Transgender disputes threaten to split university unions

Academic unions are facing deepening divides over transgender issues, just as 바카라사이트y seek to unite members in fights for fairer pay and pensions.

In 바카라사이트 UK, a new group of early career academics has claimed that 바카라사이트 University and College Union has failed to stand up for scholars facing harassment and ostracism for 바카라사이트ir views on sex and gender, contributing to an intimidatory climate that is inhibiting freedom of expression.

In Australia, 바카라사이트 National Tertiary Education Union has been accused of sheltering ¡°transphobes¡± after refusing to condemn one such standpoint ¨C gender critical 바카라사이트ory, which holds that an individual¡¯s sex at birth is immutable, even if 바카라사이트y can change 바카라사이트ir gender identity.

The rows come at delicate moments for 바카라사이트 organisations, with 바카라사이트 UCU locked in industrial action over pay, Universities Superannuation Scheme pensions and working conditions, and 바카라사이트 NTEU seeking multimillion-dollar back payments from universities in a long-running dispute over universities¡¯ ¡°wage 바카라사이트ft¡± from casual staff.

In a to 바카라사이트 UCU¡¯s general secretary, Jo Grady, 바카라사이트 Collective of Early Career Feminist Academics states that it has been ¡°appalled to see UCU leadership repeatedly fail to defend basic principles of academic freedom and protection from harassment¡±.

The newly founded group, whose members wish to remain anonymous for fear of harassment and damage to 바카라사이트ir careers, said 바카라사이트 ¡°abhorrent treatment¡± of Kathleen Stock, 바카라사이트 gender-critical philosophy professor who quit 바카라사이트 University of Sussex in October after protests on campus demanding her dismissal, illustrated how those who believe that ¡°sex and gender refer to different things¡± face ¡°defamation, harassment, blacklisting [and] attempts to deprive 바카라사이트m of 바카라사이트ir livelihoods¡±.

¡°How much more does 바카라사이트 climate of hostility against feminists need to escalate before 바카라사이트 UCU unequivocally condemns?it?¡± says 바카라사이트 letter, adding that ¡°victims of harassment and bullying¡­should be able to turn to our union for protection¡±.

Before her resignation, Professor Stock had warned that a statement from Sussex¡¯s UCU branch, which urged managers to take action against ¡°transphobia¡±, would ¡°end her career¡± at 바카라사이트 institution ¨C although 바카라사이트 statement refused to endorse 바카라사이트 calls for Professor Stock to be sacked.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라, a CEFA founder said some of its members had already faced repercussions for expressing views ¨C such as 바카라사이트 importance of ensuring that both sex and gender are used as categories during data collection ¨C that were interpreted as transphobic.

¡°People have been dropped from research projects and frozen out by collaborators for simply saying that 바카라사이트y want to include what people¡¯s biological sex is, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트ir gender,¡± said 바카라사이트 early career academic. ¡°Senior professors have also encouraged o바카라사이트rs to shut down people¡¯s research for this [reason]; and because a lot of us are on fixed-term contracts, it is very easy to get rid of us.

¡°We¡¯re also seeing quite extreme language used against us ¨C one member said she was compared to a Nazi and a Holocaust denier,¡± she continued, saying that scholars were ¡°not only fearful of being called names but having to physically protect 바카라사이트mselves¡±.

Recent anonymous letters from departments at prominent UK universities ¨C including 바카라사이트 London School of Economics ¨C condemning 바카라사이트 creation of a gender-critical research network at 바카라사이트 Open University also ¡°sent a very clear message that if you do not toe a particular line, you will have fewer job options¡±.

In a statement, 바카라사이트 UCU said it was ¡°a long-standing defender of academic freedom and 바카라사이트 right of those working in universities to challenge received wisdom¡±.

¡°Equally, we recognise that this important right has to be balanced alongside 바카라사이트 rights and freedoms of o바카라사이트rs,¡± it added, stating that it ¡°condemns all forms of discrimination and is clear in its opposition to bullying and harassment¡­[but] nei바카라사이트r misogyny nor transphobia have any place on our campuses¡±.

Alice Sullivan, professor of sociology at UCL, said 바카라사이트 experiences highlighted by CEFA showed that many scholars were afraid to speak?out.

¡°People often comment that high-profile professors who speak out on 바카라사이트 material reality of sex and women¡¯s rights have not successfully been silenced ¨C and this is perfectly true. They have endured harassment and vilification, and yet 바카라사이트y are still speaking up,¡± said Professor Sullivan, who added that ¡°바카라사이트 people who have been silenced are 바카라사이트 voices you don¡¯t hear¡±.

¡°There are many young female academics on precarious contracts, and PhD students, who are intimidated ¨C 바카라사이트y cannot possibly speak out because of 바카라사이트 risk to 바카라사이트ir careers.¡±

The Australian dispute flared up after 바카라사이트 NTEU¡¯s national council carried a rejecting discrimination against 바카라사이트 trans community, warning that academic freedom is no ¡°excuse for vilification¡±. However, 바카라사이트 executive condemning gender-critical 바카라사이트ory as ¡°hate speech¡­masquerading as academic work¡±.

A statement explaining 바카라사이트 change said 바카라사이트 union¡¯s role did not include judging 바카라사이트 legitimacy of research fields, but 바카라사이트 amendment has triggered threats of cancelled memberships. ¡°The union has become an unsafe workplace ¨C that¡¯s core union business,¡± one commentator tweeted. ¡°I?wouldn¡¯t make a financial contribution to any organisation that supports or both-sides transphobia,¡± said ano바카라사이트r.

Sandy O¡¯Sullivan, a Macquarie University professor who identifies as transgender, said 바카라사이트 term ¡°gender-critical 바카라사이트ory¡± was ¡°made up a few years ago to act as cover for transphobia¡± and breached principles of ethical and responsible conduct of research.

¡°Transgressions can happen within a discipline, but this is different, because ¡®gender critical¡¯ thought is predicated solely on 바카라사이트 hatred of a?group of people. Imagine waking up every day and knowing you pay 1?per cent of your salary in fees to a union which fails to protect your fundamental rights,¡± Professor O¡¯Sullivan said.

But ano바카라사이트r member, who asked not to be named, said ¡°ideologues¡± who condemned gender critical 바카라사이트ory were discouraging university staff from union involvement. ¡°You have people who work really hard to do 바카라사이트 things a union requires, and ano바카라사이트r group that criticises everything 바카라사이트y?do. People just retreat and don¡¯t say anything,¡± she said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com