EIS (Education Institute of Scotland) on GRR

[ArabellaScott]

The EIS is the largest teaching union in Scotland. Just released updated info on GRR Bill ...

'The EIS is supportive of a self-declaration system for gender recognition and for the process to be made more accessible, recognising the detrimental impact of the current process on transgender people’s mental health and wellbeing. The EIS is clear that trans women are women and trans men are men.'

'With relevance to the provision of single-sex activities within school, the EIS briefing confirms the position within the current technical guidance:
“Where there is a difference in service or activity between boys and girls, transgender people should be treated according to their gender identity – or, if they are non-binary, on the basis that they have a choice (and this might alter from time to time). So, if a school activity is divided between boys and girls, a transgender boy should as the standard, be with the rest of the boys.”'

'The EIS believes it will remain important for organisations to keep records based on sex, in particular in relation to sex-based oppressions, deriving from biological functions such as being able to menstruate, become pregnant, give birth, and experience the menopause. Organising around women’s inequalities and holding women’s events and conferences, etc. should be transgender and non-binary inclusive.'

'The EIS is aware that schools may be receiving lobbying material in the form of online pressure, physical flyers etc., implying inaccurate information related to the GRA or trans people, for example about sex and gender, single-sex spaces, or suggesting that young people are at risk in relation to their gender identities or due to the presence of trans pupils in schools.'

www.eis.org.uk/lgbt/updatedgra

FFS. 🙈

Here, they signpost to LGBTYS, currently under police investigation.

www.eis.org.uk/lgbt/supportingtransgenderandnon-binary-learners

Ffs! Do these people really exist in such an airtight echo chamber that they aren't aware the wheels are coming off?!

The instructions to women:
'Organising around women’s inequalities and holding women’s events and conferences, etc. should be transgender and non-binary inclusive.'

It's a real Owen Jones approach - no right for women to self organise without male presence / permission. Can they even hear themselves? 🙄

They've worked with Stonewall in the past.

www.eis.org.uk/in-the-time-it-takes-to-make-a-cup-of-tea/pridemonth

On Twitter, they are warning people about misinformation:

'The EIS is aware that some schools may be receiving lobbying materials, containing inaccurate information related to the Gender Recognition Act, and transgender pupils.'

twitter.com/EISUnion/status/1635603508664868864?cxt=HHwWgIDR9bWu6rItAAAA

'Gender Equality

Under the Equality Act 2010 it is unlawful to discriminate on the basis of sex, whether indirectly or directly. This includes protections for trans people and people who are pregnant'

www.eis.org.uk/equality/gender

Thanks for the warning.

The EIS has made a right hash of pay negotiations for teachers. Perhaps they think this will deflect attention from that.

My child's primary school has got most of the staff to sign up to preferred pronouns, so maybe this is a popular policy among teachers.

They are right - if they mean Stonewall!

They don't specify who or what they mean, funnily enough.

I hope some teenagers decide to test this policy on ‘non-binary’ :

if they are non-binary, on the basis that they have a choice (and this might alter from time to time)

A few teens in each school exercising their choice every week might make teachers think again!

Honestly teenage me would have had a bloody field day with that sentence. I annoyed the fuck out of the teachers as it was. That would have tipped the power completely in obnoxious 13 year old me's favour completely!

So, to paraphrase, EIS recognises that there are biological differences between men & women, but actually, they don’t 🙄

So that's safeguarding out the window.

FFS. It really is just nonsense now.

This makes absolutely no sense:

The EIS believes it will remain important for organisations to keep records based on sex, in particular in relation to sex-based oppressions, deriving from biological functions such as being able to menstruate, become pregnant, give birth, and experience the menopause. Organising around women’s inequalities and holding women’s events and conferences, etc. should be transgender and non-binary inclusive.'

So sex-based oppressions exist and should be recognised by sex, but if you organise events about women's sex-based oppressions you must include men in these events. Does this mean you must pretend that men experience these sex-based oppressions, such as career stagnation due to pregnancy, or that you must avoid mentioning them in order to be inclusive of the men that do not experience them?

So open-minded their brains have fallen out.

'The EIS is the largest teacher trade union representing over 80% of Scotland’s teachers (8 out of 10 teachers and lecturers in Scotland are members of the EIS).'

www.eis.org.uk/recruitment-videos/10reasons

Organising around women’s inequalities and holding women’s events and conferences, etc. should be transgender and non-binary inclusive.

This must mean that women can't organise around female concerns without 'including' men? If the category which matters for certain concerns cannot be used to define who can participate, how can the concerns be discussed the way political issues should be discussed?

What they are really saying is that biological sex is irrelevant for understanding anything, with perhaps the exception of health care questions? Some people in Afghanistan are oppressed because they identify as feminine? Some people in Iran must be veiled because they prefer female pronouns?

This is all bollocks.

There's guidance on supporting Trans Workers.

'Cross-dressing people
Some people dress occasionally or more regularly in clothes which are not traditionally associated with the gender they were assigned at birth. They often feel a strong recurring need to cross-dress in order to best express their full personality but are generally happy with their birth gender and usually have no wish to undergo any part of a process of gender reassignment.'

'Intersex people
Sometimes a person is born with aspects of their external genitals, their internal reproductive system or their chromosomes that are in-between what is considered clearly male or female. People born with these kinds of variations are often referred to as intersex people.'

'Someone who is non-binary is protected if they decide to undergo any part of a process of gender reassignment away from their birth assigned gender but don’t end up living fully in the other binary gender. Protection is also provided where, as part of the process of reassigning their sex, someone is driven by their gender identity to cross-dress, but not where someone chooses to cross-dress for some other reason.'
...
'Example: Limitations of the Act
Before a formal dinner organised by his employer, a worker tells his colleagues that he intends to come to the event dressed as a woman ‘for a laugh’. His manager tells him not to do this, as it would create a bad image of the company. Because the worker has no intention of undergoing gender reassignment, he would not have a claim for discrimination.
On the other hand, if the employer had said the same thing to a worker driven by their gender identity to cross-dress as a woman as part of the process of reassigning their sex, this could amount to direct discrimination because of gender reassignment'
...
'In limited circumstances a post may have a genuine occupational requirement for the worker to be a particular gender and this can sometimes have a negative impact on people with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment. Where a person has received a gender recognition certificate, they must be regarded as their acquired gender for the purpose of occupational requirements and no other exemptions can apply.
If a person is undergoing gender reassignment and has not received a gender recognition certificate then it may be lawful to apply certain additional restrictions. However an employer must assess each and every situation carefully and to act reasonably in all circumstances, for example by proposing alternative solutions, including through the reallocation of duties. Such limited circumstances could be where:
 The job involved the job holder carrying out intimate searches;
 The job involves the job holder working in a private home and “reasonable objection” to them having the post can be shown;
 On a temporary basis, exceptions may be applied during the transition process where accommodation has to be shared or the provision of personal care services to vulnerable individuals is given.'
...
'Disclosure
The trans member’s wishes should be fully respected and it should be their decision as to what they wish to be disclosed about their present or previous identities. Union reps need to ensure, through negotiations, that disclosure is not made without the express permission of the member. This becomes particularly important when providing a reference if the member decides to leave their job. Disclosing any such information without the consent of the trans member can be a criminal offence.'
...
'Use of facilities
This is often one of the most contentious issues. Whilst a trans person is likely to want to use the facilities of their chosen gender such as toilets, showers or changing rooms, their colleagues may find this difficult to accept. It is important to remember that the employer has a duty to dispel prejudice amongst employees.
Whilst an employee may be willing to use separate, unisex or accessible facilities, they should not be compelled to do so, and if forced to do so this may constitute discrimination regardless of whether they decide to undergo any medical interventions as part of their process of gender reassignment. Good practice is that once the trans member is living full-time in their acquired gender they are treated as that gender and should have the right to use the appropriate facilities.'

www.eis.org.uk/policiesandguidance/stuc-trans-workers

I thought that I couldn't think any less of the EIS after they chose to specifically targete the schools in my and 3 other constituencies for 6 extra days of strikes to put pressure on the MSPs over money literally fucking our kids over for cash but this dangerous nonsensical inaccurate bs is going to seriously harm girls.
I can't say what I honestly fell about this without getting a strike but🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

This guidance is terrible.
I'm a member of EIS.

These organisations are completely captured.
Parents in Scotland, please know there are many normal teachers trying to quietly resist this but when it's our UNION giving this advice, it's very very hard for us to be brave.

I hope it passes soon. Maybe it will with a new SNP leader.

Thank you, Electricfireplace. It must be hard. Is there any recourse, any way gender critical members can ensure their views are represented?

Not only that, will they support teachers accused of ‘misgendering’? Or from accusations arising from safeguarding failures as a result of this?

My union. 😖

But it doesn’t NEED to be your union..?

Not that many of the others are much better on this stuff, but you could join a different one. If enough did this, taking their dues with them, the union hierarchy might be forced to take notice.