2 Teachers in the US fired for speaking out about gender identity

I'd be more worried about teachers who didn't speak out.

If teachers were prepared to go akd supervise PE changing , knowing full well tested could be naked or half dressed members of the opposite sex there then that would he a red flag.

Most teachers would not dream.of putting themselves in that position. To.protect children trans or otherwise and themselves.

@RobinMoiraWhite
I would reccomend a degree of caution in speaking of a protected characteristic possessed by real people as an 'ideology' and thinking that will be consequence-free

The protected characteristic is gender reassignment. The belief in any ideology is a different protected characteristic, that of a religious belief and the belief that gender ideology is harmful also falls under this PC as the recent Maya Forstater case proved. As such, one cannot, in this country, be penalised in any way for ones belief in the harm gender ideology does to women and children in particular.

Wistful application of the law sounds about right embarrassing.

It certainly seems odd that a lawyer would be here prowling the boards and speaking in this threatening tone towards women. About an ideology that flies in the face of children's safeguards. Having searched it seems that this is by no means the first time they have done this. Seems to me that they should start educating themselves about the bigger picture.

Now, I only have a tiny little ladybrain and so should probably just laugh a tinkly little laugh and not bother my pretty little head about it any further, but…

If it is so, so difficult to determine who and what a woman is, because of this formless, shifting constellation, this unknowable essence, etc….how is it that when it comes to knowing who to sack and who to silence, it’s unerringly always women copping it?

But there is nothing at all sinister about a ‘known’ lawyer issuing warnings on a forum board discussing the negative impacts of a group they belong to on the rights of women and girls to overcome a millennia of sexist discrimination because of our female bodies.

Nothing sinister at all, all par for course it seems with pipe-bomb threats, women’s employers being tweeted to ‘bring their wrongthink’ to attention with pressure to do something about it, nine year old girls being told they shouldn’t look at a male penis exposed in a female naked section of a spa….

Gosh… whoodathunkit.

Wishful application of the law seems to be a feature for some of these people. Fake it til you make it, as the saying goes.

Interesting…. So now under 18’s who cannot get a GRC are in a protected category? You are warning a teacher to be careful and not one of those pupils under the age of 18 will have a GRC.

More wishful application of law.

I doubt we shall be taking advice from a lawyer who can't even spell.

*RobinMoiraWhite

ValancyRedfern

I saw this. Terrifying. Especially as I am a teacher who speaks out against gender ideology.

I would reccomend a degree of caution in speaking of a protected characteristic possessed by real people as an 'ideology' and thinking that will be consequence-free*

Why? What is going to happen, then?

People speak out constantly about issues such as religion, politics, climate change, being a vegan - what sets this issue apart?

For info @RobinMoiraWhite, schools are fast realising that speaking out against gender ideology is absolutely necessary in order for them to comply withThe Equality Act, The Education Act, their Master Funding Agreements (for Academies) as well as various DfE and Ofsted guidelines.

I would reccomend a degree of caution in speaking of a protected characteristic possessed by real people as an 'ideology' and thinking that will be consequence-free.

Is this advice being made as one MN member to another? Or, with respect to your professional standing, is this to be interpreted as legal advice (which gives it a different interpretation)? (I'd be surprised at this.)

I’m thinking more Dolores Umbridge.

And always this. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.

👏👏👏

I would reccomend a degree of caution in speaking of a protected characteristic possessed by real people as an 'ideology' and thinking that will be consequence-free.

Somehow, I always "hear" Robin's helpful advice in the voice of Ann Dowd's Aunt Lydia.

As religion and belief are themselves one of the nine protected characteristics, how can it be a problem to use the term "ideology"? Does anyone think something would or should happen to me in the workplace because I posted on mumsnet about "Christian ideology"?

What are protected characteristics?

It is against the law to discriminate against someone because of:

age
disability
gender reassignment
marriage and civil partnership
pregnancy and maternity
race
religion or belief
sex
sexual orientation

Theseare called protected characteristics.

me too Floral.

I, for one, welcome such a stellar legal mind representing Stonewall. I sleep better because of it.

I would reccomend a degree of caution in speaking of a protected characteristic possessed by real people as an 'ideology' and thinking that will be consequence-free.

You’re quite fond of “recommending a degree of caution” despite being a barrister active in many of these sorts of cases in the UK who has posted your personal views all over Mumsnet for several years 😆😆. Oh and Twitter.

mobile.twitter.com/BluskyeAllison/status/1391455349199212545

Maybe you should caution yourself for a change.

You threatening me , John?

Well

The protected characteristic of gender reassignment isn't an ideology, is it? The philosophy underlying that characteristic might be, but it isn't fixed.

Presumably a year or so ago it was okay for children at @ValencyRedfern 's school to be taught about boy's brains in girl's bodies? Now it's not. Is a biology teacher meant to teach the jelly baby / clownfish model of the sexes? We should not discourage teachers from expressing concerns or reservations in the appropriate manner and forum and I hope you're not suggesting it's illegal for them to do so.

Thank you @ValancyRedfern