I objected to gender ideology at work and now need support

[Hotfeetcoldfeet]

First post but been reading the feminist board for a while. I don’t have any GC support IRL and thought this would be a good place to find some hopefully.

I work in the public sector and have recently seen snippets of Diversity and Inclusion material which will soon be published and widely distributed to staff. I’ve raised concerns to the senior leader who has produced this material as it seems to uncritically put forward a gender ideology view, via language used (eg cis gender women) and resources positing gender ideology.

I’ve contacted them and said that I think that the material presents gender ideology uncritically, as fact, rather than presenting it as an opinion /belief. I’ve said that my GC views are protected by the Equalities Act and should be presented alongside gender ideology, in order to give balance. I’ve said I’m happy to share my GC views with them. Ultimately, I’m worried about gender ideology being accepted by staff in my workplace as fact. Pronouns in email signatures are creeping in and the person to whom I’ve objected has their pronouns stated. They’ve said they’ll raise my issue higher up the chain, which I’m seeing as positive.

I’m probably catastrophising but I’m worrying about putting my head above the parapet, as it’s not something I usually do. I would value any wise words you can give me, and also if there are any resources or anything anyone can think of that might help my case, I’d be hugely grateful. I’ll be reading about the issues in a more targeted way now, in order to be prepared if I get the chance to discuss my GC views further.

Thanks so much in advance

I've gotta say, I agree with this. As much as it's great you are pushing back, I think you need to be strategic with it, or else you may end up having a target on your back.
Instead could you arrange one to one meetings with some managers that you trust or get on well with? Try and get them onside by talking about the Equality Act and recent tribunals etc. get them to see the liability in ploughing ahead with genderwoo without considering the implications for female staff.

You need support to fight this, otherwise you will just be one person who can easily be dismissed.

Congratulations and well done, OP. Lots of good information here. I'd just add a note of caution and make sure you have all your back-up in place before doing a presentation. It's illegal to discriminate against you openly, but enemies can make your life, and job, difficult in many underhanded ways. Do discuss this all fully with Sex Matters and other experts before taking a risk.

It's already good that you have spoken up.

Well done. I think there are a fair few of us who want to do something similar! Good luck :)

Well done for doing this, but I would also advise caution at first.

I have done similar (raised questions like yours, not made a presentation!) and it has been a very bumpy ride.

I think this is wonderful. I also understand the notes of caution that others are giving which come from a place of care. They also underline the culture we are in, in which speech is NOT free. But I wonder whether you can liaise with an organisation like Sex Matters to give a presentation to your region, so it wouldn't be your face associated with the information. I think getting the information out there would be a real balance to a D and I curriculum.

Great news OP.

I speak put at work on a regular basis and did so at my previous employer too. Both not especially woke businesses so it wasn't that hard to do and also once I did it and had no negative repercussions it became easier. I am in my 50's and fortunate that my employer needs me more than I do them so that's liberating too.

I've just refused to answer an employee 'best companies to work for' survey because the first question asks my gender identity. This gave me the opportunity to raise the issue with my line manager and immediate team (who already know my views and haven't disagreed) as well as my second line manager to whom answer rates on this survey are really important as they're measured on them.

My second line manager immediately had a 30 minute conversation with me about it. He had no idea about the issues and though he came up with the usual tropes he listened and I know it's challenged his thinking. He's even sent me a couple of links to relevant articles he's since seen on his new feed!

I'm about to draft an email to our Head of People who I know pretty well to explain my position to her officially. We're having a coffee catch up next week so no doubt we'll talk about it then too.

I've found people generally have no idea of the implications of 'gender ideology'. It's great to be able to make them think about it and I've never encountered anyone in real life who genuinely doesn't at least start to get it.

Good luck :-)

Posters on these forums are very on top of latest developments and it is easy to assume everyone is aware of Maya’s EAT and ET. This is not the case, for many they have been drip fed stonewall truth for years/decades.

I would always recommend forwarding copies of both judgements along with Peter Daly’s explanation of why points were dismissed. Advise them that Gender Critical views are now protected beliefs and that the organisations who fail to include this in policies, procedures, training etc. are at risk of discrimination claims. Point out the repetitional damage CDG, GCC and individual employees/barristers as well as Stonewall have suffered for not recognising gender critical beliefs as illustrated by Maya and Alison’s Tribunal hearings.

I would agree with notes of caution, especially about the presentation and making yourself the face of something which is, wrongly imo but nevertheless, will be met with negativity. It's something to think about OP.

The other organisation to look into is counterweight
counterweightsupport.com/

Great advice again, from people who really know what they are doing. Agree I was getting a bit gung-ho so I’ll chill out a bit, do some more research (via the resources mentioned in this thread) and chat to people about it in my organisation with a light touch. I do trust the D&I leader to look into it and I want then to see me as a helpful ally, rather than a rabble rouser - I’ll play the long, strategic game.

sounds like lots of battles, big and small, are being fought on many fronts and it’s fascinating to hear all your stories. Thank you again

Really impressed you're confident in speaking out and also that your employers seem to be listening.
I work for a large charity and HR are really pushing for ppl to use pronouns in our email signatures and also now giving out pronoun badges for ppl to wear. Also have an LGBT committee pushing big on the T. I've complained to HR that our staff survey asked for gender not sex and also commented on the risks around an intranet article encouraging ppl to intervene on a hate crime by putting yourself between victim and perpetrator with no mention of personal risk assessment of whether it's safe to do so. I've also raised with my manager confidentially that a colleague has a link in her email signature titled 'why I use pronouns and you should too' which links to a linked in article by a they them preaching gender ideology.

My manager has just ignored this but I think this is because he's not aware of what's going on and doesn't know what to make of it.

I wish I had some support at work but it feels like everyone has been captured by the gender woo and I'm on my own.

Well done OP! It seems to me that the issues are particularly relevant in criminal justice - mens crimes being recorded as womens, female victims being forced to use their attackers preferred pronouns in court, violent males housed in womens prisons.

Thanks for speaking up!

My advice is to keep it factual, not emotional.

Wishing you success, OP.

I don't understand much that is going on even though I have tried. All these pronouns and stuff is making my brain go into overload. It feels like too much information and complicating life. Why can't we call just be nice and polite to each other instead of complicating life.

Well done, you are brave. But also know you have the law behind you. Choose your next words well - rely on Sex Matters - try to keep any communications calm and measured.

Sorry, what is GC?

GC stands for gender critical. People who agree that biological sex should take precedence over gender ideology in law and policy.

This is why I'm so glad I don't work in HR anymore - so much virtue signalling nonsense. The company pretending to give a shit with easy, frivolous things that don't cost much time or effort and look like they care without actually having to do anything.
If you wanted to push back a bit, you could have look at what they have done recently about disabled facilities in the building, or to be more inclusive of older workers etc. Basically see if they have spent as much time and energy on protected characteristics that are actually covered by law, rather than genderwoo which isn't.
It would be a good way to say to them, actually they need to be this enthusiastic about all characteristics, not just the rainbow ones.

Also, another tactic that few people have raised is the issue that pronouns may be more or a hindrance in the workplace for women, as women are usually paid less than men and usually not given as much clout or responsibility, or listen to as men.

I'm sure there are studies that show that people with a male name etc. are taken more seriously. Why would women voluntarily sign themselves up to be taken less seriously in the workplace?
Does your company have a gender pay gap? Maybe they should address that first.

*a few people

Sorry there are so many spelling errors, haven't had my coffee yet. We need an edit button!

The thing is, there is being polite, and then there is indoctrinating people into your belief system. I don't believe in gender ideology, and I actually think it is harmful for women and girls. So I don't want to play along with someone elses version of reality.
Like religious belief, I don't think it should be pushed in a workplace. People are free to hold their own beliefs, but nobody should be forced to adopt someone else's belief system.
That goes beyond 'being nice and polite'.

My feedback as a manager: choose your battles.

What do you think will happen in the end? what is it that you are trying to achieve?

You are employed in the public sector. They will always pursue a strict equality and diversity policy.

All you have achieved here is to stand out for all the wrong reasons.

Also you do not speak for all feminists and I would find it personally offensive to have someone claim that they are doing a presentation on the feminist view of gender identity. Your view is only that, your personal view. You would be presenting views that are held by some feminists, not all.

Most of us leave our politics out of the work environment.

Your are perfectly entitled to have your own views and beliefs and you should not be discriminated against because of it, but your workplace chooses the culture it want to create for its employees and you then have the choice of working there or not working there if their values don't match yours...

The last post is off

She is trying to explain that having a narrow concept around gender is not being diverse and most organisations want to be diverse and inclusive

Whitehorsegirl
Most of us leave our politics out of the work environment.

Your are perfectly entitled to have your own views and beliefs and you should not be discriminated against because of it, but your workplace chooses the culture it want to create for its employees and you then have the choice of working there or not working there if their values don't match yours...

Hang on, how do pronouns fit in with 'leave our politics out of the work environment' then? Surely that is imposing a belief system on other, not leaving it out.

Also, advising someone to leave because the work culture is so uncomfortable is basically saying 'put up or shut up', not exactly inclusive is it?

Companies are free to create a culture for its' employees - what they are not free to do is ignore the Equality legislation while they do so.

@Whitehorsegirl · Today 10:23
You are employed in the public sector. They will always pursue a strict equality and diversity policy.

Often the Equalities law is being misinterpreted, and other protected groups, put at a disadvantage. Misleading language may also be used in poorly written up guidance. Or freedom of belief suppressed in the interest of one group, say by enforced pronouns.

It is happening in many cases.