So mentioning females with reference to menopause is terfy..

[Metabigot]

Part of my job to review the menopause policy at work. Person drafting it had written people as the main word throughout. I suggested changing to females and was told this was 'terfy'

Luckily as this person works for me I referenced maya forstater ruling and an example of how this could be seen as inappropriate language for the workplace. But mentioning a biological function that only females experience is now seen as 'terfy' ? Wtf???

After discussion with my boss they relented to ' colleague' with women and transmen/ non binary in the preamble but seems female is off limits now..

So what do we call people who we used to call women then used to call female?

Most people will experience menopausal symptoms.

That is simply an incorrect statement. On an NHS site, it’s inexcusable.

If they want to know why a lot of middle aged women insist that biology is what defines womanhood, it's because they are going through/about to go through/have been through menopause. It is life changing and can have negative consequences on your mental health, your career and your relationships.
Only women have this. Not "people " or "folx" or other bollocks like that : WOMEN

Agree, well managed. I’m curious how this individual responded when you pointed out that she herself had committed what could be considered a micro aggression if someone were to pursue it?

So I was going to just post that question. But then I was blown away by this jewel:

Sticking to the facts, they will either have had medical interventions to render them biologically female

The word fact should not be associated with this sentence in any way other than to say ‘it is a fact that it is 100% not possible for someone to have any interventions to make them biologically female’.

If you have evidence that scientists are able to remove and replace entire chromosomes in every cell in the human body, please provide citations.*

*for the avoidance of doubt, there aren’t any.

Even if you accept TWAW and TMAM, surely a TW will always be male and a TM will always be female??

I sent her the forstater report on a hr publication.She came back saying she accepted this was also discrimination and will include it in the diversity training. I also quoted voltairs i may not like what you say but ill defend to the death your right to say it .... for me this whole thing is a free speech issue as much as a feminist issue.

basically she took it well and I think I made progress. I made the point that under EA all protected characteristics ate equal as she tried the trans are especially represed angle.

Result... I hope.

Next step... inclusion group. I'm going in with general feminist stuff around working mothers but can then edge in the sex thing around who gets pregnant so disproportionately affects women's careers angle.

I don't know if any other openly GC HR people are in a EDI group but there can't be many so hopefully I can blaze a trail...

Definitely a great result, thanks for the update, and also for representing team GC in such a professional and knowledgeable way. Good luck for your continued work! I’m feeling a little apprehensive at the moment as our HR team are bringing in new Diversity training from an external provider. I hope I can find the courage to stand up for what I believe in, should the training prove to be as I fear.

Also, not enough gratitude in the world for Maya and her bravery to give us the tools we need to defend ourselves and free speech.

Indeed maya has made a dramatic difference. In the HR world its made headlines. I've used it to introduce the concept of GC views as legit

Rather than mangling language, couldn’t they just say ‘Menopause usually starts in women between the ages of 45 and 55’?

A separate section could usefully cover transmen, as they may go through very early menopause and need specific consideration for that.

Why do these EDI training people only focus on gender issues? What about strategies on recruiting and supporting disabled people? Where I work, there is no lift only stairs, so someone with mobility issues could not work there, but this is never discussed.

To be fair, disability is . Both me and wokeychops have the same disability and disability is high on the agenda where I work.

Maybe the case elsewhere but not in this instance.

Pisses me off that disability pride is barely known but pride pride is all over the place

I am HRBP and had exactly the same conversation with a fellow HRBP. She hasn't spoken to me since. Her views are based on the masses that aren't educated. I told her she should also do some research but also around those who are detransitioning and the Tavistock clinic etc who will have a place in our workplace as well. She didn't appreciate me backing up my views with information. I am GC and will continue to be. We have a right to be acknowledged just like anyone else and not erased

Are these TW upset because they are convinced that they are missing life enhancing experiences such as Hot Flushes and want to be included?

Well as a HR professional she can't deny the forstater case has important implications surely?

Otherwise she may be in danger of not recognising a belief case under the EA.

Not really IMHO. They are upset because pesky biology gets in the way of TWAW

I agree! We are finacial sector and it appears most of the team are just going along with this for fear of speaking out. I will not be one of them. I've been there 7 years and I'm shocked by some of the teams stance to just erase the word women 😐

Wot the fucking fuck?

I can remember being told about the decadence of the late Roman Empire as a teenager and assuming it meant idleness and orgies. I now think it just means unbridled self-indulgence and a refusal to face nasty cold uncomfy facts.

Unless we all pull our socks quick smart, our whole culture is on a hiding to nothing.

Sorry to seem ignorant, but what does 'terfy' mean?

@Metabigot
Impressive handling of the situation and your colleague. I like your plans for the future. Excellent work, Agent Metabigot!

They are upset with any use of the word woman that they can't claim. So a "women's centre" that includes them is fine because it "validates" their identity.

Using the word woman in relation to experiences only women can have they find upsetting and exclusionary, so we have to call ourselves people, as though menopause can happen to any type of person, not just women.

I said actually you may have done something like that the other day and it's not a word appropriate for work as GC beliefs now protected under EA.

The policy also needs to link in with EA protected characteristic of sex. There is no "menopause" characteristic, any discrimination would fall under indirect sex discrimination on the grounds of being female.

This person sounds like an idiot who shouldn't be writing company policies.

I agree, I think about this fairly often.

We're focusing on 'Women's Health' in a well-being group monthly meeting at work. We are able to ask anonymous questions to be answered in the session. I asked how we can challenge the language around women and stop the erasure of the word woman. Eg cervix havers, womb carriers, people with a vagina etc. the bloke who runs it says we can't discuss that as we have no trans representation in the group so it would be unfair. 🙄 I am spitting feathers, I tell you. A perfect example right there of the erasure of women and their (our) concerns

How does he know? How can he be certain there are no transpeople in the group? Is he expecting colleagues to out themselves. Just claim you are trans.