Shadow minister slams University of Sussex over gender row

The shadow minister for women and equalities has commended the University and College union after they issued a statement condemning the University of Sussex for allegedly not adhering to its trans inclusion policy.

Labour MP Taiwo Owatemi MP said the union, which represents over 120,000 academics and support staff, had made a “strong and principled” request to the university.

Ms Owatemi went on to explain that she was “greatly concerned” about Professor Stock’s work as a trustee of the controversial LGB Alliance group which she told a constituent ought to be “rejected by all those who believe in equality”, although she did not call for her removal.

She said the LBG alliance “oppose reform of the Gender Recognition Act ” to which herself and Labour are committed, and criticised them for disagreeing with adolescents being able to access puberty blockers.

Professor Stock, who teaches philosophy, is facing calls to be removed from her post over her views on gender identification.

She has received death threats from activists, and police have recommended that she install CCTV at her front door.

Professor Stock tweeted last week: “If you work where I do, and you know what’s happening to me at the moment (which I’ll discuss at [a] later date), this is the time to say something about it. Not for me, but for you. What kind of future does a university have where intimidation determines what is said or taught?”

She explained her views on gender identity issues in written evidence to Parliament in November 2020.

She said she believes that trans women are not biological women; and that sexual orientation is determined by same-sex attraction rather than attraction to gender identity.

In 2018 she said there must be a ban on transgender women in women’s changing rooms, as “many trans women are still males with male genitalia”.