ACAS confirms it has left Stonewall - the Times

[ChoosandChipsandSealingWax]

“ A second high-profile public body has ditched a rights group’s scheme to encourage “diversity days” after concerns were raised that it gave unlawful advice on transgender rights.

Acas, the employment dispute service, confirmed to The Times that it had withdrawn “for cost reasons” from the diversity champions scheme run by Stonewall”

Link: www.thetimes.co.uk/article/stonewall-suffers-fresh-setback-in-trans-advice-row-j3p79gb2k

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As I said, Twisties, I've no way of verifying that information. I expect if you checked with individual schools they coudl confirm or deny.

Would be interesting to find out how many are no longer Diversity Champions ...

Wish other organisations had actually thought through a bit more before getting that organisation in to advise them. I mean surely it’s obvious that Sex rights still (are supposed) to exist.
I really hope some of these woke organisations get taken to court by their employees who have been adversely affected by these decisions and new policies.

@Puddycatfan

I can't fucking smile wide enough!

It's an absolute scandal that ACAS, whose very existence is to know the bloody law on equality, didn't understand that Stonewall was lying to them.

Or was ACAS captured, and glad to have Stonewall as an excuse? I don’t know which is worse: deliberate misogyny, or incompetence by people you have to rely on.

Sorry, I quoted Puddycatfan there by mistake. But I agree anyway: huge relief as the structure of misogyny starts to crumble.

I had ACAS training a couple of weeks ago - 100% captured. Although it probably takes a while for the direction at the top to filter down.

It's a shame ACAS and EHRC aren't on this famous full-page advertisement. It would be a useful progress-tracking tool, could cross out organisations as they jump ship one by one.

I reckon one of the big banks will go next.

£10 on GCHQ.

Can anyone point me to how ACAs has changed its guidance? I looked a few years ago (I think by searching transgender) and was disappointed to see they came out firmly on the ‘trans people can access whichever toilets they prefer’ side. Now when I search nothing comes up. Have they changed something or just removed stuff?

There's this, Avocado?

www.acas.org.uk/supporting-trans-employees-in-the-workplace

I don't think I would trust Stonewall now whatever they do. I'll continue to back the LGB Alliance. I only use my Stonewall mug now when everything else is dirty.

I only use my Stonewall mug now when everything else is dirty.

Feminist act of the week!!

Haha. Well I can't ceremoniously smash it. I'm terrible at washing up and need all the cups I can get

According to this article in Peronnel Today ACAS actually quit (didn't renew) being a diversity champion last year.

www.personneltoday.com/hr/stonewalls-diversity-scheme-accused-of-being-unlawful

Love this patronising quote from Stonewall:

“It’s great that EHRC can lead this vital work to support LGBTQ+ employees on their own and we continue to work with EHRC on a wide range of public policy matters.”

As though somehow they are the proud parents laying claim to something their child has acieved.

@ArabellaScott

www.stonewall.org.uk/stonewall-school-college-champion-membership

Stonewall - Membership fees

Band 1: 0-100 students: £150 + VAT per year with 2 free e-learning places

Band 2: 101-300 students: £275 + VAT per year with 4 free e-learning places

Band 3: 301-500 students: £375 + VAT per year with 6 free e-learning places

Band 4: 501-1,000 students: £450 + VAT per year with 8 free e-learning places

Band 5: 1,001-2,000 students: £550 + VAT per year with 12 free e-learning places

Band 6: More than 2,000 students: £800 + VAT per year with 20 free e-learning places

Post covid belts are going to get tightened all over the place.

Virtue Signalling Budgets will be one of the first things to go. They are a luxury that many businesses and organisations will be unable to afford going forward.

Which will resonant with the excuse of ACAS etc leaving for value for money reasons.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57281448
Stonewall boss defends new strategy amid criticism

Stonewall head Nancy Kelley has defended the organisation's position amid a freedom of speech row and criticism from a founder.

Matthew Parris said in the Times that Stonewall had become "tangled up in the trans issue" and "cornered into an extremist stance".

But Ms Kelley told the BBC she was "really comfortable" with the direction the charity was going in.

She likened so-called "gender critical" beliefs to anti-Semitism.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has said its defence of the right to hold "gender critical beliefs" - that sex cannot be changed - "does not have an impact on our commitment to uphold the rights of transgender people".

So is she saying that the EHRC are similar to anti-semitics?

And is she saying that its ok to be sexist, racist, anti-jewish/muslim and homophobic whilst being a trans ally and to oppose this is like anti-semitism?

Cos the position Stonewall now have seems to be 'interesting' at best and downright full on offensive to just about everyone at worst.

Cos thats a

I was quite pleased in the way the BBC reported that interview.

@vivariumvivariumsvivaria

And the Rcn & GMC

Off to check if my trust - which so far has the equality act wrong but I can't speak out - or feel like it 😒 has fallen to stonewall as well

"gender critical beliefs" - that sex cannot be changed

I wonder how many people will be reading that BBC article and going - 'hang on, you what?'

Thanks for the link, Arabella.

The ACAS document is still recommending having clear guidance that states employees can use the toilet that they feel best suits their gender identity. So no progress there.

After all the 'of course nobody believes you can actually change sex', there it is, on the Beeb, very matter of fact.

I predict some toast being dropped in horror as 98% of the population realise they've been inadvertently GC all along.

www.proudemployers.org.uk/diversity-champions-programme

Found this. As I'm a bit behind the times many off you probably have seen this list
Apologies in advance
May print off and cross off as appropriate

‘If you believe human beings can’t change sex you are a Nazi’ is pretty much going to peak everyone, I’d have thought.

Yes, it's a bold new direction, isn't it, Belle?

'"With all beliefs including controversial beliefs there is a right to express those beliefs publicly and where they're harmful or damaging - whether it's anti-Semitic beliefs, gender critical beliefs, beliefs about disability - we have legal systems that are put in place for people who are harmed by that."'

So she's calling 'gender critical beliefs' controversial, harmful and damaging. And suggesting that the law agrees.

Interesting angle.

If MF wins her case their may well be some epic reverse ferreting going on.

When is that one coming up, Chaz, do you know?