Being GC and fearing for your job

[JellySlice]

I work in a field where posters frequently say that they fear for their jobs if they are openly GC. This has made me hesitate about 'coming out' myself.

But are our jobs really at risk? Can you be fired for holding or expressing a particular opinion or belief?

I can't help wondering whether this is, in fact, another example of female socialisation against expressing strong, potentially contrary opinions. 'Men are forceful, women are pliant'.

And I'm not knocking this worry, I understand that it's genuine. But I also want to understand the reason and be fully armed before I stand up to be counted at work.

JellySlice safeguarding is the possible challenge for us in our business. We haven't had to face it directly yet but it's only a matter of time

For clarity - we obviously have safeguarding policies etc in place, robust procedures but they're suitably general. We haven't yet had to address any specific issues surrounding gender/trans issues but if/when that comes it is going to be a complete minefield

What about jobs where safeguarding is an important aspect? In the sense that safeguarding is everybody's responsibility, not that they have are a named person in a safeguarding role

That would be my reason to resign. I can't go into detail as it would be very outing, but being a free agent with the connections I have would give me massively more clout. It's the nuclear option - it would kill any career hopes and make life difficult for my family, but I would throw myself under a bus for all these kids anyway and they know it. If it does ever appear, I'm hoping the sheer shock that I would be willing to do all this would be enough to stop it dead. It feels like bravado, saying that, because I think we're pretty sensible as an organisation and we do work hard at our safeguarding. I probably won't ever have to ride that particular drama llama. But I would take the nuke option for any serious safeguarding issue.

Yes I do fear for my job and have said to DH that this could be the end of my career. I work as an Equality and Diversity Manager

Ouch.

MuchasSmoochas is there any space for you to argue for proportionality in the allocation of your time/resources to different groups? Might help you to be able to tone it down a bit if it's done as highlighting that not all minority groups are getting a fair slice of the pie and identifying other groups which need greater focus?

I'm sure you will have stats for your organisation but it should be fairly easy to demonstrate that those with disabilities, BAME, women, particular religions/ make up a larger proportion and so need more resources.

gracexox With the introduction of fees, students are consumers, and institutional loyalty now lies with student recruitment and retention rather than their relatively replaceable staff.

In reality, this is debatable because the most fickle 'customers' are overseas students like Chinese, who don't care about trans.

But managers like to use student concerns as a bludgeon to beat faculty. Keeping academics fearful is in the bureaucrats' interest!

Absolutely agree with you Facts. For example, 16% of our students have declared a disability, less than 1% are trans. However I respond to issues raised, and trans students are particularly vocal and effective at lobbying. I discussed with them the Health and Safety Welfare Regs re single sex toilets. The trans reps just looked at me and said “We will change that law”. Obviously I can’t speak for them all, and it’s not that they are unpleasant or anything, but they have a very steely approach which makes me think with my tin foil hat on that they have strong people in the background. I do have to admire their chutzpah.

I definitely see that - there is a current certainty that they have all the might in the world behind them.

Really we need to find a way to make other groups (and I include women in this) more willing to be just as fucking pushy. Because I think that's what it's going to take to stop some of the resource and discussion monopolisation. That 16% need to be able to say "we need x" and to not be scared to push for it in exactly the same way.

But that's harder to do when you don't have loud lobby groups behind you who will willingly go after any organisation who doesn't fall in line.

The trans reps just looked at me and said “We will change that law”. Obviously I can’t speak for them all, and it’s not that they are unpleasant or anything, but they have a very steely approach which makes me think with my tin foil hat on that they have strong people in the background. I do have to admire their chutzpah

I know the type. I don't admire them though and what I primarily see is privilege - the kind that students with a disability rarely have and rarely have the energy to push anyway.

Yes, we do need more pushy people. But there can be cultural barriers which prevent this. Female Muslim students do not want to share toilets with trans women. They are not vocal about this and some have left the institution. I pointed this out in an Equality Impact Assessment which was not signed off or published.

I know there will be groups who can't do this - it would just be helpful if we can try to make those who are able to more willing to shout louder. YY Spartacus, it's pure privilege in action. Whilst claiming to have no privilege and to be the most oppressed ever, natch.

There's also an issue with people not being willing to speak and with most opportunities to do so being public - your female muslims, for example, are probably very unlikely to speak out in any sort of meeting or forum. Anonymous feedback surveys etc can work, but lots of work is involved to stop them being gamed (a favourite trick of TRAs)

I work in a blue chip firm that prides itself on its D&I credentials. While downplaying a 28% gender pay gap. They have a reduction in force (RIF) or redundancies about once per quarter. Anywhere from 20 to 100+ leave the firm across all divisions every few months, mostly because projects end, or teams are merged. I’d be gone within 6 months for saying a word against the orthodoxy.

I set up a brand new email account to delurk.

If I spoke my opinion/beliefs at work, I'm certain I'd be managed out. Bracing myself for if/when I'm asked outright to stick my colours to the mast. They'll be stuck firm and hang the consequences, some things are more important.

I suspect that many are so looking forward to getting rid of uppity women anyway.

We don't even dare speak up, why would they?

Also, they assume we know what we're doing and that we'll protect them. I'm no longer sure that the grown ups are in charge.

After decades in the industry I have begun to wonder if I'm as bad as people who sell cigarettes and alcohol. I don't really know anymore if university is a "good" thing to sell to young people. Not just because of this, but it's a big part of it and emblematic of the wider problems.

If you work for government bodies or public services, then you do run the risk of being dismissed for bringing the organisation into disrepute.
Comments that are racist or homophobic in nature quite rightly have you suspended then dismissed after a hearing, Transphobia is now in that bracket in my work place.
The problem being what is transphobia? I fully believe that we are males and will always be males even after surgery and hormones etc, but to transgenders that is phobic. I'm transexual/transwoman not transgender and already been disciplined for airing my views after challenging transwoman are woman , I fear that had I not been trans the complaint would have been upheld properly leaving me sacked for gross misconduct to a colleague

If I was employed by, say, a staunchly Labour council, and expressed support for Boris Johnson, was seen on TV holding a placard supporting him at a demo, would they be allowed to fire me for bringing them into disrepute?

I think the civil service code actually explicitly answers this one. Below managerial level (what used to be grade 7 in old money) you can attend demonstrations, stand as a candidate in local elections, canvass, so long as you do it in your capacity as a private citizen.

So - for me, waving a Bozza poster (to use your example) in jeans and a jumper, no problem. Waving that same poster while wearing a t-shirt identifying my place of employment (which we have for public outreach work) - sackable offence.

With this in mind, I have actually posted cautiously GC things in the comments columns of national newspapers under my own name. I reckon this is actually a defence against doxxing: "I have these views, I'm stating them in a respectful way as a private citizen in my own name, but not in such a way that can be connected back to my workplace, human rights law gives me the right to freedom of political expression, care to explain what the problem is?"

It’s an area of emerging practice, what we need is some test case which could establish that a person who believes a trans woman is not a woman would be protected on the grounds that it’s a philosophical belief. (Well it’s factually correct but we know that it is seen as transphobic) We need money for this!

I was a teacher in a former life and one of the many reasons I chose to leave for a while is because of censorship. I am all for behaving responsibly online, but I was being told about teachers that had commented (politely, no swearing etc) on news articles on facebook and were pulled up about it. It seems like all public sector workers are not allowed to have opinions...

I can remember when I divorced my husband and came out as a lesbian in the 1970,s , my entire family disowned me , most of my so called friends dissed me !

this was who I am I said ! didnt hide behind anyone , yes walking arm in arm with girlfriends we were attacked , beaten up many times , spat at by so called law abiding straight people
but we held on to the fact we were right !

I was arrested at Greenham common, violently abused at Clause 28 rally s abused at FGM rallys

yes it affected my promotion prospects , and hurt me financially , but I felt that strongly about many issues

have the strength to know you are right ,in your convictions don't hide behind a handle like some troll
there comes a time when you have to stand up for your beliefs !reguardless of the consequences

I am Elizabeth Wood , Feminist , Lesbian ,Anti Patriarchy campaigner totally against Self ID

but support my friends who stood by my side on various demo,s in the 1970,s and 1980,s these friends do include old school men and women with that certain past , who have lived quiet unassuming lives , after 40 years they deserve to be the gender on their GRC ,s and left alone in peace , with their grandchildren !

If I was GC publicly (social media?) I would be disciplined and then if I continued I would be fired. Trans advocates - different rules.

I really feel for you MoseShrute

I do wonder how they will handle that complaint/complaints if it gets to that stage though. I'm assuming that you will have documented everything rigorously so can clearly show that they did not meet the diagnostic criteria. So what are they going to do? Tell you to play nice and refer people on (presumably to head down a potentially physically harmful hormones and surgery route) even when they're not clinically diagnosable? Or risk the wrath of the TRAs?

I do wonder where this will tie in with the current TRA push to demedicalise trans too. If it's not medical, not mental health, not requiring of a doctor to diagnose it...then how can they argue it's NHS treatable?

I am too unwell to work, which is a pain. I'm now at an age where getting work is very difficult anyway. It means I'm broke more often than not. I can't contribute to feminist causes, which is frustrating.

However it does mean I'm free to say what I think. I had my picture taken leafletting because I don't have to hide my identity. If I can be of use please let me know.

Maybe not financially, Prawn, but your contributions on here are invaluable.

GC HCPs are in the same position as MoseShrute in that failing to 'affirm' a patient expressing gender confusion, regardless of whatever else they are presenting with, can now be viewed as a form of conversion therapy. Conversion therapy (quite rightly in the case of attempts to change people's sexual orientation) is viewed as unethical by most professional bodies and a complaint could lead to investigation, sanction, deregistration or simply no-one wanting the grief that might come with employing you. Being openly gc would weaponise any such complaint.

This is most relevant for mh and primary care professionals I should think, especially those who work with children and adolescents.