First 'chat with HR'

You have alerted your organisation to an issue in order to avoid reputational damage. The tide IS turning Channel 4 and OFSTED are the latest bodies to leave Stonewall. Make a list of all of them to give to HR if you need to. Keep stressing the issue of reputational damage to the company if they are seen to be getting the law wrong.

It’s only natural to feel worried when in the middle of something, I hope you can take comfort in the fact that the Charity Commission have recently scrutinised LGBA and not found them wanting, conversely SW are currently a hot topic for the opposite reasons
for you

“The obsessive focus on this tiny, tiny proportion of any given workforce is unbalancing, and it does mean that there is a strong likelihood that as employers sign up to Stonewall programmes, there will be equality impacts for other protected groups, particularly women but also religious groups.”

Thank you for posting this, and the reference for it.

This is a really good cut-out-and-keep to bat back to all sorts of people (including HR) when they focus only on the T of the LGBT

But I doubt it would have been useful in a training session I was in last week, on doing annual professional reviews with people I manage, in which an HR EDI adviser told us (with a perfectly straight face) that we should avoid using language such as "man" "woman" "mother" "father" "sons" "daughters" etc, when doing our one to ones with our colleagues. Because we shouldn't assume ...

It was ludicrous.

@Iwasonlytryingtohelp

And good that they got in about profiling transwomen on IWD
Employers are told that they could signal their commitment with badges, mugs, bi and trans flags and by profiling transwomen on International Women’s Day.

This is useful I think:
Naomi Cunningham, a barrister specialising in discrimination, warned: “They are misrepresenting the contents of the Equality Act… But public authorities are believing it and because of that they're finding themselves in breach of the law. So it's a real trap.
“The obsessive focus on this tiny, tiny proportion of any given workforce is unbalancing, and it does mean that there is a strong likelihood that as employers sign up to Stonewall programmes, there will be equality impacts for other protected groups, particularly women but also religious groups.”

As a long time poster here I just want to comment on the feminist attitude to women working in HR. HR is one of the most successful and influential professional services careers women have, we dominate the profession.

Well, I try to think of the HR at my place as colleagues, but I've just finished spending 3 hours today trying to sort out a balls up they made, which they shouldn't have made, if they had been at all aware of what they should be doing.

And this is not the first time I've had to do this, cover for HR stupidity or errors or simply not doing what they were supposed to do.

I still remember a decade ago, trying to discuss what workplace adjustments could be made for me, as the head of my unit, when I had a broken arm, wrist & hand (my dominant hand). They were utterly useless - no suggestions, no support, no help - I had to search my own institution and finally beg for support from our student disability service. The memory of that still makes me angry.

So -

Lmfao

You should definitely ask them if they approach everyone who suggests a charity to support.

I dont want to get into an All HR are bad etc..

But just to say as I understand it the "chat" was because another member of staff responded to mention of LGB Alliance by saying they were transphobic.

So I hope in the instance of fairness and balance that member of staff has also been approached for a "chat" and asked to substantiate their statement.

As a professional company looking at their at diversity and inclusion they wouldn't want decisions to be based on idle twitter opinion or personal bias!

Hopefully whoever the person was who actually made the unsubstatiated comment will be made aware of the facts that have been provided by OP and will be asked to think more clearly before speaking in future.

[quote YoBeaches]@JediGnot OP has said nothing about a complaint. She made a suggestion in a HR meeting and they are taking her up on her offer to chat offline.

Fabulous.[/quote]
I know - I was more trying to reassure her in the face of other posters who seemed to be very worried for her!

This is interesting: law firm announcing it’s leaving the Stonewall scheme and being pretty straightforward why:
www.rollonfriday.com/news-content/exclusive-law-firm-quits-stonewall-over-its-disquieting-recent-actions

“A law firm has ended its membership of a diversity scheme run by Stonewall citing concerns over its recent actions, saying it can no longer support the LGBTQ+ charity.

Moon Beever, based in Gray's Inn and specialising in insolvency work, was one of 77 firms signed up to Stonewall's Diversity Champions scheme.

But Frances Coulson, the firm's Senior Partner, told RollOnFriday that Moon Beever had relinquished its membership.

"After some disquiet about recent actions of Stonewall we have decided to exit the Stonewall Diversity Programme", she said.

"This in no way detracts from our commitment to diversity and equality, but in common with the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Government Departments we no longer feel that we can support Stonewall", said Coulson.”

As they have ever been.

I worked in one place where a particular male member of staff was reported so many times for inappropriate behaviour to female members of staff. He used to come to our department (he didn’t need to) and stand over a member of my team and basically salivate over here and talk about visiting prostitutes (having a sex with one who was so drunk she couldn’t stand up) and his ‘lovely lovely daughters’ (which just sounded incredibly creepy as he was peering down your top to catch a flash of your boobs).

HR did naff all. If a trader did something outrageous (as often was the case) they were basically given a lollipop and told not to be so naughty.

if I can find it the one about uni of essex

Well done @Iwasonlytryingtohelp - that sounds like a productive conversation.

Fair Play for Women and A Woman's Place websites have a lot of good resources.

And a quick search through this Feminism forum will give you links.

Here's the U of Essex blog, with links to the report.

www.essex.ac.uk/blog/posts/2021/05/17/review-of-two-events-with-external-speakers

Wow that article

There is it. That could have been a thread here two years ago, we knew all of this, but there it is all laid out in the national press and it's indefensible. Wheels off and rolling down the hill.

Well done OP

The tide is turning, you should try not to worry, your actions will have helped your company

Stonewall are on the front page of the Telegraph today.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/06/03/stonewall-advises-organisations-use-parent-has-given-birth-help/

A phrase along the lines of "given the huge controversy about Stonewall ATM, in particular their apparent misrepresentation of equalities law, I am concerned that [organisation] will incur reputational damage going forward if we align with them. It would seem prudent to ensure that any policies we have are fully compliant with the law"