Thread by @PriyamvadaGopal

Thread

Trust me, I & not a few others I know, have repeatedly thought about quitting our jobs. We've dealt with threats (including posters around down with our face on it), doxxing, editorials & tabloid hatchet jobs calling on our universities to fire us, twitter pile-ons, abuse

Vile racist & misogynist abuse. I've also dealt with outside extremist groups, e.g. Hindutva chauvinists egging a few misguided students to plaster the internet with fake claims, absurd one, easily disproved. We've dealt with "investigations" (in one case, one led by a transphobe

barrister) instigated by people who have white fragility meltdowns when challenged on race issues, complaints, double standards, discriminatory treatment, everyday racism & misogynoir, xenophobia, being called in to Head of Dept office. The whole fucking enchilada. Trust me.

We know what a genuinely toxic environment--a toxic *national* environment looks like. Try talking about race with any frankness & see what happens unless you are a white male. Sometimes even if you are a white male. Many of us have withstood this for YEARS on end without

something Prof Stock had: open, vociferous, public & strong support from her University managers. We've dealt with things essentially on our own, with help from friends & students. We totally understand, even so, the impulse to quit. We wake up each morning wondering today's

the day to do it. Whether today's the day the straw will break the camel's back. Nevertheless, & nevertheless, some of us, many of us, persist in persisting. Of course, the same some of us aren't going to swan into another job with the help of no less than Universities Minister

We know we aren't about to even get another job with the multiple hatchet jobs undertaken by the parties above, with a huge tabloid virtual hatchet easily available for future employers to see. We know no bigoted think tank is waiting to give us a paid platform. We don't have

family or personal trust funds to fall back on.

But that isn't why we persist. We persist because we know we must claim these places, these toxic places, for those who are with us now & the many who will follow in our footsteps.

We know that to extent possible, we endure & withstand & fight back because to do otherwise is to hand these institutions, these public institutions, over to those who would destroy them, narrow them rather than open them up democratically. Of course, people have right to resign

And if that is what is best for their sanity & well-being they should do that. But please let us not pretend that there aren't people across academia, mostly though not only women of colour, cis & trans, who don't endure far more toxicity, abuse, & threats without high-profile

support, heck, often with no support. Let's not pretend resigning is quite simply tantamout to cancellation. It might be, but let us spare a thought for those who do stay, many many people, & deal with the toxicity & abuse--without VCs and Ministers rushing out to fight for them.

Finally, needless to say, no none should have to deal with threats, toxicity & abuse. But the truth is they do, & they do so because those acting pious now have emboldened & encouraged that culture. Don't let them pretend otherwise now because the cause suits them.

Caveat: I am not presuming Prof Stock left because of threats as Donelan claims. It is equally feasible that people leave when investigated rather than deal with the hassle.