Suspect Female Leader May Be GC - Do I reach Out?

[ShallIAskHer]

New name - I don't want to be outing myself here:

Junior Executive at BigMultinational Inc. here. Have just received an update on divisional inclusion and diversity targets authored by "Female Leader".

Being gender critical, I immediately noticed a few items in her report that make me suspect she may be on my page on this one.

Some examples:

• "Gender" coming with a footnote stating that the choice of terminology corresponds to corporate norms in language but that what is actually being looked at is biological sex
• "Gender Identity" being defined as "non-representative; as optionally self-declared by the employees within the sample"
• A bunch of recommendations that strike me as "must have been written by a feminist"

Do I reach out to her and test the waters? If so, how?

I need this job (also, I like it). But if "Female Leader" is, indeed, on my page as I suspect she may be, I also want her as a mentor and as a protector.

Am I delusional to read this much into how she's phrased a few key sentences? And, if not: how do I do this without undue risk?

I wouldn't reach out because (however senior) she may not be willing or able to "come out" to you as GC. I think you just need to be inwardly pleased to see that a GC women is influencing wording of emails, targets etc.

@MsFogi, thanks, fair point. I hadn't actually considered that someone I consider "god mode level, compared to myself" may feel just as vulnerable as I do re. openly voicing her opinions.

I suppose this makes sense. If I won't be open about my stance towards my own reports, why would she be towards me?

Still sort of secretly girl-crushing on her right now, though. Still hoping I'm right about how I read her "between the lines".

firstly isn't it just so bonkers that you need to ask this question - what a crazy situation.

is there a way you can comment on the report in a constructive/agreeing/clarification sort of way? It might just break the ice and you don't need to make declarations to each other but if you quietly are on the same page it might be good?

I'd be grateful for the tone but unless gender identity issues are a frontline aspect of your job role, there shouldn't really be a need to bring up what has been said again.

Was the report sent from her email address? If so, you could just reply directly with something like "Thanks for the update, glad to see that biological sex is considered and that recommendations X, Y and Z have been put forward".

Good and fair points, all, thanks a lot! And, yes, it's crazy I'm even pondering this, I agree.

@bourbonne, this was sent from "[personal assistant] on behalf of [female leader]" as is the norm at my workplace. Basically, this means: if I respond, it'll go directly to her personal inbox - but whether she or PA, who also has full access and whom I've never met, deals with it is anyone's guess ...

Can you just seek her out as a mentor anyway? Sounds like there are other things you admire about her. As you get to know her better, it would be easier to gauge if she is GC.

@gardenbird48

firstly isn't it just so bonkers that you need to ask this question - what a crazy situation.

is there a way you can comment on the report in a constructive/agreeing/clarification sort of way? It might just break the ice and you don't need to make declarations to each other but if you quietly are on the same page it might be good?

I agree. A few encouraging/welcoming words (not in a way that sucks up to the boss) would be a good idea. A workable suggestion that adds to the report would be a positive way to reach out, too.

I have a friend who was in this position and she held her tongue until one day her boss just started ranting about women's rights being erased. Now it's their shared secret.

Agree with PP, while I'd be pleased and positive, I'd be employing cautious watchful waiting for now

@ShallIAskHer

Good and fair points, all, thanks a lot! And, yes, it's crazy I'm even pondering this, I agree.

@bourbonne, this was sent from "[personal assistant] on behalf of [female leader]" as is the norm at my workplace. Basically, this means: if I respond, it'll go directly to her personal inbox - but whether she or PA, who also has full access and whom I've never met, deals with it is anyone's guess ...

Can't hurt! If she's on the fence or fully GC, it will hearten her to know that others are glad of her actions and don't think she's guilty of wrongthink. And she might get messages from "the other side" complaining about it, so you might balance that out. She'll have your message up her sleeve in case her superiors challenge her.

I would be really careful about drawing attention to what she has done here (because this may backfire with HR/woke individuals toning it down or changing what she has done). I work in an area I can quietly influence the drafting of "stuff" but it would make my life very difficult if anyone GC pointed out what I was doing because the stonewall-champion brigade would then read things more carefully and get rid of my careful drafting.

This all makes sense in terms of "letting her fly under the radar if I guess what she's doing correctly".

@Truthlikeness, you're right, though, I would love her as a mentor either way. Having said that she's notoriously ... formidable (read: "really scary" - rumour has it she eats junior management for breakfast).

I wonder if I am at the same BigMultinational Inc. as you?
I was also on the receiving end of a large I&D rollout from an important senior female leader on the same day.
I felt anxious but on an initial glance it seemed focused on females and BAME rather than other groups, and I felt a little more hopeful.

The organisation is stonewalled but seems to have rowed back a bit compared to a few years ago when there were IDAHOBIT days and sessions about transgender awareness.

I have contacted with HR a few times to express disquiet when I've seen 'gender' rather than 'sex' cited in various policies. They've been relatively open to these approaches.

Personally I'd just wait til you know her better.

I also want her as a mentor and as a protector

Could you approach her and say you were very interested & inspired by her document asking important questions about sex equality, and would she be interested in being your mentor? Suggest a light touch - not that you'll be clingy or running every decision past her, but that you wanted to draw on the wisdom of a feminist leader?

Meant to add: use the bat signal "sex" instead of "gender" wherever possible ...