Civil servants' letter says government policy improperly influenced by gender ideology

[Imnobody4]

https://twitter.com/TonyDowson5/status/1705315071767834802?t=IqTv1ZeG1B2jtmiO03jTHA&s=19

Article in the Telegraph. Sorry it's behind paywall but the thread gives lot of info.

"Whitehall taken over by woke zealots, Cabinet Secretary warned

"Civil servants' letter says government policy risks being improperly influenced by gender ideology imposed on them"

"As a result, it says, the operation of government is being “distorted” and the authors plead for “urgent action to ensure that Civil Service impartiality is upheld, and freedom of belief is respected”."

The civil service in Whitehall is full of gay men - though I'd hoped they would be too smart to fall for this ideology - oh dear.

You can drop the URL into archive . ph website, or try Airplane Mode.

I think this is (finally) a significant move and piece of reporting about the dangerous 'gender-queer theory' bias within the civil service. I mean, we've all known it on here, but it has needed wider publicity in a broadsheet read by government types & their policy staff for a long time.

I await the day that Sunak actually realises what a mess he's made of this.

I don’t think Sunak has got the vision or willingness to expend political time and capital to lead on this tbh. The best we can hope for is a slow turning around of the liner as more GI inflicted scandals come to light and the public expresses its dissatisfaction.

Staff who dare to air gender-critical views – meaning they believe there are two biological sexes that cannot be changed – suffer “serious harassment” at work and live with a “pervasive fear” they will be victimised, the letter adds.

in a letter signed by 42 staff from 16 departments
^^
^^ Wow, that is a very low number for a lot of departments.

Yes Pixie, the Reign of Terror is still working to a large degree. That will be why quite a few of them are staying anonymous (to try to avoid being harassed out of their jobs/death threats etc). Silly old them, eh!

Its a real shame that the word "woke" has been used. Not sure if this is what staff said in their letter or the Telegraph.

It actually undermines what are very valid points about imposition of group think, but also means that many people dont read the article, or some just see the headline and think its a concoction by the Telegraph. I thought they had higher journalistic standards.

As said up thread if you want to read the whole article go to https://archive.ph and paste in the Telegraph link https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/09/22/woke-takeover-whitehall-risks-government-policy-simon-case/

And within that article is a link to another one:

Thirty days of Pride and lessons on white supremacy: inside Whitehall’s woke training regime
Government staff were urged to 'dress up for Pride' and bombarded with material on white privilege, leaked internal communications reveal
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/22/radical-ideology-gender-race-civil-servants-lgbtq-trans/

Indeed. The Conservatives came into government in 2010, and Stonewall started its TQ lobbying after 2010. (Or rather, Stonewall went public with its TQ lobbying after 2010.) The Conservative party has got TRAs campaigning from the inside, the same as all the other political parties. As recently as 2018 Conservative ministers were - quite openly - fully behind implementing all of Stonewall’s demands. Back then the HR departments introducing this would have been acting in line with Conservative ministers’ policy proposals. The only reason the Tory MPs campaigning for women’s rights within the party have been able to gain some traction - and it’s clear they haven’t actually won the argument yet - is because it offers an opportunity to make Labour look silly in the run up to the next election.

The irony, though. These are political movements imported from the US. And here you’ve got Rees-Mogg, who’s done everything he can to make it easier for US businesses to exploit the UK, making political capital of pretending to object to it. It’s just an easy scapegoating opportunity for him. It’s not like he stood up for civil service impartiality and objectivity when civil servants were pointing out that ministers were proposing unlawful action related to Brexit - didn’t the civil service head lawyer end up resigning over that?

What still astonishes me is how quickly this TQ theory has been able to take hold across every institution and sector - political parties, the media, universities, schools, local councils, central government, the NHS, the creative industries, the voluntary sector, major retailers, women’s organisations, professional standards organisations, the Women’s Institute for goodness sake.

"What still astonishes me is how quickly this TQ theory has been able to take hold across every institution and sector - political parties, the media, universities, schools, local councils, central government, the NHS, the creative industries, the voluntary sector, major retailers, women’s organisations, professional standards organisations, the Women’s Institute for goodness sake."

It's not that quick when you consider that they have been at it since the 1960's 😉

While they were beavering away behind the scenes, women were busy fighting other battles, eg.

1970: "The first Women's Liberation Conference in 1970"
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/3548447-The-first-Womens-Liberation-Conference-in-1970

1970 - 1973: "Women's Liberation and the Nightcleaner's campaign 1970-1973"
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4125443-Womens-Liberation-and-the-Nightcleaners-campaign-1970-1973

1973: Women allowed on the floor of the Stock Exchange
"London Stock Exchange anniversary"
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/3205068-london-stock-exchange-anniversary

Meanwhile, on another side of town . . . and this is just a selection, there is so much more . . .

1964: Reed Erickson created the Erickson Educational Foundation (EEF)
https://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/erickson/essay
"The EEF helped to support, both through direct financial contributions and through contributions of human and material resources, almost every aspect of work being done in the 1960s and 1970s in the field of transsexualism in the US and, to a lesser degree, in other countries. The EEF funded many early research efforts, including the creation of the Harry Benjamin Foundation, the early work of the Johns Hopkins Clinic and numerous other important research projects. It developed and maintained an extensive referral list of service providers throughout the US and in several other locales."
https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/ahdevor/publications/erickson/

(Reed Erickson (1917-1992) was one of several females who have been a driving force behind trans activism and advocacy; while Reed was a wealthy transsexual philanthropist the others have mainly been mothers of trans identified children or influential lesbians and trans identified females in academia, politics and the media. Males (individual philanthropists, billionaires in Big Tech and the medico-pharmaceutical industry, some trans, some gay, some straight) later ploughed funding into a wide range of trans advocacy projects and "friendly" media. I hope that is a reasonable if incomplete summary.)

1966: Beaumont Society (BS) Founded
"The Beaumont Society was founded as a branch of FPE. It was a secret Society based in California. Its purpose was
1. To provide information and education to the general public, the medical and legal professions on transvestism and to encourage research aimed at fuller understanding.
2. To provide TV's with an opportunity for a social life together."
(FPE: "Full Personality Expression)

1969: 1st International Symposium on Gender Identity: Aims, Functions and Clinical Problems of a Gender Identity Unit
Piccadilly Hotel in London, Chaired by Professor C.J. Dewhurst of Queen Charlotte's Hospital, London. co-sponsored by the EEF and the Albany Trust of London.
https://www.wpath.org/about/history/international-symposia

1970: BS Library established

1971: BS Inaugural Dinner
"At the Dinner we found by a show of hands that about 30% of members were engineers and most of these were into steam trains.
One member was Colonel of a Guards Regiment"

1972: BS new Constitution
"Local groups like Candida (!) and Fairlawn started to produce their own journals. We had a lot of liaison with our European sisters . . The second dinner (£4.50) was in the BBC's Forum Restaurant, a very grand affair. We had good contact with the BEEB because of my doing a Home Service Programmes with Claire Rainer, which later went out on the World Service. June did a radio show for Leeds local radio. Hinge & Bracket provided the super Cabaret at the dinner, which was attended by 140 members and 25 wives and included people from Ireland France and Belgium."

1973: BS has 233 members (696 had been members since 1966)

More revelations from Alice L100 in "A history of the Beamont Society", Dec 2005, Beaumont Magazine Vol 13 No 4
https://www.beaumontsociety.org.uk/documents/Beaumont_History.pdf

And then we have . . . The Transex Liberation Group

1973: "BBC Open Door programme 45 years ago on transsexuals - a real jaw dropper"
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/3327193-BBC-Open-Door-programme-45-years-ago-on-transsexuals-a-real-jaw-dropper

1970's: "TRANS LIVES IN THE SEVENTIES"
https://the-lies-they-tell.org/2022/10/15/trans-lives-in-the-seventies/

1974: ‘Transvestism and Transsexualism in Modern Society’, the UK’s first national conference on trans issues
https://wyqs.co.uk/stories/the-uks-first-national-trans-conference/
Transcript: https://transphilez.netlify.app/events/firsttransconferenceleeds/

(Getting bored now, I'm going to skip to the 1990's)

1990 - 1998: GENDYS Conferences (UK)
https://archive.ph/3P7ry
(go to the web archive version for more on GENDYS)

1993: The International Bill of Gender Rights
http://dallasdenny.com/Chrysalis/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Report-from-the-International-Bill-of-Gender-Rights-Project.pdf
Agreed by the The International Conference on Transgender Law and Employment Policy, Inc
https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/downloads/wd375w32h

1993: Who's Who in Press for Change (PFC)
Vice presidents
Christine Burns
Claire McNab
Tracy Dean
Robert Allfree
Sarah Rutherford
Alex Whinnom
Stephen Whittle

Patrons
Lord Beaumont
Nicholas Blake QC
Rabbi Lionel Blue
Alex Carlile QC
Edwina Currie
Ven. Dr Mark Dalby
Prof. Louis Gooren
Rev. Dr Leslie Griffiths
Jerry Hayes
Julie Hesmondhalgh
Dr Lynne Jones MP
Paul Jones
Lady Helena Kennedy QC
Lord Lester QC
Ken Livingstone MP
Rt. Rev'd. Hugh Montefiore
Jan Morris
Rabbi Julia Neuberger
Faye Presto
Claire Rayner
Mel Read MEP
Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Communications
Phoneline - Mjka Scott
Box Number - Stephen Whittle
E-mail - Christine Burns
Press for Change Website - Christine Burns / Claire McNab
On-line newslist and forum - Claire McNab
Newsletter - Alex Whinnom
Mailings - David Willis & Janeen Newham
Conference circuit - Mjka Scott
Co-ordination of Activists and Local Network. - Alex Whinnom

Contacts
main Conservative party liaison - Christine Burns
main Labour party liaison - vacant
main Liberal Democrat party liaison - Mark Rees/Anna Boyer
Parliamentary Forum (& Lynne Jones) - Jane
Liberty (NCCL) - Alex Whinnom
Amnesty - Theresa
Equality Forum - Ben Thom, Romana Mewett, Cherrie Button
School's Out - Susan Parker
Legal Professionals Forum (& Philip Leach) - Stephen Whittle
Equal Opportunities Commission - Alex Whinnom
C of E: Bishops and Boards of Social Responsibility - Mark Rees
Main media contacts - Mjka Scott, Christine Burns
Pride - Ben Thom
Medical professionals - Jane
European Parliament & European Groups - Frank Hanna
ILGA - Stephen Whittle/Christine Burns

Current issues & working groups
Marriage - vacant
Trade Unions - vacant
Medical Working party co-ord - vacant
Health Authorities - Jane, Cherrie Button, Romana Mewett, Krystyna Haywood
Medical Funding - Ruth Richards
Prisoners - vacant
Police - Dee Stuart
Students: NUS, freshers - vacant
Insurance - Jim Sealey
Birth Parents Working Party co-ords - Janine Elliot, Jilly Lee
"Train the Trainer" project - Alex Whinnom, Stephen Whittle

Local & media networks
There are about 40 people active in local campaigning, many of whom also work with their local media

Please note this is not a comprehensive list of everyone who works with Press for Change, but shows who currently has responsibility for our main areas of work. Press for Change has no paid staff.

https://archive.ph/JyVq9

1994 - 1996: Press for Change (PFC) Mission Statement

7.02 The following initiatives are currently being co-ordinated by the committee:

• A Parliamentary Forum of M.P.s from all political parties, committed to supporting a change to the law through Parliament.
• The establishment of a group of legal professionals committed to challenging discriminatory legislation through the British and/or European Courts.
• The establishment of a group of medical professionals familiar with current best practice in the treatment of transsexualism, who are willing to endorse the view that transsexual people are neither insane nor perverted, but are people with an inherent intersex condition, who are generally able, if appropriately treated, of leading full and constructive lives within society.
• The establishment of a group of Bishops and other religious leaders willing to support the rights of transsexual people.
• The establishment of a group of supportive Members of the European Parliament.
• Affiliation to the National Council of Civil Liberties.
• Liaison with the Trade Unions, asking that they affiliate to Press for Change and include "gender identity" in their equal opportunities policies.
• Liaison with the committee of Pride (in 1996 "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Pride" to ensure transgender people are properly represented and included in this important event.
• A petition to be signed by the public and presented to the government.
• Regular articles and television appearances attempting to put forward a positive image of transsexual people and highlight the injustices we suffer.
• The co-ordination and dissemination of up-to-date information about transsexualism and about related civil rights and legal issues, to transgender people themselves, to the public and to relevant professionals, including the publication of books and training materials as appropriate.
• The provision of leaflets, posters and a campaigning pack, free of charge to any person or organization prepared to campaign in any way on behalf of transsexual people.
• The publication of regular updates on the campaign, distributed to all transsexual organizations, and to any individual or group who is actively involved, on request.
• Fund-raising as necessary. Please note that all money donated goes directly to the campaign - there are no paid staff. See separate Financial Policy and Procedure.

https://archive.md/xZANn

1996: PFC Seminar for Civil Service Union
https://archive.ph/D4EMq

1997: PFC Five Principles for the evaluation of legislative proposals covering transgendered people in the United Kingdom
https://archive.md/fiwXs

1998: PFC The Local Campaigning Network Pack - Introduction
https://archive.ph/zNJ0S

(Visit the Web Archive versions of the PFC website for a rabbit warren of more info - those links break Mumsnet formatting so I have avoided them.)

1997-2002: International Journal of Transgenderism
https://archive.ph/8wVdK

1999-2000: PFC Index to pages on the Government Working Group on Transsexuals
https://archive.ph/Cu8WB

-----
And we still have another 20 years of even more trans organisations strategising, organising, lobbying and influencing, at local level, in schools, universities, businesses, charities, unions, QUANGOs, the Civil Service, the military, police, NHS, judiciary, up through Parliament, the EU, the European Court of Justice to the UN and WHO . . .

Before I forget . . .

Let's go back to 2007
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/3463920-Lets-go-back-to-2007

. . . Not to mention the GRA, EA2010 and the ruddy Yogyakarta Principles.

Yogyakarta principles
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/3228002-Yogyakarta-principles

yogyakarta principles plus 10
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/3284051-yogyakarta-principles-plus-10

I don't know if it applies in other countries but in the USA and the UK there have been qualified lawyers at the heart of the trans movement since the 1960's, some of them very wealthy others just extremely dedicated, tireless and focussed on winning, most of them male:

Martine Rothblatt: A Founding Father of the "Transgender" Empire
(with hon menshes to UK partners in crime)
https://jbilek.substack.com/p/martine-rothblatt-a-founding-father

STILLTish is very good on flows of funding benefiting trans activism in the UK as well as key players and organisations:
https://gendercriticalwoman.blog/

One thing they might look at is Civil Service/Public Sector recruitment processes. Some, run I think by Capita, will have an initial on-line psychological screening of the sort where you get lots of questions about issues and you have to indicate how strongly you agree or disagree.

I know a new graduate who was well qualified for a technical role who failed to get to the next (2/5) stage of the process because they failed this bit. I am told by others that you soon learn to game the process by giving the answers you think they will want. I understand that others, including law firms use similar tests as part of their recruitment.

Whoever decides the psychological profile they want will get the profile they want.