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

Wow. That’s a punchy response. Mine has issued a statement saying that the judgment did not change the law (even though our trans policy says trans people should use the toilets that match their gender ID) and they are waiting for the EHRC guidance. So pretty standard. Actually I was impressed at how measured and neutral it was. We are still members of the Stonewall scheme even though we are being asked to scrimp and save in every little thing. Cutting ties with Stonewall would be low-hanging fruit.

That said, we do have gender neutral toilets which have floor to ceiling cubicles but communal basins - I don’t think those are compliant with the workplace regulations. Thankfully my building is all single sex facilities.

University forced to grovel and retract updated policy after saying it will uphold the law:

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/warwick-proposes-banning-trans-people-preferred-toilets

According to the racists at the local UCU branch, banning males from women's toilets is the same thing as banning women of colour from them.

OP which uni are you at? If you don’t mind me asking…

I don't want to say but it is in London. Management were challenged on the SC ruling today and I was staggered when the reply was that OfS and SC have made things very tricky for them so they will have to comply with the law. Said through very gritted teeth but nonetheless said.

Do we know what the OfS is saying, exactly?

Think of the most captured Scottish university you can, I work in that one. Weeks ago I heard that a general email to staff was going to come out from the central university about the ruling - the context in which I heard this was that the senior person speaking had been arguing the mail should also go to students. Since then, crickets.

I do have some sympathy for the people having to compose something to send...but not much.

I do have some sympathy for the people having to compose something to send...but not much

Yeah, I alternate between feeling sorry for the senior managers who have to deal with this and remembering that they (over)fed the beast that they now won't be able to placate.

Haven't read this yet but just on face value....what kind of a headline is that?

"Universities begin to update policies which were unlawful after supreme court judgement" is what we should be seeing.Its not Warwick banning trans students is it? They're completely with the law.

they (over)fed the beast that they now won't be able to placate

Thats being going on everywhere, pandering woke idiots…..what a mess

Is it KC?

I think that’s why everywhere is waiting for the EHRC full guidance coming out. Then they can publish that word for word and shrug their shoulders when certain groups have a hissy fit and just say “sorry but don’t blame us, we’re forced to do this as it’s the law”

Agree, that would be the easiest thing to do but I expect we will be waiting quite a while for the full guidance

This is an extremely useful document, especially as it also contains contact details for Advance HE. They have been at the forefront of destroying women’s single-sex spaces and provisions in Higher Ed. Athena Swan is, well, not helpful, to put it mildly. I am a member of Advance HE and have been very dismayed by what they have put out over the years. Trans-identified males included in training for women, TRA lawyer Smita Jamdar as one of their advisers, gender identity as innate and so on. But they must know that their gravy train is about to disappear if they are seen to flout the law. So all in all, a welcome reverse ferret.

Now there’s a surprise. Not.

So no equality duty to
Women (protected characteristic of sex)
Religious people (protected characteristic of religion/belief)

????

They are breaking the law.

Me too.

I had dealings with my university's Director of HR over a disciplinary complaint re transphobia some time ago, and I can safely attest to their ignorance on the complexities of the matter, and their gullibity in the face of extremist gender ideology.

I suspect we're still a Stonewall subscriber, despite the talk of voluntary severance leading to compulsory redundancies eventually. So again, leaving Stonewall would be a very quick win in terms of savings.

We've suddenly got a very strong push from our very newly formed LGBTQ+ group, which seems to be predominantly led by younger women in their 20s/30s and has been quite trans focussed in their messaging.

They pushed for a statement from our senior team on the SC judgement which didn't refer to the impact on women at all. And this week we've had annoucements on our intranet about this "worrying time" for the LGBTQ+ community post the SC judgement. Pronouns and progress flag lanyards are being encouraged.

It's not a welcoming atmosphere to anyone with an alternate view and I thought we'd managed to escape a lot of the madness in recent years.😕

I think we are definitely in the throes of a Herxheimer reaction phase. My local UCU branch has gone all out in response.

Interestingly there's been nothing from the student union or the student LGBTQIA+ society.

Name changed for this.

Here's the email that's been sent out today from our (new) VC.

Note the bit in bold.😶

Tomorrow, Saturday 17 May, marks the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, which is observed annually to raise awareness about the discrimination and violence faced by LGBTQ+ individuals worldwide. The theme this year is ‘the power of communities’, which is a very timely reminder of the power we all have as members of our University community to show support for and allyship towards our LGBTQ+ colleagues and students.

Our city and our university have long been places where trans and non-binary staff and students know they will find spaces that are safe and which celebrate diversity. In this context, and following my message to you last month, I am writing to update you about the steps our university is taking in response to the recent ruling by the Supreme Court in relation to the Equality Act (2010).

Having now met with representatives of our LGBTQ+ Staff Network, Staff and Student Trans and Nonbinary Network, UCU and Unison, I have heard directly about their concerns and about the fears and anxiety that this judgement has caused. I would like to say thank you to these colleagues for trusting me with this, and to reassure them – and every member of our community – that the University must be a place where they can continue to feel safe and respected. This is something that I know my fellow (exec board) colleagues and the wider leadership of this University are also committed to ensuring.

The judgement has raised a number of questions and uncertainties, and it may take some time to work through the implications for our university. In the meantime, I am committed to working in partnership with our staff networks and trade unions to develop our policies and any further actions once the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) publishes its statutory guidance.

As an immediate action following the ruling, we need to provide clear guidance about the availability of toilet facilities across our university estate. We have now completed an audit and an updated list of our facilities, including single sex and gender-neutral toilets can be found here. Gender-neutral toilets are available in every building on each of our campuses. I want to note that making assumptions about the identity of others and challenging their use of university facilities based on those assumptions, could constitute harassment.

I understand that there is a diversity of views about the Supreme Court judgement. We support everyone’s right to engage in respectful discussion and debate, in line with our commitment to freedom of speech.

Please remember that our support systems remain available to any and all staff who may need them and there is also information and access to support on the staff pages. In addition to the support and community provided by our staff networks, (removed as is identifying) is holding in-person and online drop-ins to provide staff and students with a safe space to discuss their views.

Thank you again for your continued dedication to the university, and for embodying its values. All members of our community are entitled to equity.

I hope that I've taken out all the hyperlinks & identifying markers.

I am so bloody frustrated, disappointed, angry and totally unsurprised.

Ok, so this means that if you challenge someone who is breaking the law, you will be accused of harassment? Women will have to be quiet about men in their changing rooms until the university deigns to engage with the law? And how can ‘making assumptions’ about anything ever be harassment? I’m assuming based on this message that this particular VC is a coward and an enabler, is this harassment? Infuriating …

@Meanacademic I absolutely read it as a low level threat to anybody wanting to challenge a trans-identified person of the opposite sex in the toilets.

They will have presented it as wanting to protect gender non-conforming women from being challenged in the Ladies. But obviously, the effect is to warn people off from challenging men.

The gaslighting is just awful. I actually find it distressing. The impact on my mental health of working in an environment like this has been considerable. And, yes, I do think that the conduct of senior management constitutes harassment, and that women working in such a climate would have a pretty solid case if they wanted to pursue that.

”Under the Equality Act 2010, harassment counts as:

• ‘Unwanted conduct relating to a protected characteristic where
• the conduct violates the employee’s dignity, and creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment’.”

@DinosaurusFemina you might find watching this recording of a really expert panel on the SC judgement helpful:

(It was linked in another MN thread, but I thought it's worth re-linking here).

The lawyers are so knowledgeable & so clear, but also extremely reasonable. I hope it gives you some phrases to use & confirmation that it is OK to say No to a man (however he identifies) in a women's single sex space.

And, yes, I do think that the conduct of senior management constitutes harassment, and that women working in such a climate would have a pretty solid case if they wanted to pursue that.

I've seen discussions along these lines elsewhere @GCAcademic - most recently, in the Women's Rights Network. It would be interesting to get an equalities lawyer to advise on whether women could launch a class action.