“That’s the Law” Is Not an Argument
Writing before Herbert’s arrest, Kevin Lister, a maths teacher who lost his job for refusing to honour a trans-identified student’s pronouns, responded in the way a liberal should. He defended the free speech of a trans activist whose movement had championed the very principles that contributed to his dismissal and had done so in a highly authoritarian way. I greatly admire Mr. Lister for that consistency. It would have been easy for someone with his experiences to become authoritarian in turn—or simply remain silent and enjoy the schadenfreude—but he did neither. Lister wrote:
This has got nothing to do with Aberdeen University, I don’t even know why they are investigating it.
He should not be sacked for his vile and ignorant posts because to do so continues the terrible attacks on free speech that are happening in the UK.
Instead he should be free to demonstrate his ignorant and self centred behaviours. The only things Aberdeen University should be interested in is that he is not allowed into women’s spaces and he is not allowed to compel anyone’s speech such that they must use his language.
Equally, staff and students at Aberdeen University should be entitled to express their views on what they want to see happen to him without fear of reprisal.
This is at the core of my coming case at the Upper Tribunal against the DBS.
I have been kept on the Children’s Barred List for posting concerns on social media about the sexualisation of the class room, buying babies on line, and the social transitioning of children.
