Obvious name change for this.
So. It’s pride month, and at this mornings department weekly meeting we had the LGBT network delivering a slot on what pride month means, why it’s important to all LGBT people and a bit about rights for LGBT people globally. All fine.
The side chat on Teams got a bit political, and headed in the direction of government policy and discrimination of trans people, conversion therapy, and self ID. I was a little uneasy as I think this is quite political and not a good topic for a professional setting. But then it got worse - a (presumed) male colleague (I don’t know them) weighed in that the gov policy was scapegoating and ‘pretending it’s a women’s safety issue’ and suggested that it ‘appeals to a certain type of reactionary’.
My phone went crazy with messages and as a person with some responsibility I wrote a very polite, balanced and neutral message to the director saying that this was a one-sided view and I didn’t think it appropriate. My concerns were acknowledged but the org have declined to do anything about it. They have made statements about other (imo milder) forms of discriminatory talk before, but it seems that women are fair game.
So now I know. My org will not back me. And I’ve put myself out on the parapet (albeit confidentially). Ho him.