Content Warning: discussions of transphobia

Professor Kathleen Stock has resigned from her position at the University of Sussex (UoS) after backlash against her views. Kathleen Stock began to receive criticism in 2018 when she started posting on the blog site Medium. In particular, she opposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act that would allow people to change their gender on their birth certificate by filling out a form, rather than being required to live as that gender for two years and then submitting evidence of this to a panel. These proposed changes have since been scrapped by the government. 

Since then Stock has continued to write about trans people, including in her book Material Girls which is described as a ‘critique of the influential theory that we all have an inner feeling known as a gender identity.’ Stock is also a trustee of the LGB Alliance. 

On Thursday 7th October, a network of students called Anti Terf Sussex at UoS began a series of protests against Stock. They released a manifesto stating that ‘Stock is one of this wretched island’s most prominent transphobes’ and that ‘transphobes like Stock are anti-feminist, anti-queer and anti-intellectual, they are harmful and dangerous to trans people.’ Their one demand was for Stock to be fired.

Anti Terf Sussex has protested by putting up posters around the UoS campus criticising Stock’s views, including ones that read ‘Kathleen Stock makes trans students unsafe. Sussex still pays her,’ ‘It’s not a debate, It’s not feminism, It’s not a philosophy. It’s just transphobia and it’s not on,’ and ‘“Everyone at the university has the right to be free from harassment and intimidation.” Yet Adam Tickell encourages and enables Stock’s transphobia. We’ve F[***]ing had enough.’ 

They also held a protest on Saturday the 16th October at UoS’ Library Square as a ‘public demonstration of trans solidarity against TERFs and transphobes at Sussex.’ Anti Terf Sussex were contacted for comment by Redbrick but did not reply. 

UoS defended Stock with Vice Chancellor Adam Tickell going on Radio 4’s Today show on Friday 8th October to say ‘It’s absolutely clear that all of our staff have an untrammelled right to say and believe what they think, we take it very seriously if people try to prevent that right from being exercised.’ The university also released a statement to students on the 7th October titled ‘Listening to others we don’t agree with’ that states ‘one of the most important aspects of being a student at Sussex is challenging our own thinking whilst listening to others we may not agree with […] This week we have seen some materials displayed around campus that go against these values, and constitute harassment towards a member of our staff, which is very serious.’

The University and College Union’s Sussex branch released a statement on Tuesday 12th October that ‘strongly condemns all forms of transphobia, and call the University of Sussex leadership to heed it’s institutions values and commitments as set out in its Trans Equality Statement and its Dignity and Respect Policy.

‘We do not endorse the call for any worker to be summarily sacked and we oppose all forms of bullying, harassment, and intimidation of staff and students. There should be no contradiction between defending academic freedom and supporting trans rights.’

It was then announced by the university on Thursday 28th October that Stock had resigned. In their statement a spokesperson said ‘Over the past several weeks, the University of Sussex has vigorously and unequivocally defended Professor Kathleen Stock’s right to exercise her academic freedom and lawful freedom of speech, free from bullying and harassment of any kind. […] We had hoped that Professor Stock would feel able to return to work, and we would have supported her to that end; we regret that it has not been possible for her to do so.’

Anti Terf Sussex responded with a post on Instagram stating that ‘This is a monumental victory for trans and non-binary students, who have protested the ways that this university has enabled transphobia, abuse and discrimination […] But the struggle isn’t over. Institutional transphobia lives on, it runs deeper than Stock or Tickell or Sussex or any university.’

Adam Tickell is the outgoing UoS chancellor because in January he is joining the University of Birmingham (UoB) as Vice Chancellor, taking over from David Eastwood who retires in December. A trans student at UoB said ‘I’m disappointed and frankly horrified that Adam Tickell is going to be taking over the position of Vice Chancellor at UoB. Regardless of belief, Tickell’s defence of Kathleen Stock, in my opinion, represents a lack of care and consideration for the safety and welfare of trans students. Personally, I don’t see how a man who defends Stock – someone who is a trustee of LGB alliance – can be a viable public representative for our university.’

UoS and UoB were both contacted by Redbrick for comment but did not reply. 

Want to read more News articles?

UoB Pro-Life Society Raises Controversy

West Midlands Officials Take Stance Against Misogyny

Selly Express Returns