EIS (Education Institute of Scotland) on GRR

While the Free Speech Union is the most worthwhile thing Toby Young has ever done, it is not a trade union.

One of the principles of trade unions used to be that they organised everyone regardless of their political views. That is jeopardised when they start pushing these bizarre, extremist positions.

Thank you.

You could do worse than join the Free Speech Union instead.

It seems most UK Trade Unions are captured. When I vote for an MP/ MSP or Local Councillor, I know to be 'gay', I expect them to take my mainstream heterosexual views into account as well before jumping on Stonewall policy bandwagons.
Clearly most are failing to do this, so I will have to start taking this into account, when choosing who to vote for and which Union to join.

It makes more sense if you remember that sex chromosomes are merely the start point of sex differentiation, while male or female bodies are the end point. And what body you have is more important than what sex chromosomes you started out with (unless it is in a medical context, because DSDs often also involve a number of health issues).

So a Y-chromosome does not always equate to being male, but a penis does.

Of course, a mismatch between sex chromosomes and bodies happens so rarely that it is safe to say a man typically has a Y-chromosome, a penis and testicles. Much as we call humans bipedal even if the occasional human is born not having two legs.

But whatever has happened to the genes, that doesn't change the fact that everyone is still either male or female.

And it doesn’t change the fact that it is completely irrelevant to trans identities. The Tavistock used to routinely test its patients for DSDs, but stopped when they discivered that the rate was identical to that in the general population.

Broadly, Y= male. But it's not quite that simple - by definition, a DSD means things are not following the standard pattern. In some cases the genes that create maleness can 'fall off' the Y chromosome (and may or may not become stuck to another chromosome) , or they can be present but not working for various reasons.

Laladybird · Yesterday 21:04

That EIS tweet has had only (gender) critical replies. They've now restricted who can reply to it.

That's because they don't want to have knowledgeable people picking their propaganda apart, piece by piece, by using proven facts.

I'm not even surprised anymore. Shiny sparkles are so much more important than safeguarding

Wonder which High School is going to have a bloke teaching while enjoying his massive pretend breasts 🤮

This is my favourite
Organising around women’s inequalities and holding women’s events and conferences, etc. should be transgender and non-binary inclusive.
#underhiseye

There was a reference upthread about unclear chromosomes and "intersex".

My (unqualified) understanding of possible chromosome configurations is:

XX = Female
XY= Male
XXY= Male
XYY= Male

The presence of a Y chromosome is an automatic marker of being male.

I am so so very glad I cancelled my EIS membership a few months back.

These so called "policies" are an absolute disgrace. They are basically saying, "Shut up women and align with what men tell you they are". Completely outrageous.

That EIS tweet has had only (gender) critical replies. They've now restricted who can reply to it.

I know the SSTA has a handful of members but that's no use for primary teachers.

Oh dear but they don't half spout ill-informed nonsense. Will any of the authors ever have the grace to feel ashamed of themselves for undermining women’s rights? For advising wrongly? For showing themselves to not even understand one of the most basic aims of the Equality Act?

This law brings together existing laws protecting various groups now represented via protected characteristics. One major result of amalgamating these specific laws are inevitable conflicts when the rights of protected groups clash. The Equality Act accounts for that by stating unequivocally that while it is unlawful to discriminate against someone on the basis of a protected characteristic in general, under specific circumstances it is lawful to do so.

So if the EIS was at all up to speed, they'd know that it is perfectly lawful to discriminate against crossdressers and GRC-holders on the basis of their sex and on the basis of gender reassignment respectively when it comes to single-sex spaces and services for women and girls.

But I guess they don't care about women and girls.

ArabellaScott · Yesterday 20:36

On Twitter, they are warning people about misinformation:

With depressing irony, as they lie and misinform about the situation.

Sometimes a person is born with aspects of their external genitals, their internal reproductive system or their chromosomes that are in-between what is considered clearly male or female. People born with these kinds of variations are often referred to as intersex people.'

Often referred to, by people who have been asked not to repeatedly and had it explained repeatedly that it's derogatory and upsetting. Referred to by people desperate to pretend that being trans is genetic. Referred to here by people who, as educators, really, really should know what they're on about and be using clear, accurate facts, not disgraceful propaganda and misrepresentation of the law.

What legal status does this document hold? Is it part of terms and conditions in the same way as the working time directive? Or is it just guidance?

Is there a chance that the EIS told its members to accept the pay offer they previously rejected, in exchange for this?

What other union options are there for teachers in Scotland?