Look at this brilliant post on a popular professional network

[MaybeDoctor]

Another brave woman calmly putting reasoned analysis out into the sunlight:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tanya-de-grunwald-9717b815_hr-dei-savedei-activity-7117818637599551488-fGix?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Yes! He often posts GC stuff, he also comments on Helen Webberley's stuff (she doesn't respond 🙄)

Are people able to create fake LinkedIn accounts? Like a fake name, or something? Just wondering because I'd love to be able to comment, but not in my name (I don't even have a LinkedIn account to start with).

Love the LinkedIn post. It is so clear and sensible among all the usual hyperbole and hysteria on this topic.

This is the first time I've seen DEI professionals talk about supporting both groups when their beliefs on gender identity collide. I was following the Prof. Jo Phoenix v Open University thread yesterday - IMO an example of how an organisation utterly failed to protect both groups.

I hope it encourages people from both groups to put forward solutions to working together. I have seen some suggestions from the gender critical side (e.g. third bathrooms, pronouns optional, separating sex and gender, a 'do not believe' option for gender in forms etc) but not from the gender identity side. I wonder what they would propose.

Thanks for sharing @MaybeDoctor and thanks for writing @GraduateFog!

I’ve commented and liked. I will also soon be joining the civil service SEEN network. I’m slightly nervous to take a position, given I’m starting a new job and will be on probation for several months, but hopefully it won’t be too controversial where I am going. There hasn’t been a single communication from anyone I’ve been in contact with that had pronouns, which I find quite heartening.

That a see-both-sides post with no visible bias is seen as so controversial tells is so significant. The comparison with religious people working alongside gay people is a great comparator.

Exactly. I’m not at a point in my career I can afford to get fired.

They’ve probably all been on the same course which is why they think they’re superior to everyone else.

Delighted to see you on here @GraduateFog!

I too took a deep breath before liking/re-posting but I think that only posts you have actually started from scratch come up in the ‘your activity’ section of your profile. If you like or repost, it shows up briefly in other people’s feed but that moves on fairly quickly.

What the hell, I am between jobs anyway so anywhere that would object to me liking that perfectly balanced, courteous and reasonable post is not somewhere that I would be suited to working!

This resonated as I had (another) email and follow up yesterday about our new trans guidance, training on being an ally and the importance of sharing pronouns yesterday.

I dare not like the post on LinkedIn as all evidence suggests it would lead to a campaign against me from some colleagues, with no evidence of any likelihood of support from HR. I’m not brave enough to risk my job and career.

Ah, my error - a repost does show up on your profile. It wasn't there on my profile last night but has shown up on there this morning.

However, if worried, you could always delete the repost at a later date or push it down your profile by making more posts.

@GreenAllOver its shocking that women are still fearing unlawful discrimination

I’ve liked it and shared it as I’m lucky enough to have a supportive employer and to be public in my GC views

there’s a zealot on there berating her for posting it on “coming out day” 🙄

Brilliant @GraduateFog ! And thank you for your bravery.

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

If anyone notices that Tanya's post in Linked In gets deleted please alert us on here if you notice, I and probably lots of us will complain to linked in.

😁

For anyone concerned about LinkedIn I would also like to mention that it is not compulsory to have a full/complete LinkedIn profile - for example, you can put a description of your field or the work you do (‘Professional fishmonger working in the Billingsgate fish market’) as your headline rather than your current job title (‘Head Fishmonger at Best Fish Suppliers’.) You also don’t have to list all your previous roles in the employment history section. Some of this can go in the free text description section under your headline. There are also ways to play around with the visibility of your profile in the settings. None of this stops you from making further connections as you can search for people or they will come up on the ‘people you may know’ once you have a connection in common. Hope that helps.

Another fabulous quote

... Men identifying as “transwomen” must be allowed access to women’s and girls’ spaces in ways that would have been treated as criminal in the very recent past on account of their new identification as “marginalised.” Indeed, to call these men’s behaviour predatorial, perverted, or dangerous is deemed “hateful.” Claims that all of these “oppressed groups” are fighting for their lives and constantly under attack justify the hate, abuse, and harassment perpetrated by the “marginalised,” excusing them from accountability."

I have just such a LI account! Fake name and absolutely no information in my profile and no photo. And linked to an alias email ID. I use it to stalk people mostly. And I still get emails inviting me to apply for jobs 🤣🤣

It's great for so many things!

Same here! I set up one to check out new colleagues, and recruiters still look at my profile!

The barrister on the thread (one Gerard C from 4 Gray's Inn Square) is a real asset to the cause!

I have been in touch with the creator of the post and she is keen to learn more about examples of how organisations are implementing trans-inclusive policies, especially if you feel you cannot speak out freely at work. I think big organisations like the civil service or corporates are particularly of interest, but I think she is keen to hear from anyone who has an experience to share.

She is happy to accept MN private messages or you can contact her via Linkedin details.

@GraduateFog maybe ‘fanatical’ was a bit strong! Perhaps ‘blinkered to the point of irrationality’ is more appropriate.

Anyway, thank you for the LinkedIn post and the way you’ve responded to the comments and promoted such great discussion. I’m not brave enough to like it - I’m self employed, which perhaps makes it even harder to make a stand.

I feel your pain - I'm self-employed too! And my clients all renew in Nov/Dec, so this is far from ideal timing for me! However I hope I've successfully presented this as me doing my job (flagging icebergs on the horizon) and also helping them to do their jobs. It is something of a gamble, but I can't see us finding a path through this if we don't start talking about it soon... in which case, we're all sunk, anyway!

I have taken a deep breath and liked your post on LI too @GraduateFog - brave words deserve others (me) to be a bit brave in their response else nothing ever changes. Thankyou for the care with which you wrote it and have responded to comments - clearly there is massive pent-up demand for such sense to be spoken out loud which is heartwarming when it feels progress is slow.

I have never 'liked' anything on LI before; I avoid it as I detest the self-congratulation and shameless self-promotion and pseudo-psychological hogwash that seems to fill my feed. Clearly I need a better network!!

Congratulations and thankyou again.

I think I’m seeing a shift in my large company to recognising that it’s not just one view that needs to be taken into account. @GraduateFog I’m happy to share if you want to pm me.

@GraduateFog it is an excellent post and has clearly resonated. Thank you for starting a much needed conversation

I’d love to comment on the actual thread but I don’t dare, knowing that I’m in a precarious employment situation as it is.

I think it’s telling that those that argue for the degradation of women’s rights to accommodate “trans” rely on personal stories rather than facts and solid data. I previously worked in public health and while individual case studies are useful, we wouldn’t rely on them to form a policy.