Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch ‘appalled’ by treatment of University of Sussex professor Kathleen Stock

Professor Kathleen Stock resigned from her role as a philosophy lecturer at the University of Sussex last week.

Professor Stock has been repeatedly accused of transphobia over the past month for her views on gender identity, with a group of students actively campaigning for her to be fired.

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But earlier this month, the University of Sussex said the institution would not tolerate threats to “academic freedoms”.

Last week, Prof Stock said she will be leaving her job after “an absolutely horrible time” and “a very difficult few years”.

In an interview on Sky News’ Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme, equalities minister Kemi Badenoch said she was “appalled” at the way the professor has been treated.

Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch

The former University of Sussex student said: “I tweeted when I saw the university statement backing her, nobody should face bullying or harassment in the workplace.

“That is actually another thing that the Equality Act looks at, bullying and harassment.

“I don’t think she should lose her job. I think that she has every right to hold the beliefs… I think she is probably in step with the majority of the population.

“What we in government are trying to do is show that we do believe that trans people should be free to live their lives as they wish, but where people see a conflict, and that conflict has tended to be around single-sex spaces and the definition of gender reassignment and how gender critical feminists, as they are known, believe that those rights are in conflict, what we can do in order to provide clarity.”

Announcing her departure on Twitter, Prof Stock said: “This has been a very difficult few years, but the leadership’s approach more recently has been admirable and decent.

“I hope that other institutions in similar situations can learn from this.

“Am particularly glad to see University emphasising that bullying and harassment anyone for their legally held beliefs is unacceptable in their workplace.”

Ms Badenoch also insisted that while the government does not believe in gender self-identification for trans people, there should be a process to get gender recognition certificates.

“The government position is that we will do everything we can to support trans people in particular, all LGBT people, but trans people in particular when it comes to healthcare, because they have different healthcare needs from other LGBT people,” she said.

“However, we do not think that goes as far as self ID, we do believe that there should be a process to get a gender recognition certificate, and the process does mean involving medical professionals as well.”