Update: identifying as non-binary for work award

[Somerville1234]

Can't find the old thread... but anyway, there's an award/opportunity at work, only for people who are LGBT+++. I don't remember all the categories but they included genderqueer, genderfluid and genderfree. Also K, which I'm reliably informed stands for kink lifestyle. I don't understand why someone would need a special thing at work for getting off on weeing and whips (?? I don't watch porn, I don't have a clue), but maybe I'm just old fashioned. Anyway, old fashioned or not, I'm gender free because I don't believe in gender. And I wanted the professional opportunity. (Forgive me for the vagueness - being careful because of doxxing.) And you lot were encouraging...

I ended up applying - which didn't involve saying how I met the criteria, just ticking that I did. And then I was perpexedly approached by my woke boss.
(WB "Erm... so you realise that this is for LGBT+++ employees, Somer?"
S "Yes."
WB "Erm...it was my understanding you're a straight woman...?"
S "I'm genderfree and-"
WB: "Really?"
S "Yes, and I think I need to remind you that the staff handbook recommends that no-one should assume anybody elses's gender."
WB: "Oh, terribly sorry about that.")

I then had a lovely meeting with HR where they were very keen to update my pronouns on the system. I told them that being gender free I require the box beside gender to be left empty, but that I can accept female pronouns because that's my biological sex. They were happy with this novel idea and to learn more about the difference between sex and gender. They young HR person didn't know they're not synonyms but he learns something new every day apparently.

And now... I've heard I'm shortlisted for the next round!
It's been announced to the whole company, and I've had a few bemused looks but no direct transphobia, I'm happy to report.
My longsuffering DH (works in same field) has been teased a bit for my gender identity but he's happy to suffer for the sake of my fight for equality.

I think we should choose a Gender Free flag.

How about a transparent one?

😂

This is fantastic! I've realised (genuinely, no sarcasm) that I'm genderfree.

After all, all the female gender stereotype is about is being some how less than or desired by men. And that's not me. I'm not for possessing or pitying.

However. My company haven't even heard of woke, so there's no point in me raising it - they'd just raise their eyebrows and change the subject.

Saw this on Twitter.

I was really offended because no gender. Thanks.

I love the idea of a transparent flag. Emperor's new empress clothing.

While we're on the subject of graphic design, what about creating some alternatives to Stonewall's umbrella? Teeny tiny fold up into your handbag kind, covering L&G&possibly B. Giant golfing umbrellas, or the ones that protect outdoor restaurant tables, to cover every sort of alphabet soup, including most numerously A for "allies", which is ten times the number of everyone else.

Complete knot tying = GENIUS

Well done my friends, well done

I don't talk about my own sex life at work so I've zero interest in hearing about anyone else's, or having to accept some sort of weird acceptance of sexual exhibitionism in the workplace. We're there to do a job, not to validate fetishes. Personal is personal, work is work. Do what you want at home or whatever else, but the day I have to navigate expression of blimmin kink in the workplace is the day I chuck it.

Someone linked to this in response to Glinner’s tweet about Somer. Did anyone else see it? It is PEAK Tumblr. I have never come across so many new possible gender identities. Trigender (how can there be three?), Polygender (more than three??), Genderflux, Agender, Bigender, Neutrois, Gender Fluid, Mixed Gender, Genderqueer, Androgyne, Gender Punk, Aliagender, Demi Flux, and... and...

None of the written definitions make a word of sense to me, so the second link is a handy interactive version of the flowchart.

I came out as agender, libragender, girl-prox

Nice

transgenderteensurvivalguide.tumblr.com/flowchart

genderquiz.000webhostapp.com

You are so brave 😄😄

I’m going to update my personal data on my works HR system with genderfree. That will cause some gossip among the HR office.

This is absolutely bloody brilliant.

Good luck Somerville.

You have inspired me to look for opportunities to do something similar in my own woke workplace. My genderfree identity is exactly the kind of thing the woke powers that be would fall over themselves to celebrate.

(Totally bemused by the "k" thing. How is it anyone's business at work?why would anyone want it to be? And I assume this opportunity for LGBTQWERTY is seen as way to redress an imbalance, do a bit of affirmative action etc. on behalf of underrepresented groups or some such. I don't object to such things in principle but people with a kink are not in need of such positive discrimination, surely?)

Oh Somerville- this is fabulous- another one here who thinks you are stunning and brave.

I might even try it with my woke boss.

LGBTQWERTY
This makes me think of Langs regulatory capture thread.
Identify yourself in or out, either way, people are ideologically captured.

**

Just caught this. Yes! So as not to spoil the series for those I reocmmend Lymond Chronicles too, I kept it at Somerville. (I have more in common with Kate than Philippa these days anyway. ) There are lots of Dunnett fans on MN!

There is a clear and obvious reason that people laugh at “kink” (aside from ridiculous terminology). It is because it involves taking incredibly seriously something most people are inclined to be a bit light hearted about. This is inherently ridiculous. Whenever I listen to people with outre sexual interests I inevitably want to tell them to lighten the fuck up. It’s not that important, and you are not that interesting.

I've little notion what is, or isn't, classified as 'kink' (probably culturally variable?) but I'd got the impression that at least for some a vital point is that it is taboo. Doesn't making it a category for workplace awards risk dragging it into the the banal everyday world which could ruin it?

**

And mine!

Fucks fucking sake at the whining about kink shaming.

If you can't see that woke companies giving workplace opportunities to "marginalised minorities" because they like golden showers or a whipping at weekends is ripe material for a piss-taking*, there's no fucking hope for humanity.

I, for one, shall continue to take the piss out of any alphabet soup with a K in it.

JFC.

*no pun intended

genderquiz.000webhostapp.com

Tried that, fell over on the first question.

I don't feel female. I am biologically female. Gender is not a feeling!

I've been re tweeting some of the comments on Glinner's thread and adding wokecheck, got a reply that said explain, I don't speak bigot. I explained that she'd jumped on the woke bandwagon. Got a reply about trans people's rights so I asked her what rights don't they have. No answer.
This is so brilliant because it exposes the total and utter stupidity of the whole gender shit show.
K has no place in a working environment. Who wants to know what their colleagues sex life involves

Why it's important to be able to be "out" at work re. the LGB bit:
because everyone else gets to have pictures of their partners on their desk (unless the workplace operates a "clear desk" policy) or chat about their children. Because people will ask you about what you're doing at the weekend and it gets exhausting skirting round your plans, and never mentioning your "special friend." In short, to be included in the normal social life of the office, on an equal footing. Because your relationship and family circumstances are every bit as important to you as a heterosexual colleague's are. And you shouldn't be made to feel uncomfortable or excluded.

Why it's really not important in the slightest to be out about "kink" in the workplace: because no-one, I repeat, no-one wants to know the actual details of anyone else's sex life, be it missionary position in the dark while wearing as many nightclothes as are actually compatible with DTD, on the third Saturday in the month, or swinging from the chandelier covered in nutella while singing the Marseillaise and attempting to shove a banana up your partner's nether regions. No-one wants to know any of it. It is not now, never has been, and never will be an appropriate topic for workplace conversation. This is not kink-shaming, this is maintaining appropriate boundaries, and respecting other people's right to privacy.

or swinging from the chandelier covered in nutella while singing the Marseillaise and attempting to shove a banana up your partner's nether regions.

Ronald???

Don't want to commit any faux passes here which will result in me being trollied on twitter. So - is it:
a) gender free
b) gender-free
c) genderfree
?

Whatever it is, count me in , and for the OP.

Kite - given that gender is something we don't believe in (completely unlike 'woman' which has a precise, tangible reality), we are free to use any of those.

Does anyone have a link for this glinner thread that keeps being mentioned or would that be too circular?

twitter.com/Glinner/status/1113462307940642817

That's it. I'm going for gender-free...