Anyone else work at a Uni?

[Phunkychicken]

Just having a uni wide 'meeting' - much pressure from the LGBTQ+ group about what they are going to do re the SC ruling to ensure trans staff/students are safe - management saying they're seeking guidance on what to do practically going forward. Tentatively posted that some of us welcome the ruling and have had 6 thumbs up - so they're at least 6 of us.

It's so hard not giving myself away but the push back has been insane

Yes, it's this case https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5320891-another-gc-tribunal-has-started-re-a-civil-service-seen

Same here.

They can take as long as they like to review policies but being under review is not a magic get out clause for not complying with the law - the Supreme Court judgement didn’t establish new law where organisations might reasonably ask for time to adjust, it clarified and confirmed what was already law - so if an organisation was not complying previously then they are still breaking the law until they change and being under review doesn’t change the status quo / make them compliant with the law…

Well done for pushing back!

We had a message on our intranet today to say that policies will be changed to comply with the Supreme Court ruling, and that, while there will be differing views, discussions should be conducted with courtesy and that we can respect one another without having to agree.

Very proud to work where I do!

I'm curious about what your field is now! - but appreciate it might be outing.

Not heard anything in my RG uni but will do a bit of digging on the EDI and varsity pages. They've been steadily replacing single sex loos with single occupant unisex loos for ages now so they have thought ahead and covered the toilet issue. Sport is another thing entirely and it will be interesting to see what happens there.

This - I think we should start thinking of ways us silent majority can be heard without feeling we are risking abuse for wanting women's rights - something like a flash mob but not the turning up in person bit of it. Some sort of cyber flash mob?

Maybe we could just pick a day and all agree to do something on that day which shows our support for the ruling. Something positive like we find one of those charities which donate period products to third world countries and on day X we all donate one packet each as representing women helping other women.

My university has posted a fairly neutral statement about considering the guidance - I appreciated its neutrality actually.

But despite being in a health department, many of my lovely colleagues who I work with directly have pronouns on their emails and have indicated they support the trans side of the issue.

I'm not afraid for my safety or anything, but I am afraid of being thought a bigot by colleagues I really respect.

Just point them in the direction of the massive fine that’s been imposed on Sussex uni, and that was before the SC ruling. They may be posturing that they’re not going to follow the law but they’ll have to eventually.

I left adult education nearly twenty years ago and I’m so glad I did, I wouldn’t last five minutes amongst this madness, but I really admire all of you for sticking with it, it can’t be easy.

Lots of people happy to out themselves there. I'll have to do a bit of research on the names from universities in my city.

2 from my uni - one of whom is the trans lead is trans themselves. Quite heartening actually

I thought the letter explicitly said it was signed by non-trans academics? Are some of them reconsidering their trans identity now? Or did they not read the letter properly?

But ultimately, the function of these open letters is to discipline other academics into shutting up and to reassert common beliefs. That’s why they end with TWAW and TMAM. Under his eye …

Gosh this letter is a depressing read.

But yes, for something meant to be signed by feminist, non-trans academics, there are certainly a lot of signatories that are not feminist, not non-trans, and not academics!

Oh ffs, have just found a whole lot of people I have worked with with (and taught) - how utterly depressing that I failed to provide them with the tools to analyse boilerplate ill-considered crap like 'We want our feminism to be vibrant and intersectional' as the manipulative bollocks that it is.

One of the names from a university in my city is also trans identified ( and autistic); a couple are from Sociology departments and are in their thirties - one of whom has an interest in fascism; one involved in counselling and psychotherapy; one involved in Irish and Celtic Studies; one who says they are a feminist researching into abortion protocols around the world; one is a disability rights campaigner.

We've had an all-staff email saying the ruling is very worrying for trans identified staff and students, but it will not require a change in the trans policy.

Even though it is clearly illegal

Another runs an organisation which wants to bring " Light and Joy", and "to
bust down systemic barriers to spark tidal growth through “disruptive transition” frameworks; I work with big visionaries, helping to reflect the gems they bring through creative and illuminating storytelling"

I also found two that I know to be trans. So it's a bit strange to find them claiming to be non-trans.

Clue's in the username.

Mine put out a "we recognise that our community is scared" kind of post on Sharepoint that has had zero thumbs-ups and then has been very very quiet since.

Natacha Kennedy is on there (who has co-written articles with Mark Hellen, aka their original name)
https://www.gold.ac.uk/educational-studies/staff/kennedy-natasha/

Yes I remember NH pretending that they had a co-author. I wonder if any of the places that published those articles ever apologised for their poor due diligence

It's just scary how loud the trans and ally voice is and that there's no equivalent women (or biological sex matters) voice as we're all too scared of even outing ourselves to each other, let alone the wider community.

Thats the thing, they are bullish and aggressive in their behaviour but the more they behave like this, the more people are siding against them and want nothing to do with them

I'm in a STEM faculty. Nothing at all by email from On High. I actively avoid any staff networks except those related directly to my work ("which idiot left the sample of lethal bacteria in the sink" sort of thing), so I have no idea whether there is any weeping and wailing.

Is there anything to be said for another open letter? How about another one?

that’s three I’ve counted now