Physiotherapy SEEN

[VenusEnvyXX]

I am concerned about the CSP's position statement on transphobia and want to explore whether members think the CSP would benefit from having it's own SEEN.

If you're not familiar with SEENs, they are a balance to the LGBTQIA+ groups, can be formally recognised and eligible for funding on an equal footing as other network groups. They exist in civil service, journalism, police, HR, city, and the NHS one is nearly ready to launch.

I do not agree with Rob Yeldham, and previously, Karen Middleton, when they say that physiotherapy has a transphobia issue. If there is evidence of this I have not seen it.

I have been contacted by a number of CSP staff and members, who share my concerns that this announcement misrepresents the law, defames members and manages to be both unnecessary and unclear.

It seems that people who are diametrically opposed to the view that sex is real and immutable are employed by and in positions of power and influence at our trade union. This is absolutely fine, it is important for a trade union to reflect its membership. I am uncomfortable with the views of activists forming policy without due process and debate. I hope to be wrong, but I suspect that might have happened in the formation of this CSP position statement.

It is difficult to speak up about these issues, people are scared of being accused of transphobia, and rightly so, the personal penalties can be high.

If you would be willing to share your views or insights with me anonymously here then I'd be grateful. Alternatively, (and if you are willing to trust that I am who I say I am!):
email - [email protected]
substack - @venusenvyxx
twitter - @gussiegrips

I am proud to have had a long career in physio and it seems to me that this is little more than a training and communication issue, which, like sex, is not complicated.

bests
Elaine Miller

Here’s their official response https://www.csp.org.uk/news/2024-05-05-csp-responds-mail-sunday-article

Nowhere in the CSP response to the Mail article does it mention the fact the membership has not been consulted at all about either the language used in the miscarriage article or their recent statement. Despite their acknowledgment that the membership is almost wholly female and who all no doubt want to support all patients and colleagues (trans or otherwise) fairly, their wording is almost suggestive that the majority female membership agree with their recent statements.
And to say the subsequent comments/discussion is detracting from the 'important message' proves they've no understanding of (or don't care about) how harmful removing sexed-based language can be for women

Thanks for this, @Anklesprainssuck.

Yes, I think that diversity of opinion would be a helpful addition to the EDB committee.

Word on the street; not all members supported the release of the Transphobia statement ( want to refrain from being political)

can you expand on what you mean here?

I'm sorry to have been AWOL. There are a couple of interesting and possibly helpful things to report.

Firstly, the Mail article is interesting, it looks like it's been one member who spoke to them. I'm very frustrated - who is it that has decided sexed language has been dropped by the CSP in communications when the evidence about that shows that it does harm?

I suspect decisions are being made by comms staff, not by clinical staff. I am told that the survey they just sent round all members (with a bribe of maybe winning a voucher if you fill it out) has a 2% return rate.

This suggests that what posters have posited, that the CSP is relaxed about the level of engagement with members and that it does not want to encourage debate about gender and sex, we seem to have a male-heavy-at-exec-and-staff-levels organisation which wants it's mainly-female membership to agree and comply...like good girls.

I feel a bit mean spirited and petty for typing that, but, how else should we view being silenced, sidelined, disrespected and dehumanised by our trade union?

I did speak with someone at the exec who was interested in our concerns and I did feel like I was heard. I am confident that conversations are happening in-house, and they are definitely watching the press, twitter and this thread. However, we are being denied a place to discuss these concerns in house. We pay for iCSP and we are unable to access member benefits because it seems that a member of staff, who is not a clinician, has deemed our polite, professional discussions to be Wrong Think.

The exec person I spoke to asked for some time to discuss things in house. I don't think this means we should do nothing. If anything, I'm more exasperated than I was three weeks ago.

In good news, someone trustworthy has set up a proton account, which is some sort of protected email account? This person is someone I trust, they are hoping to find like minded physios to build a women's group for staff and members and get our voices heard. If you have anything you want to say you can send it to:
[email protected].
and I'll put it forward from my email address to the CSP so you can protect your anonymity if you prefer not to email them directly or post on iCSP which is not anonymous.

The fact that members and staff are concerned about speaking frankly in a professional group is, well, worrying.

I'm still considering standing for council. It has been suggested to me that it might be "easier to team build" if I am not on council as I am, apparently, a divisive figure. The definition of what I am, apparently, accused of, bigotry, is

"having and expressing strong, unreasonable beliefs and disliking other people who have different beliefs"

It seems I am condemned by people who dislike me because they assume they understand my beliefs. I have no idea why I would be seen as that and am confident the people who continue to participate in my repetitional damage have never discussed any of this with me. Meta bigotry, right?

Someone has set up a thread about the miscarriage article on sex and gender. https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5068751-uk-physio-again?reply=135054681

Thank you for the update and thank you for contacting a CSP Exec directly.

The CEO has been quiet over this so unclear what his opinion is, this is his post from Feb- worth a read.

https://www.csp.org.uk/frontline/article/warm-welcome-0

With regards to the feedback you have been given and being considered ‘decisive’. That is not constructive in any way and I suspect given to deter any nominations. I suspect this is reflection of some who lack any sound arguments being unable to handle any reasonable debate, as name calling is a common diversion tactic.
Unfortunately they have got themselves into this mess - the national press coverage should be a wake up call.

As a council it would be good to have different options to avoid group think, and as a member I would want this. It would seem there is a lack of higher up political awareness and understanding of ideological capture.

Council nominations follow a democratic process with votes by members- so what they think is irrelevant. If you put yourself forward you would get my vote.

This is a ridiculous tweet from a physio who is, I believe, chair of one of the member diversity networks. We are all transphobic and JKR needs to “hold her tongue”. Nice…

With regards to the feedback you have been given and being considered ‘decisive’. That is not constructive in any way and I suspect given to deter any nominations.

I agree with this point and hope it doesn’t deter you @VenusEnvyXX.

https://x.com/csplgbtqia/status/1787367397256499511?s=46&t=fdv1HYOQoReUOvYfRxx9JQ

The awful CSP LGBTQ group just posted this on Twitter. Sounds like a deliberate dig at the original tweet that have used the term “mothers.”
Seems like the people running it have one agenda- to promote this stupid ideology! I still have not received any acknowledgment of the email I sent about the lesbian visibility tweets.

https://x.com/gitaramdharry/status/1787102545959059719?s=46&t=fdv1HYOQoReUOvYfRxx9JQ

This tweet is also from a Physio who is very high up in research. Her expertises is in neuro muscular conditions. What I find the hardest to get my head around is the cognitive dissonance of clearly intelligent people who support this nonsense! I’d really like to ask this Physio what her response would be to this scenario…

You are treating a child with duchennes muscular dystrophy. This child identifies as a girl and says that they can’t have duchennes because it only affects boys and they are a girl. How would you explain to them that they still have the condition?

Obviously the answer is “because you are born male and remain male because it’s not possible to change sex.” But to say that is transphobic based on the ideology!

That’s just AWFUL. How are head office letting them get away with it?

Here’s information about who’s in charge of this network. Comms officer, who I assume does their X, looks to be a middle-class white woman pansexual demifemale.

294 views and 3 likes. What are these accounts for? The engagement is terrible but the propaganda is strong.

I know! They have already received at least 2 complaints recently about some of their tweets. In any other area they would be sat down and a conversation would have been had about professionalism and not putting the organisation into disrepute. Yet on this topic they are above any criticism. I hope when we have formal government policy it will make it easier to challenge.

I’m all for encouraging new graduates but Harriet is very newly qualified. Why do my experience and insights not matter to the CSP? They haven’t asked me for thrm, apart from the recent stupid survey of insulting leading questions.

Here’s an article https://www.csp.org.uk/frontline/article/lgbt-history-month-pride-practice

WHY is it vital to “completely be yourself” at work? HOW does this improve patient care?

My sex life is not something my patients need to know about. In fact, that would be a safeguarding issue.

@stealtheatingtunnocks I agree, we are specifically not entitled to be completely ourselves at work as members may hold religious, cultural and other beliefs and values that may bring them into conflict with those beliefs of patients and colleagues. Hence the recent furore over staff wearing symbols on their uniform that indicate their beliefs around the Israel-Palestine conflict.

It is as if we are obliged to be activists, but only if the ones that the EDB committee approve of. Which isn’t very fucking diverse.

I’m really annoyed by all this now! It is amateurish to whine about how special you are at work. Everyone is special, most of us just get on with things without an enamel badge telling everyone how special we are.

Also from that article. What HCP is saying that? If she’s referring to single sex spaces then that’s not “keeping trans people separate from others”!

This is all totally frustrating. These articles and tweets from the CSP are bringing our profession into disrepute.
I get the impression that hardly any members bother to read frontline or go on icsp or follow the csp on X so are unaware of what's going on.
Most private physios use physio first. The csp has become an insurance provider and seems to do little else for the benefit of its members.
I do hope this can change. How do we complain and get heard by our own "trade union"?

It’s Peter Tatchell who wants to segregate trans patients!

these people don’t understand safeguarding, it used to be common sense
Tatchell’s wisdkm

how do we get heard? Group complaint? It would mean using your name though.

I'm furious after reading these tweets!! I'm definitely up for a group complaint.
And why can't they at least say "women and...<inset whatever non-sexed ridiculous statement of choice here>"?!

Can we link all the tweets, articles, etc with concerning language in an email and forward onto the exec committee to raise our concerns?

And I'm starting to feel this is now relevant to us as a 'marginalised group'

www.csp.org.uk/campaigns-influencing/campaigns/microaggressions

The fact that this has continued to happen since it all kicked off over the transphobia statement despite the Twitter row, iCSP posts, Daily Mail, etc etc gives me little hope that the CSP thinks it’s done anything wrong. If they were taking seriously the complaints they’ve received, it would be sensible for someone to say to the LGBTQ group let's hang fire on the tweets for now. That clearly hasn’t happened. Quite the opposite- the LGBTQ group is gleefully retweeting all the TRA content they can get hold of.

Did anyone get a response re their complaints and if so, what did it say? I’m guessing something very generic?

I have just had a response to say that mine is not the only complaint, that they want to “follow up fully” and they will set up a call with me to discuss my concerns. So let’s see what happens- I will keep you all posted.