Small Acts of Rebellion

[GrimDamnFanjo]

I'd like to start a thread for "armchair activists" like myself who want to campaign but can't publicly for various reasons.
If we have an ongoing conversation then perhaps we can keep track of those small acts of rebellion and focus efforts?

Man alive, I'm doing this all over the shop.

I'm glad it has a name now. 😉 It's small potatoes, really, but I like to think that it's helping 'somehow'.

Using ‘relevant’ fitting rooms? I’d they won’t tell me if it’s a man’s or woman’s who am I to go to the other end of the store to try on clothes?

I love my stickers. I always have a stash of them in my bag and leave them all over the shop. I left a pile in my GP’s surgery next to the magazines and a few days later I saw my GP had stuck one of them on her cupboard door. That made me very happy.

I’m sure you cans say what - but do please SM me with the stickers!

please SM me too MUMM

Today I added M+S to my small acts.

Encouraged by the recemt M+S thread I went, armed with a couple of bars and some lacy stuff, the the changing rooms in the men's department. A member of staff approached and told me this was the men's changing room, I pointed out the sign didn't say that. She repeated it was for men. I showed her the Times article on M+S policy. A male manager came over, read the article and asked me a very sensible question "Would you really feel comfortable changing in there?"

I said yes, and walked in. I had to wait about 10 minutes before I could walk out again. Now hiding in the back of a coffee shop giggling. I am 54 years of age and am giggling like a 2 year old who just said "poo!"

That was bras obviously! Seems my fingers are sill too fat for my phone!

I've just check my sons primary school E&D section and it's quoting gender instead of sex. It also quotes the wrong primary school name. Hopefully when I email the head he will simply correct it!

A few weeks ago my husband had to approve a form to be used for data capture for his very woke university. Anyway he asked me to have a little look and it had an option for gender, not Sex. Naturally I went off on one about gender and how a Life Sciences department should really know better. He said he would discuss this with his superiors but I was convinced he would chicken out as he doesn’t like confrontation, however I’m pleased to report that the form now asks for the Sex of the respondent and doesn’t ask anything about gender. Small victories.

My minor act of rebellion this week was to tell a Spanish hotel, that sent me a Check-In form in advance of a visit, that the English translation of the Spanish ‘sexo’ was ‘Sex’ not ‘Gender’. I’ve just had an email thanking me and saying it’s been changed.

Still smarting from M&S asking me what gender I identify with on a ‘how was our service’ questionnaire sent about something we’d bought and unpacked before the news about their changing rooms came out.

If any of you would like to send an email to your local Lib Dem's about their policy to remove spousal consent from the GRA, I have a template that I can DM to you.

I live in a smallish town, beginning with L. The town centre public loos often have an Adult human female sticker in them. Seems to coincide with when I visit them!
I recently noticed that someone had written 'women don't have penises' around the flush button. I would just like to wave at that person.

Just to share some small wins on people badly-advised to rewrite the Equality Act...

'Further to my email last week, I can confirm that the Trust’s Equality and Diversity Lead has now amended the policy. This is now in the process of being signed off and will be made available on the Trust’s website as soon as possible.'
'Thank you for your email regarding the information on our website. Our lead has reviewed the legislation and agreed that the wrong wording has been used. We have changed the strategy and introduction on the main page. If we come across other material where the same error has been made we will amend in the same manner.'
'Thank you for your email regarding the protected characteristic information displayed on the Trust’s website. You are absolutely correct that our website is not displaying an accurate list of the protected characteristics which fall under the equality act and I work with the Trust’s communications team to correct this without delay.'

I work for NHS - big "inclusion" drive at moment but our policies talked about protected characteristics of gender and transgender. After several attempts theyve been corrected!

Bumping this for people on the 'sex not gender' to find templates etc

Sex not gender thread sorry

For people following both this and the 'Sex not Gender' thread, that would fit nicely on a sticker...

I usually say ‘gender doesn’t actually exist - like fairies and mermaids...’ if sufficiently cheeky I will add that I therefore identify as Sasquatch.

If it’s a horrible online tick box that you can’t argue with I make sure I add a note at the first possible free text box. So my name can come up as ‘Fekko - it’s sex not gender’.

A small win:

Skills Development Scotland had replaced sex with gender identity and when I emailed them they said that:

“We have accessed guidance from Stonewall Scotland and the Scottish Trans Alliance in using gender identity, which is perceived to be a more inclusive term than sex which is binary.”

However I checked this morning and sex as been reinstated! So pleased, but why should Stonewall and STA be allowed to misrepresent the law in this way?!

Another request for sticker info MUMM

Just checked my local NHS trust website which has the correct form of Equality Act wording YAY!

I've sent a couple of emails off the back of this thread. No response from University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust over their use of gender rather than sex on their "our workforce" page. Hopefully this will be rectified soon, if anyone else fancies giving a gentle nudge they have a 'something wrong with this page' link.

I emailed Udderbelly Festival to protest that they allow you to pick which loo you use based on which you feel best fits your gender identity and makes you feel most comfortable.

Sigh.

I'm on it Meow

Success! The page is changed. Thanks to Coldwatershock and anyone else who emailed.