James Kirkup in D Telegraph on Katie Alcock and Girl Guides

FamilyOfAliens

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Rita, drop me a pm if you are a guider (or loosely linked).

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What a great piece of writing.

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www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/08/06/new-trans-orthodoxy-scaring-even-stalwart-organisations-silence/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_em

Ornery, I’m in BC.

Rita, where are you?

Great article- thanks James Kirkup. Great to see your action getting this coverage Katie.

Good idea - they've already nabbed one of our favourite GC journalists for a government position (not Equalities sadly).

Oi. Boris. James Kirkuk for Equalities Advisor?

Another superb piece by James Kirkup. I'll ask DF to cut out the article and save it for me.

TawnyOwl, I’m in Canada and would be very happy to see our government adopt those measures (though I believe it’ll be a very long way down the road before it happens).

I find his articles good. There isn't anything really rhetorically emotive and they are clear about the facts, so they are very good for giving to people who don't know much about the issues and don't have a strong opinion.

male-born transwomen

He writes with real clarity and I appreciate the way he emphasises biological sex.

There is nothing untoward about the activities of trans-rights groups such as Stonewall and Gendered Intelligence, but it is a fact that they are not neutral providers of objective advice on implementing equalities laws.

This sentence caught my eye.

@ ArnoldWhatshisknickers No worries Arnold! Quite understand.

A great piece and in mainstream Tory media. Personally I think that much of this mess could be sorted out if:-

1 The Government very clearly defines ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ and the difference between them.

2 They state that SEX cannot be changed while GENDER can be

3 As ‘sex’ cannot be changed a GRC cannot allow the holder to have a new birth certificate as this defines a persons sex

1. Sex based exemptions are then easier to apply - at the moment once you have a GRC you are legally female hence sex based exemptions don’t apply to you

1. The Government issues guidance as to when organisations can apply a sex based exemption and gives examples

In this scenario a GRC means the holder has declared their identity to be different to the one expected from their birth certificate and this new identity must be respected except when a sex based exemption applies

Yet another excellent article from James. He really gets it and critically is writing in the press that many politicians read / take note of. It therefore becomes more difficult for the captured civil servants to persuade politicians that the trans experience is the only horse in town and must be followed at all costs.

Oi. Boris. James Kirkuk for Equalities Advisor?

On a point of information re religion... I am not religious but when given the option to do so, I will say Jewish simply because we are so tiny in number I feel it's important to make our presence felt.

I hear you Lawls, it's hard enough to have opinions while female without the shite you get for having opinions while Jewish on top.

Really wasn't thinking of religions outside of Christianity here, more trying to highlight public sector managers' long and often bitter experience with 'know their rights' types.

Ah James, he is brilliant. He just lays out the facts very clearly, no opinion included really, and leaves the reader to make up their own mind.

Excellent

This is a story of institutional capture and skilful lobbying.

Says it all really. And when any organisation or a number of organisations working together are so very successful in lobbying and institutional capture someone should ask why and follow up. Or as Deep Throat said to Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, "Follow the money..."

On a point of information re religion... I am not religious but when given the option to do so, I will say Jewish simply because we are so tiny in number I feel it's important to make our presence felt. I also point out, if asked, this doesn't mean special food, treatment, going home early on a Friday or anything like that. I just want us to be counted in any stats and data that's going. So I always fill out equal ops forms and tick Jewish on the census, even tho I don't practise.

Imagine you are a public sector manager trying to navigate this social and legal minefield. An authoritative-sounding group advises you that failing to respect someone’s “gender identity” could breach equality laws, making no mention of your obligation to consider sex too.

This is a very good article. I pick out this point because I want to make a wider one about 'he who shouts loudest'.

I work in the public sector. The vast majority of the public who sign up to our service do not fill in the equalities questionnaire which is voluntary. Most people do not consider their religion, or sexual orientation to be relevant to us and tend to assume we aren't blind so can see their sex.

People with disabilities do tend to fill it out, which is good because that actually does matter to our service. We do need to know who might need additional assistance.

Occasionally, and this is rare, you will get people who very pointedly highlight, for example, their religion. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred those people prove to be a royal pain in the arse. They are the people public sector managers fear because they are the people who complain about anything and everything. Public sector managers are used to dealing with 'he who shouts loudest' and pandering to them because public services can't afford to end up in court. They know it. Trans privilege activists know it. It is a toxic mix.