Those “peaceful but vocal” methods included plastering Stock’s workplace with posters defaming her as a transphobe (there are no credible complaints about her conduct towards trans students) and intimidating her off campus with smoke bombs.
The student bullies who targeted Stock succeeded only because half the job had already been accomplished. Although Sussex has recently shown admirable strength in backing her, for a considerable time before that her colleagues had attacked her on social media without apparent consequences.
The University and College Union, which perhaps ought to be concerned by the public bullying of a lecturer, has only issued statements affirming its support for trans rights. Perhaps it should clarify whether that includes the “right” to destroy a woman’s career.
A conference held by the organisation Woman’s Place UK on female prisoners last week was picketed by trans activists calling the women inside fat, ugly and old.
You might say these tactics were counterproductive for the trans rights movement. But what if, for many of those involved, the abuse is the point? There seems little point at this stage in pretending trans activism is anything other than a respectable cover for misogyny.
Suffragists were called termagants; second wavers were called bitches; and anyone who argues for women’s rights today is called a Terf and defined as a fair target for harassment.