Organisations which are difficult to work for if you’re GC

[HagoftheNorth]

People here have regularly listed organisations they choose not to buy from because of not wanting to support their stance on, eg, encouraging girls to have mastectomies. I was wondering if it would also be useful to name those organisations which make your working life difficult if you are GC.

Obviously, it’s sensible to (at least) name change before adding to the list!

Any nominees?

I work at an one of the national museums, so far we seemed immune but there is a new EDI person who is a they/themer and there have been focus groups about setting up staff networks - the focus group I went to had people who were earnestly going on about ‘queer representation’ while the disabled member of staff was basically spoken over. The wind seems to be blowing in the wrong direction.

Parts of Edinburgh Uni. Some absolutely terrifying TRA fanatics there for whom bullying GC women and aggressive transactivism is almost a full time job. The science and engineering based departments generally ok though.

STEM avoiding IT is usually fine generally.

This is definitely true BUT if you keep your eyes and ears open, you will find other gc staff members. There is a silent majority- I've had a couple of very positive conversations with gc colleagues. Crazy that we feel like rebels for understanding basic biology (we're not even in the biology dept 😉)

I second that not every person in uk universities goes along with the senior leadership anti-gc views.

Look for people:

• zoning out in EDI training or raising eyebrows at the bought in zealots
• without pronouns in their email signatures and LinkedIn profiles
• not wearing rainbow lanyards and badges, or pointedly wearing the old fashioned rainbows without pastel colours
• cascading EDI messages reluctantly, eg 'I have been asked to let the department know about...' and very much distancing themselves from the message. (Thanks lovely old boss).
• pulling you aside and saying 'I could get sacked for saying this to anyone but you, but wtf is [latest initiative] all about'. That one takes some time and trust though 😊

The worst, worst colleagues are the self-proclaimed allies who are on the prowl for offence on behalf of others; living, dead or totally imaginary.

Not really an answer to your question but it's helpful to know that a lot of captured organisations are staffed by people who are keeping their heads down waiting for the madness to pass. But they have mortgages to pay and know which way the wind is currently blowing in HE.

• *without pronouns in their email signatures and LinkedIn profiles*

@KitchenDancefloor honestly these people get me through the day. Sounds dramatic, I know. But it's true!

Some organisations are capable of supporting one position on an organisational level (often to very superficial, virtue-signalling type of degree) whilst still tolerating the other position amongst their workforce.

Others, of course, are not.

I work for the civil service somewhere rural. I was quite nervous, having read a lot about it on here. So far there has been little evidence of active support for transactivism. Even the induction on DEI was not particularly problematic.

Of all the (many) people I’ve received e-mails from, only two have had he/him in their signatures and there are a couple of different campaign type additions to signatures, though none of the others are political, I don’t think.

The he/him addition did have a link (which I didn’t follow) which said something like “Why did I put this in and why you should too” but I presume everyone else (like me) is ignoring it and perhaps (also like me) rolled their eyes at the attempted proselytism.

Maybe I should write No/Nope and add a link explaining why I will never add pronouns to my signature.

I think I would declare my pronouns, if pressed, as I/me,me,me!

In my head I know that it's not the individual, but every time I get an e-mail from an NHS employee that shows their pronouns, I think, "You of all people should know better!" If the NHS doesn't believe in biology, what hope is there?

Some charities are an absolute nightmare.

My current charity seems to strike the right balance. And I have a terf colleague.