Worthing’s hospital opened in Lyndhurst Road in 1884 and new churches were consecrated. Freddie Feest has written in the Worthing History series about the months that year between the interruption of a February Salvation army gathering and the notorious Skeleton army riot in September.
A summer meeting intended to defuse tension failed. The anti-Salvationists thought processing through town while singing hymns disturbed their Sunday afternoons. In court, one magistrate rebuked a Salvationist applying for a summons against those who had assaulted him, saying he had caused a disturbance. Another went further.
“The Salvation Army processions are a disgrace to you and to the town. You know that what you do provokes others to interfere with you and then you come to us for protection.” The first JP came back: “It is a desecration of the Sabbath and you provoke all this riotous behaviour.”
The disturbing series of event worsened. The article ends: ‘The sordid affair was only ended by publication of an official town notice declaring: “Anyone subscribing to the Skeleton Army will be treated as a criminal and sentenced to three months hard labour without the option of a fine.” It was a magic piece of paper that had taken a long time to prepare.’
Events at Sussex University a few years ago have led on to this week’s discussion and disturbances at the Union Society in Oxford. Professor Kathleen Stock outfaced the protestors, saying you can disagree reasonably and still be friends. She worried when people felt intimidated into not challenging what she called the propaganda machine of extreme trans campaigners.
While at Sussex, she wrote about gender and sex. I commend her book Material Girls. She says she wants trans people protected from violence and discrimination. Her critics are wrong to call her anti trans.
She said it is not fair on females to share protected spaces such as changing rooms and bathrooms with trans women, asking why should females have to. “We are supposed to care about women. It is a risk of a man saying he is a woman and going into a space and taking advantage of that.”
The Guardian newspaper reports her reply to a challenge on her beliefs about trans identity. Accepting that it did not make her universally popular, she said: “. . if you don’t go with reality it will hit you in the face. You can’t overcome your body. When you are lost in the fiction and can’t talk about reality, you’ve got a problem.”
At Sussex, an active promoter of anti bullying with an honorary degree accused Dr Stock of being a dangerous extremist. If I were still on the university council, I would have asked for the withdrawal of the award. Prompt action could have woken the country to the shouts of No Debate. Not being prepared to discuss difference indicates weakness, not strength.
I predict and I hope Sir Keir and Sir Ed will join the prime minister in speaking up for balanced helpful discussion. There are sets of issues that need attention. They include permissible medical interventions. My expectation is that surgery and major puberty drug interventions will not be possible for most teenagers. I have confidence that Professor Hilary Cass will bring forward helpful proposals.
These last days have been busy: Parliament is not sitting; my team and I are working. The range of home calls I made at the weekend are a reminder of how neighbours do best when each has a regard for others. It has been touching that three people made contact with their concern for a person they know who may be in difficulty.
I am prepared to listen to the arguments of others, whether or not in my chosen political group. Constituents expect me to hear them. We learn with each other; we learn from each other.
