Majorly outed myself at work

[cheshirecatssmile]

I work for the nhs. Yesterday we were handed some laminated shite about gender identity information.
The fella handed it to me saying it had come from the inclusion &diversity dude. He's also LBGT+ lead and my head of nursing.

I showed the laminate to some gay members of my team. They were disgusted by the wording.

So I emailed the heads of nursing, stating the bloody obvious.
I had backing off my manager who didn't want the laminate on the staff room wall.

So pressed send. Had radio silence back.

I'm now getting my ducks in a row, maybe not needed , but just in case.

I had also sent them a foi regarding there partnership with stonewall.

It's either going to be how do we shut her up or how do we distance ourselves from it.

Either way big black mark against my name.

OP, thank you. We need to stand up to this, when we can.

Ooh new Borg gif

I work for the NHS and had been quietly GC for a couple of years. However, started speaking up (could not contain the rage) and soon became apparent that everyone else in my dept was also quietly GC 😁. (Higher management are a different matter and seem to be at least 5 years behind the times - Chief Exec has only recently started adding his pronouns to staff-wide emails and sending round educational genderbread diagrams. Not sure what's brought that on)

I've had a response
Usual reply of thank you for getting in touch.
Sent me a link to the equality policy at work.
Is happy to speak to me.

Game on

I'm very proud of you OP. Kudos! And thank you on behalf of women. All women. Even those who don't yet realise they're giving away their rights.

As a matter of interest, does your equality policy talk about sex and gender reassignment, or something else?

I got asked about the suffragette pin I wear on my uniform .
Could it be removed. By a person wearing a rainbow lanyard.
Well.....

Brilliant. I so hope we are at the beginning of the end on this nonsense, rather than at the end of the beginning.

Good luck. I think organisations, even the NHS, have realised that they cannot pick on people for being GC. Which does not mean that EDI leads won’t try to push their nonsense. What else do they do to justify their large salaries.

Good for you OP!

Let’s hope your equality policy lists the correct protected characteristics

i pushed back on the use of gender on some nhs forms when they meant biological sex. Didn't get a response but glad I did it

There was a bit at the bottom of the email where they replied to each of my statements.

Apparently I shouldn't be offended to be called a cis

Pronouns are to make a culture of expectance.

That the trust doesn't like the word queer so uses the + sign instead .
So why put that term on the poster ??

If gay and lesbian staff don't like it tell them to join the group and a swipe that I must of been quick to speak to gay staff.

As staff felt safe to speak to me , would I be willing to join the network?!

Not enough single sex services within the trust.

Gave me a list of the organisations they are working with. Usual suspects.

Well. They certainly put some effort in 😂

I got asked about the suffragette pin I wear on my uniform
Could it be removed. By a person wearing a rainbow lanyard.

They have some brass neck.

I would love a suffragette pin, if I could get hold of one.

https://forwomen.scot/badges/

If you can stomach it, joining the network may not be a bad thing to do. I think part of the problem we have now is that TQ+ campaigners have been slowly gaining strength in lots of areas while other people have been quiet and the lack of opposition has been taken as acceptance. Maybe now would be the time to speak out against some of that.

OP I'd make a formal complaint not being 'allowed' to be offended about defining your identity as 'cis'. It's misgendering if nothing else. We should not let the nonsense idea that people who aren't trans are cis stand. It's one of the foundation stones of the oppressive trans ideology but it puts people into boxes which don't fit us and assumes we identify with very regressive stereotypes. I'm reacting similarly now to the wafty term 'gender non-conforming'. Well I'm gender non-conforming along with most of my friends whose earnings outstrip our partners and don't own high heels. It is not a useful term to describe someone who both has a gender identity and believes it doesn't match their biological sex (whatever that concept of matching means to them) because it describes vast other swathes of people. The problem with calling yourself 'gender non-conforming' is is suggests that you think other people are 'gender comforming' Otherwise what's the point in using that descriptor. It's like me going to a meeting and saying 'my name is exchange' and I don't believe in eating babies. Is the idea that people who don't announce it do like eating babies. It's a fucking nonsense.

Anyone know what phase 2 of the rainbow badge scheme is. Because apparently it's amazing.
Mean I will google myself

Christ on an actual bike

Sorry but I get infuriated at being called a cis woman. You call yourself what ever you want- a cabbage for all I care - but don’t make me have to call myself something I don’t agree with. I am a woman, NOT I cis woman and I am offended by the term when you’re forcing it on me.

Apparently I shouldn't be offended to be called a cis

Please use the 'cis' as a starting point. What do they think it means - that you have a gender identity that "matches with female"? Which gender identity is this?

What would it look like for someone to have a gender id that matches their sex - what are the criteria?
What behaviours or characteristics do they think you have that "match with female"?

Don't accept anything circular.

Let them explain, ask for definitions. Get specifics. In writing, if you can, but make notes if it's face to face

Then you can point out why this does not apply to you (if it doesn't), and why it is unacceptable to be assumed to have a gender identity that you do not.

If they think that is acceptable, then clarify that in writing.
Ask which genders match either sex, too, if you can.

I got asked about the suffragette pin I wear on my uniform .
Could it be removed. By a person wearing a rainbow lanyard.

sorry but this is absolutely hilarious. They want to exclude certain colours of the rainbow! Literally!

why is no one concerned that one's biology can effect one's health? if any one organisation in the country should be concerned about correctly "labelling" individuals it should be the NHS.

I don't always agree with some of the things my employer believes/promotes as they are a bit too right wing fundamentist for me. But I do like that they would listen to me and be shocked if they ever said anything I found offensive. Like being referred to as cis.

It's not a rainbow 🌈 basically! How dare you disent!

A lot of LGBTQIA+ people I know call themselves queer. It's reclaiming the word, like black people with "n" word. Of course not all people will like it. It's like anything else i suppose. I don't like being called "girl" because I'm an adult but other adult women are fine with it.

And a lot of lesbians and gay men I know find the term highly offensive.

It's not up to other people to foist a term of abuse onto people who have no wish to 'reclaim' it.