Being gender critical at work, Jk Rowling etc NHs

[DoubleScreens]

I can't believe this is even my reality. I work in a very big nhs trust and I have cancer, I already have a thread about my manager asking me if she was safe to be in a room with me after she googled my medication and realised it's an antipsychotic, (it is but I take it for bipolar as a mood stabiliser) then she asked if I was safe to be in work with my mental health conditions .

ANYWAY! My reason for this thread is that I own this. Up and I use it every day it's on my desk as I like it, and my manager's deputy has decided it's totally inappropriate for me to have this mug as 'Jk Rowling is a terf'

Also she's angry with me because I had to renew my ID badge and I refused to put pronouns on the badge as that is a requirement now, but I think it's ridiculous so I refused and my manager is saying I'm transphobic and homophobic which is so awkward because I'm married to a woman.

I just couldn't believe it, I don't see patients any more because of my cancer treatment, why do I need to put my pronouns on my id badge?

You could try this for the JKR stuff:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4998005-how-to-unpick-jkrs-transphobia

For the pronouns/phobic stuff I'd being quoting the appeal judgement in Forstater versus CGD Europe- being gender critical is a belief which is protected under the Equality Act, and suggest therefore that they are discriminating against you on the grounds of belief. Good luck, the NHS is awash with this nonsense.

Agree with above, Maya Forstater and now Jo Phoenix have been there before you. Also Rachel Meade. It’s beyond stressful but you have done nothing wrong.

I'm sorry, OP. Your employer is discriminating against you for your gender critical views. These are protected, and you would probably have a good case for an ET should you wish to pursue that.

https://sex-matters.org/

https://freespeechunion.org/

I'm terribly sorry to hear about your cancer. Are you having treatment, and how are you feeling overall?

Your manager is a thick nasty cow. I think you might be advised to keep the J K Rowling stuff to yourself for now, but complain to HR that she is creating a terrible work environment for you while you're ill. Is she 'safe' to be in a room with you? FFS, what an utter moron. How do people like this even pass their probation, never mind get promoted to manager?

So your manager is ableist? And, given you're married to a woman, I wonder if she is also being homophobic? Are you in a union?

But are you safe to be in a room with your manager? She sounds mad to me..

When I was in the NHS they couldn't even spell most people's names right on ID badges, so they'll probably get the pronouns wrong too.

Such a pain for you to have to deal with this shite right now. Has your cancer made you a bit more 'fuck 'em!', would you say?

Your manager is taking a hostile and discriminatory approach to you. It's bullying. Firstly I'd record as accurately as you can all her comments to you - date, time, context, what you said, any witnesses etc. Play the long game.

Don't get into arguments with her - maybe rehearse a few responses to her comments:
"Can I clarify, are you telling me I must not use this mug? Please explain why?"

"Can you explain why you're accusing me of transphobia / homophobia? These are serious accusations so I need to be clear what it is you're accusing me of"

Presumably you're taking action about her comments about your mental health ? In which case, this is an escalation of that. So record, what's happening, try to stay calm and look at who her manager is - you may have to go abve her or to HR to raise this.
Good luck.

I'm sorry you are having to deal with Muppets at work on top of everything else. May your manger and their deputy suffer from painful piles and restless leg syndrome for the entirety of your cancer treatment!

As for the rest the others up thread are better than giving you advice but they are on thin ice, especially given you are married to a woman, do they really want to be THAT employer at a tribunal?

Anti-psychotics aren't prescribed lightly. They're generally for things like schizophrenia and paranoia delusions, so I can understand why finding out you're on them would make her anxious.

You might be able to "understand" @TownGown but it's not very professional and could be discrimination/harassment on grounds of disability.

If all she did was ask a question, that is fine.

"Trust me bro"

If I was made to put pronouns and didn’t want to I would make something up like truck / icecream, maybe that’s what you identify as?

Dear OP

This sounds like a nightmare.

And hard as it might be I think the advice about keeping a record, and when you feel able going to HR if the union is a lost case.

Or whoever her manager is?

Also apart from the stupidity of what she has been saying, it also sounds like she is targetting you because of her entrenched beliefs.

Also her behaviour is erratic and unprofessional. If she thinks your medication is an issue, should could get advice from those qualified to say.

Its totally unacceptable to ask someone directly whether they are a threat.

She deserves to have a complaint made against her, though can see it isn't something you would want to do.

I dont suppose there is a GC NHS staff network?

If you dont have any support at work, is there any support locally? Not sure what area you are but is there a local group like resisters or something.

Hope this individual calms down. Maybe you could make a big performance of writing down what she is say, and if she questions it, say its because you feel she is very threatening and intimidating and you have been advised to keep a record.

But in the meantime please come back here to let off steam.

And if will be a very public record of the madness going on in the NHS and how it impacts on individual women.

Take care

“Am I safe to be in a room with you, since you are mentally ill?” is not a neutral question. It is ableist. Accusing an out lesbian of homophobia is itself homophobic. Both taken together, aimed at an employee taking or potentially about to take significant amounts of sick leave for cancer treatment, looks to me like bullying out an employee. Which is a well-trodden path in the NHS where employees are hard to just fire for capability. The next step will be to accuse OP of bullying somebody herself.

OP, I suspect this has nothing to do with JKR or your pronouns, and everything to do with getting rid of you for other reasons. I’d request a meeting with your boss’s boss, and get a record made of these comments.

How did she find out what meds you are on? Did she look up your patient records?
MASSIVE breach of patient confidentiality if so

I would ditch the mug for now

No she asked occy health and then questioned me on it. She was adamant I was a risk to staff and her. It feels like I'm going to be managed out if I'm honest

Paper trail.

Take notes. Date them.

Follow up any conversations with an email clarifying exactly what was said in a calm, factual manner.

I would be pressing record on my phone every time she enters the room.

According to CIPD

'There are both legal and ethical issues on maintaining the of employee health confidentiality information. Registered healthcare professionals are required by their regulatory bodies to preserve medical confidentiality and only reveal health information to third parties with the individual's informed consent.'

Ex-NHS HR. The OP will have consented to Occ Health telling her manager - it’s literally the point of the appointment.

Agree with this.
If you want to keep your job you need to be prepared, say as little as possible that's incriminating and be a step ahead.

Yes it is like in 1984, but there we are.

Strongerthanyouth1nk
thankyou for that gem! @23.08 1/2/24 for anyone who wants to practice their critical thinking skills (beginner level!) focusing on JKRowling’s misdemeanours 😂

Sorry for the derail

Go to HR, get a policy change and an apology