Edinburgh Council to sign up to Stonewall?

[LittleWhingingWoman]

#NoThankYou

https://edinburgh.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcastinteractive/643794/startt_time/12552000

Green Party boys need their heads checked. 8c, Staniforth pushing this.

Rats boarding a sinking ship? Edinburgh council need to know we aren't having this. The people pushing for this should be held accountable when the court cases hit in schools.

Wait. What? This person is cis non-binary, presents as male and uses he/him pronouns? Gosh. Edinburgh Councillors are such a diverse group of people. Hmm. When are the elections again?

@DomesticatedZombie

Shh, Nonny, the white cis non-binary he/himmer knows what's best for you. No ifs no buts.

Made me snort. I don’t like in Auld Reekie but loving the thread.

And I agree - how does anyone feel unsafe in a grocery shop??

Live, not like

I might send a link to this thread to all my councillors. See if they reckon this nonsense will help encourage me to vote.

And I agree - how does anyone feel unsafe in a grocery shop??

The potatoes have eyes, you know.

And I saw a whole pile of Nazis in my local supermarket recently.

Wait - no - lychees. My mistake.

Can someone explain "cis non-binary" to me?

It means Alex is able to access the protections afforded to transpeople without any of the hassle of being trans?

@NoHaudinMaWheest

My Edinburgh resident, wheelchair using Dd would like the council to provide decent dropped kerbs at every crossing. As a member of a minority group (and with a high degree of confidence that almost all of the group would agree) she can have that, no ifs, no buts??

In addition, the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, to do with vehicles parking on pavements and so reducing access, was passed two years ago and still isn't in force. From what I've read, local councils are meant to be examining how to enforce it in their authorities. I'd be interested to know what the City of Edinburgh Council have done so far and what priority level they have given it.

We have only recently moved back to Edinburgh but I can't say I have noticed any action at all on pavement parking.

I might send a link to this thread to all my councillors. See if they reckon this nonsense will help encourage me to vote.

I sent it to my councillors, and I also sent them the link to the article I posted before, from Lesbian and Gay News, which sets out what happened very clearly. lesbianandgaynews.com/2022/02/shereen-benjamin-on-stonewall-it-is-alarming-that-city-of-edinburgh-councillors-would-affiliate-their-council-to-this-increasingly-discredited-organisation/

I've heard back from two out of the four councillors for my ward. They both said they weren't at the meeting. One of them also told me not to worry, there would be a full report before any final decisions were made. Erm... no. That was what the Tory amendment asked for, but the council voted against it.

Erm... no. That was what the Tory amendment asked for, but the council voted against it

So, it's going through?

So, it's going through?

Yes. The motion says the council "Agrees to begin submitting annual information to the UK Workplace Equality Index". The Tory amendment would have required a report into the schemes and their cost before making a decision either way. With Diversity Champions, the motion says they'll make a "statement of intent" to join. So there's scope to challenge that. But WEI submission goes ahead.

I wrote to the Conservative councillors who proposed the amendment. One of them wrote back to say that rules mean the decision can't be revisited for six months, so assuming they're elected in May, they'll bring it back to the Council after that six months is up. By which time the WEI submission may have been made, supported by Stonewall training no doubt.

@aliasundercover

I will pop in to check out the prices. With my For Women Scotland pin - let's see if I get banned!

Please do this, and please come back and tell us how it went.

I think we all want to know if this will be a safe space for everyone who just wants to buy some greens.

how does anyone feel unsafe in a grocery shop??

I can not be the only person for whom the men in the family have inherited utterly bizarre beliefs about vegetables.

"Parsnips (and root veg in general) denature a man" etc. I'm sure some of them feel unsafe just in proximity to them.

@morningtoncrescent62

So, it's going through?

Yes. The motion says the council "Agrees to begin submitting annual information to the UK Workplace Equality Index". The Tory amendment would have required a report into the schemes and their cost before making a decision either way. With Diversity Champions, the motion says they'll make a "statement of intent" to join. So there's scope to challenge that. But WEI submission goes ahead.

I wrote to the Conservative councillors who proposed the amendment. One of them wrote back to say that rules mean the decision can't be revisited for six months, so assuming they're elected in May, they'll bring it back to the Council after that six months is up. By which time the WEI submission may have been made, supported by Stonewall training no doubt.

This is really bad news. And all because of one individual pushing it through?

I don't understand how this can happen.

It hardly seems democratic.

One person pushes something through by vaguely threatening other councillors? Despite the expense and extra work involved? Hopefully all the extra work will keep said councillor busy.

The Work Place Equality Index seems like a lot of work to complete. It not only looks at the Council but also covers policies of suppliers too. Whether this is a cost effective move for a Council is questionable but it was the uncovering of these documents that actually allowed people to become aware of what things organisations were doing and what was being advised. As a Council one would assume that going forward they will be completely transparent and the index will be available for public viewing.

And all because of one individual pushing it through?

Well, yes. If all minorities have to be supported then a minority of one falls into that.

@DomesticatedZombie

One person pushes something through by vaguely threatening other councillors? Despite the expense and extra work involved? Hopefully all the extra work will keep said councillor busy.

Will he be the one with a clipboard implementing it like Percy Prefect?

@DomesticatedZombie

And I agree - how does anyone feel unsafe in a grocery shop??

The potatoes have eyes, you know.

And I saw a whole pile of Nazis in my local supermarket recently.

Wait - no - lychees. My mistake.

I knew a guy who's face blew up like a cherry after eating a lychee. Don't underestimate them.

@Justme56

The Work Place Equality Index seems like a lot of work to complete. It not only looks at the Council but also covers policies of suppliers too. Whether this is a cost effective move for a Council is questionable but it was the uncovering of these documents that actually allowed people to become aware of what things organisations were doing and what was being advised. As a Council one would assume that going forward they will be completely transparent and the index will be available for public viewing.

This stuff about suppliers can become really terrible.

Non Binary isn't a good look, especially at Science camp.