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

If anyone does feel compelled to change union over this, please let the EIS know your reasons.

Presumably they think they are representing the view of their membership on these issues, but going by polls and speaking to teachers that I know, they are very much out of step with opinion.

”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.'”

Ah yes. Driven by their “gender identity”. So long as they don’t state it’s “for a laugh” they cannot be challenged.

I am finding it difficult to type as my eyes just rolled so hard they fell out and scudded away across the floor.

I took the part where they stated that biology must sometimes be taken into account to mean that FtM transitioners must be included on those occasions: ie. women must include men in their spaces and rights (and presumably exclude women who claim they are men) except where it is impossible to ignore the fact that sex is relevant, when everything will be swapped around and suddenly transitioners will be included in the opposite group.

Completely rational, obviously. 🙄

In limited circumstances a post may have a genuine occupational requirement for the worker to be a particular gender

Sex, FFS!

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.

This is not the law. This is Stonewall bollocks.

I sometimes I wonder if the people taking the nonsense advice from Stonewall even bother to briefly scan the legislation they are referring to or whether they simply swallow it hook line and sinker.

This is a quote from the legislation in regards to the occupational exemption -

A counsellor working with victims of rape might have to be a woman and not a transsexual person, even if she has a Gender Recognition Certificate , in order to avoid causing them further distress. (my bold)

From -
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/notes/division/3/16/26/1?view=plain

Yes, I am pretty sure the guidance is riddled with inaccuracies and misrepresentations of the law.

I wonder if it's worth writing to EIS to say so? Perhaps a lawyer or an organisation with a good understanding of the law?

The trouble is that the batshit bad advice is woven through several policies and documents. What they really need is an expert to check over everything and overhaul it and correct any inaccuracies. Which is a hell of a job, and one which they should be paying for.

There's a call, I would say, for EDI people who are not ideological extremists, who properly understand the law, who are perhaps qualified in it, to go and check and rectify all the nonsense that Stonewall have put out there.

What other union options are there for teachers in Scotland?

What legal status does this document hold? Is it part of terms and conditions in the same way as the working time directive? Or is it just guidance?

Is there a chance that the EIS told its members to accept the pay offer they previously rejected, in exchange for this?

ArabellaScott · Yesterday 20:36

On Twitter, they are warning people about misinformation:

With depressing irony, as they lie and misinform about the situation.

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.'

Often referred to, by people who have been asked not to repeatedly and had it explained repeatedly that it's derogatory and upsetting. Referred to by people desperate to pretend that being trans is genetic. Referred to here by people who, as educators, really, really should know what they're on about and be using clear, accurate facts, not disgraceful propaganda and misrepresentation of the law.

Oh dear but they don't half spout ill-informed nonsense. Will any of the authors ever have the grace to feel ashamed of themselves for undermining women’s rights? For advising wrongly? For showing themselves to not even understand one of the most basic aims of the Equality Act?

This law brings together existing laws protecting various groups now represented via protected characteristics. One major result of amalgamating these specific laws are inevitable conflicts when the rights of protected groups clash. The Equality Act accounts for that by stating unequivocally that while it is unlawful to discriminate against someone on the basis of a protected characteristic in general, under specific circumstances it is lawful to do so.

So if the EIS was at all up to speed, they'd know that it is perfectly lawful to discriminate against crossdressers and GRC-holders on the basis of their sex and on the basis of gender reassignment respectively when it comes to single-sex spaces and services for women and girls.

But I guess they don't care about women and girls.

I think there are a few, depending on what level you teach: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teachers%27_trade_unions_in_the_United_Kingdom

NASUWT would be the main one. I think!

Yes, that section really made me wince.

I know the SSTA has a handful of members but that's no use for primary teachers.

That EIS tweet has had only (gender) critical replies. They've now restricted who can reply to it.

Unsurprised.

I am so so very glad I cancelled my EIS membership a few months back.

These so called "policies" are an absolute disgrace. They are basically saying, "Shut up women and align with what men tell you they are". Completely outrageous.

There was a reference upthread about unclear chromosomes and "intersex".

My (unqualified) understanding of possible chromosome configurations is:

XX = Female
XY= Male
XXY= Male
XYY= Male

The presence of a Y chromosome is an automatic marker of being male.

I'm not even surprised anymore. Shiny sparkles are so much more important than safeguarding

Wonder which High School is going to have a bloke teaching while enjoying his massive pretend breasts 🤮

This is my favourite
Organising around women’s inequalities and holding women’s events and conferences, etc. should be transgender and non-binary inclusive.
#underhiseye

Laladybird · Yesterday 21:04

That EIS tweet has had only (gender) critical replies. They've now restricted who can reply to it.

That's because they don't want to have knowledgeable people picking their propaganda apart, piece by piece, by using proven facts.

Broadly, Y= male. But it's not quite that simple - by definition, a DSD means things are not following the standard pattern. In some cases the genes that create maleness can 'fall off' the Y chromosome (and may or may not become stuck to another chromosome) , or they can be present but not working for various reasons.

But whatever has happened to the genes, that doesn't change the fact that everyone is still either male or female.

And it doesn’t change the fact that it is completely irrelevant to trans identities. The Tavistock used to routinely test its patients for DSDs, but stopped when they discivered that the rate was identical to that in the general population.

And 'inbetween' is a callous and clumsy idea, as well as inaccurate.

It makes more sense if you remember that sex chromosomes are merely the start point of sex differentiation, while male or female bodies are the end point. And what body you have is more important than what sex chromosomes you started out with (unless it is in a medical context, because DSDs often also involve a number of health issues).

So a Y-chromosome does not always equate to being male, but a penis does.

Of course, a mismatch between sex chromosomes and bodies happens so rarely that it is safe to say a man typically has a Y-chromosome, a penis and testicles. Much as we call humans bipedal even if the occasional human is born not having two legs.

Thanks, Charlie, that's helpful.

It seems most UK Trade Unions are captured. When I vote for an MP/ MSP or Local Councillor, I know to be 'gay', I expect them to take my mainstream heterosexual views into account as well before jumping on Stonewall policy bandwagons.
Clearly most are failing to do this, so I will have to start taking this into account, when choosing who to vote for and which Union to join.