they are children.

Professor Stock has every right to point out the obvious. She doesn't question existence of transgender individuals as far as I can see.
Not only the house here sees the obvious but the place she works hadn't taken any action as there is nothing to be investigated.

Nor she has been prosecuted by the state for any offences. As far as I know.

On the contrary she has been advised to stay off campus and put a CCTV Camera at her house. Pretty serious as it came from the Police. It seems that ideological lunatics exist that may want to harm her.

IDK maybe I am a Boltzmann brain and everything is a simulation so nothing is metaphysically real, including trans people.

Why do you even feel the need to say that? What purpose does it serve? What have you against trans people such you are not prepared to accept them for who they are?

To demonstrate how ridiculous the claim that trans people don’t exist is.

Who said that? I certainly didn't? Now you seem to be going off topic.

I will probably get carded for this but here it goes, if you are a man and say you are a woman you are still a man.

Why does it matter to you so much how someone defines themselves? What is it to you whether someone calls themselves a man or a woman?

It doesn't.

The only major issue is when in the name of these identities, politics are imposed in academia or in every day life, and certain political activists and groups are trying to influence the law, science, perception and ethics, or attack academic freedom and the freedom of speech, generally speaking.

This is total politics. That is the point. Just as it is no acceptable for men to slap secretaries bottoms in the work place, so too universities have a duty of care to employees and students who identify as trans. This must be weighted up against academic freedom. Ultimately the law on equal rights and harassment is quite clear.

You don't have academics standing on a platform questioning or denying your identity. Why is it acceptable to question the identities of the trans community? Either we all have to justify the labels we choose to define ourselves or no one should. I know which is easiest to implement.

Not really sure why this woman, as a professor, should be biting her tongue, when gender identity ideology is influencing government and legal policy. As an academic it is proper for her to comment on such things, and we should indeed question what is being put into law on the basis of very flimsy ideological viewpoints. It's become taboo to discuss the malfeasance of certain miscreants simply because they happen to be a bloke donning a dress and make up, which is utterly irrational. The fact that some rapists, paedos etc. are hiding behind this label is an issue many have with it and I struggle to see how it sits with the efforts of women to get their own spaces, which this label is now being used to circumvent. This has nothing to do with trans people at large, but is an example of how these legal innovations can be abused.

The problem here is emotionally manipulative bullies trying to morph this into yet another "phobia"/"ism", when it is not. Throwing around buzzwords like "institutional transphobia", trying to conflate assertion of biological fact with trans "erasure", is little more than linguistic propaganda.

No one is denying these people exist, so I am not sure what the bloody hell that has to do with anything. As always, certain posters cannot discuss a topic on its own terms so feel the need to deflect through emotionally manipulative language.

The phobia word has been used to promote politics and to try and reduce or even silence criticisms. Those who constructed the word 'transphobia' or any other phobia-related words little they knew about the Greek Language. Phobia literally means fear.
And there is no fear of people who are transgender or gay.

Some may have prejudices against them. But that isn't synonymous to fear and I don't even think that is motivated by fear.