GEO logo used without permission on teaching resource

[TheShoesa]

Liz truss has just stated on Twitter that the GEO logo should NOT be on the front of Equaliteach's resource Free to Be as alerted by Maya Forstater

Twitter thread here

How do these people think they can get away with doing this?

I must say I've never been impressed by Liz Truss before but she's made several sensible decisions about Equalities matters in recent weeks. Long may this continue.

It'd be really good if she could just keep on top of "small" things like this - lobbying groups saying they have government backing, orgs quoting stonewall law rather than the actual law, protected characteristics being wrongly used etc.

No idea OP, but are they the only ones?

I'm not on twitter but could check and share a few. Surely some of us have seen others misuse the logo too?

Good to see Truss is responding to this. Agree with Twitter posters that say there shoudl be sanctions - pretty shocking that a body misrepresents the govt like this.

It's not just the misuse of the logo. The document itself is shocking in its misrepresentation of the law and its one-sided presentation of the issues.

Yes, hopefully once people realise that Equaliteach have brazenly filched a govt logo to try to lend credibility to their materials that the entire contents are just as shady and unreliable.

I suppose they are aiming for the whole 'A lie is halfway round the world before the truth gets its shoes on' or whatever the phrase is.

Very frustrating. I have had a quick look through the resource and it states early on that it was produced as part of a year long project the was funded by the GEO (no idea whether that is accurate or not)

I'm i following correctly.

Equaliteach recently launched a LGBT+ Equality pack to be used in primary schools.

They included the logo for the Government Equalities Office, presumably to suggest this pack was approved by the govt, when it wasn't.

It seems like every time stuff like this comes out it has to be checked for truthfulness and whether it's in accordance with the law.

What are the repercussions?

Maya is doing sterling work.

Maya is, indeed, a force to be reckoned with.

There do need to be repercussions, which is why it is great to see Liz Truss getting stuck in rather shying away from pointing this out.

What should happen is that Equaliteach should be made to contact anyone who has been given/downloaded the resource and say very clearly that they put the GEO logo on it falsely.

Am I right in thinking though that if a programme is awarded government funding it gets a stamp of approval from the point the funding is awarded? If not doesn't this call into question whether government funds are being given to orgs that ultimately wouldn't be supported by government, that their aims conflict with government?

The government shouldn't fund what it doesn't support surely and if you support it your logo could be used to show that support?

It's such idiocy, though. Especially now the lid is off the entire issue.

In one move, they've undermined every part of their credibility, forever. The stupidity is difficult to believe.

Yep. They have gone too far. They are clearly rattled.

Indeed. The entire document, as shown by Maya Forstater, sounds positively unhinged.

When you start slagging off other support groups, your professionalism is instantly destroyed. When you start telling schools that if parents disagree, ignore them and carry on with 'the work', you sound mad.

you sound mad.

If it walks like a duck ...

So glad Liz Truss is not allowing herself to be intimidated by genderists.

Wonder if it's an offence to claim something is endorsed by the government when it isn't.

Thanks for this.
Liz truss is a boss

Funding for research shouldn't mean automatic endorsement. If it stated 'funded by a research grant from the GEO' that would be accurate, imply endorsement and they would probably have got away with it.

It is the blatant placing of the logo on the front cover that is an over reach which has come back to bite them.

And then they slate Transgender Trend and accuse FPFW and WPUK of providing inaccurate information. In a big red box, saying Beware! and direct the user to what they deem reputable groups. (No surprises that these are Stonewall, Gendered Intelligence, All Sorts and of course Mermaids)

www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/use-of-government-logos-on-gov-uk

Hm, no, that guidance is for gov uk website. Looking for something on use of govt logos by other people.

I hope this is the beginning of the end of gov funding being handed out in this totally unsupervised manner. A desperate attempt to look as though they're doing something.
This is all part of the LBGT action plan:
To mark the start of LGBT History month, organisations supporting LGBT people in education, healthcare and the community, will receive a share of £2.6million as part of the government’sLGBT Action Plan.

If parents disagree they are wrong. The school has a 'moral and legal' duty to push on with this work.

mobile.twitter.com/MForstater/status/1256220627192741901

Utterly sinister and obviously so. The entire thing is a zillion sharks jumped at once. My eyes are watering, the smell of fish is so strong.

The logo is still on there. No retraction or apology.

Who is this group? Who funds them?

Is that the logo being used again?

They sound very 'niche' in their remit yet claim their work ensures 'all children are safe' - except if they're actually female of course... cos they're transphobic if they express any need for privacy, dignity etc.