Please be gentle with me, I'm new here and confused. I've always considered myself left wing but now think I may be a biggot. I've lurked on threads but it's difficult to keep up with what's going on: I don't use social media so I don't understand what's going on in Twitter, or people's names; I don't always understand the abbreviations.
My recent copy of UNISON Activist magazine had an opening by Dave Prentis. He wrote about how UNISON is a women's Union and we must call out the sexists the bigots and bullies. That it's not ok for men to see women as objects. Great.
Later in the magazine there is an article about being a trans allie. It reads very nice and friendly. Of course I will be a "good person", I wouldn't want to upset anyone just as I wouldn't want anyone to upset me.
However I followed the links and realised I don't really understand at all. Now I see gender is written in 2004 gender equality act and the 2010 equality act. I thought we were still legally talking about sex.
The thing that's got me concerned is this
www.unison.org.uk/content/uploads/2017/12/UNISON-model-trans-equality-policy.docx
*Changing facilities, toilets and other single sex facilities
Trans people are entitled to use single sex facilities in accordance with their correct gender. For non-binary people, this might mean using gender-neutral or accessible facilities, or using a combination of different facilities. However, trans people will never be required to use accessible toilets unless they wish to do so.*
I'm not sure how to interpret correct gender. Does it mean their correct sex, so a man wouldn't be able to use a women's toilet; or does it mean the correct gender as they've decided so a male could use the women's toilets?
Sorry if I'm slow. I signed a petition on Secondary today that Teen put up. I though I was signing for women to get a say in how their spaces are used. Was it pointless in signing it if laws from 2004 and 2010 say anyone can use our spaces?
Sorry if this is rambling. I'm worried that I don't think I agree with my Union, but that I'm wrong, and that I feel uncomfortable and worried.