Supreme Court ruling

[Flybee]

Presumably my university is not alone in having a transgender policy that states, amongst other Stonewall Speak, that transgender people may use any toilet of their choosing?

Presumably this policy will now have to change?

I've seen that the NHS and other public bodies will be issued with renewed guidance - will the same be done for universities?

A few union branches have passed motions opposing the supreme court and urging universities to not follow the ruling.

Anyone else seen this?

Absolutely ridiculous.

I've seen Cambridge and Durham branches posting on Bluesky about it.

universities are ignoring it too, for now at least. They are saying nothing has changed for now until they get clarification from legal experts.

It's a bit painful. Legal experts made the ruling 🙄 Legal experts have clarified already.

They're just being pathetic.

Mine's put out a message of concern, but not to the rest of us who have been silenced for years. The policies have still not been updated.

Yes to this a thousand times over. Ridiculous and pathetic.

Has anyone seen this: Not In Our Name - Feminist Academics and Educators Speak Out - with signatures - Google Docs

This sort of nonsense makes me ashamed to say I'm an academic.

Hah! I can assure anyone that cares that I won’t be signing the above petition from these ‘feminist’ academics.

Me neither @Seymourscat

Unfortunately lots of silly bastards from my institution have signed. But its a good way to keep a tally of "Brain dead morons to avoid like the plague" I guess.

FFS

Not many from mine, which is unusual. Usually they’re all over open letters like a rash.

You would think that, wouldn't you @Mumteedum ?

So glad I left the UCU. I use my subs to support crowdfunding of women's cases against extremist men's rights bullying ...

Unfortunately our union seems to excel at the non fights that minimally affect our jobs and completely ignoring the crisis that academia is facing including whole scale redundancies. I couldn’t believe Grady was re-elected.

The phrase “fiddling while Rome burns” comes to mind.

Jo Grady is on bbcqt tonight I think 🙈 I'm not sure I can bear to watch it.

Oh god shes not is she??? Ffs

Fraid so !

Presumably to speak on trans rights and Palestine?

I remain shocked at how far a trade union has moved from its core business. I shouldn't be by now, after years of UCU shenanigans, but I am.

UCU conference motions are out. Apparently the category "woman" is an attack on transpeople. And we must prepare to strike. Something about Trump in there too. I love and admire activists but I also admire a firm attachment to reality. What about childcare? Wage parity? Early career security? Age-related misogyny and how to deal with it? Reform of the student loan system? Student social and geographic mobility? Does it really have to be all toilets and Trump... Sigh.
www.ucu.org.uk/article/14034/UCU-reaffirms-commitment-to-trans-rights

I'm fuming about this crap. Seriously thinking about cancelling membership or at least trying that other union that popped up.... I know it was mentioned on another thread but can't remember their name rn.

I think Affinity gets mentioned a fair bit? Sad to leave UCU as only UCU is recognised for collective bargaining but I walked a couple of years ago after an unforgivable conference motion about Putin and the Ukraine, plus antisemitism (I think Grady actually tried to distance herself from that one). Haven't regretted it. I wouldn't want to be part of the current nonsense. This thread helpful?www.mumsnet.com/talk/academics_corner/4731980-leaving-ucu-what-other-unions-are-good

On my Bluesky feed yesterday was a post about UCU affirming their commitment to trans people. Then directly underneath was a post about Dundee Maths department putting 100% of their female professors at risk of redundancy.

The fact that they can't see the connections between these two posts/statments/situations is absolutely mind boggling.

I'm a loud and proud UCU non-member. I used to be slightly sheepish about it because I'm in a very unionised department. Not anymore.

I’m fully expecting a demand that universities break the law in favour of trans supremacy to become one of now “Five Fights” as we move into industrial action over the 1.4% pay rise. The trade union movement has been totally colonised by middle class brats and their luxury beliefs.

Sometimes I wonder if this deviation from their core work is actually an acknowledgement of their poor record at it and so they devote their energies to other issues where they are equally ineffectual but at least get the prizes of publicity and virtuosity.

@DrUptonsGardenGnome Yes, I absolutely think this is the case. You've hit the nail on the head. Every single one of the trans-wang knobheads at my work are decidedly mediocre at their actual job.

I think its a two-layered thing.
On the one hand, they're shit at their jobs so divert energies to this bollocks meaning they can get easy back-pats which they lack from their actual job. and they also have a handy excuse for their mediocrity - you can't get be a research superstar when you're fighting the trans genocide, you know.

On the other hand, I think the trans-wang attracts people who lack critical thinking, and lack of critical thinking is also a reason for academic mediocrity.

I love your username.

Awwww <blushes>