How to challenge TRA at work during Pride Month?

[PerformativeBewilderment]

The organization where I work is celebrating Pride Month, and the messaging is very heavily focused on how dreadful things are for LGBTQI+ individuals right now. We have been encouraged to add pronouns to email signatures, and generally ‘offer support’ in the face of ‘recent setbacks’. At our upcoming company-wide social event, there will be an informal fundraiser with donations going to a trans charity.

This was announced on an all-company Teams call by our internal LGBTQI+ committee, so is obviously supported at the top. Our leaders are very inclusive - we have sessions on disability, ND at work, etc - but I suspect asking them to tone this down will not land well. It also means that the ‘why are we only highlighting this PC and not any of the other PCs’ argument doesn’t fit.

My question is how to gently push back on this as a GC / terf while still supporting gay rights generally. I’ve looked at Sex Matters but their resources seem to be more for serious cases of harassment, which I don’t think fits.

I’m bi and have had relationships with men and women, so I’m not at all homophobic. I can’t figure out how and even whether to say something - any ideas of how / what to say?

edited for spelling

As others have said it depends on the extent to which you think it’s safe to speak up

encouraging sharing pronouns is poor practice and possibly discrimination. Depending on what the trans charity does and says, it might also be discrimination to support them (if they’re trying to strip women and same sex attracted people of the rights confirmed by the Supreme Court for example)

if you don’t feel able to raise this with HR there should be a whistleblowing service where you can submit your concerns anonymously and they’re usually seen at quite a senior level.

No, not really.

Consider the contrast between "how dreadful things are for LGBTQI+ individuals right now" and, as @GallantKumquat points out, that the recent Supreme Court ruling was on the side of the LGB interveners.

In other words, the Supreme Court protected homosexuality (and sexual orientation in general) in law. Shouldn't this company be celebrating that?

I'd ignore it all, or if you want to comment, focus on lesbians' rights.

Also, what ever you think Trump, there are several gays and lesbians in the Trump admin, including the powerful Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (married to John Freeman). And Trump supported of gay marriage before Obama.

Option one is to just ignore it. It's the theme of the moment and will die back to something normal eventually. Option 2 is to do a poster/presentation/coffee morning on famous Lesbians. Lean into the L and the G and the B.

I can see why some people feel like everything before the 'T' is not held in high regard by the 'LGBTQI+ community'.

I agree with others that focusing on the positive and on the LGB is likely to be the way forward. There are likely to be others who will welcome that too - both from within the now-neglected LGB part of the “family” and in the wider workforce. I liked PP’s suggestion of volunteering to do a presentation on famous lesbians through history. That would be genuinely interesting.

Thanks for the suggestions!

I agree that I don’t have to do anything, and it’s not exactly a hill to die on.

I was toying with the idea of saying something quietly to HR (in person rather than on email) but I will definitely check if we have a whistle blowing option.

My comments would be along the lines of @PriOn1’s view that the SC judgement has made it clear that it’s a contentious issue and maybe we should be more cautious about actively supporting one side or the other.

TBH, I will probably let this pass without comment, but I will attend the event. Now I have some helpful talking points, so thank you

Forgot to add that I love the idea of doing something about famous lesbians - I may put my hand up for this, but I will chat to my gay teammate for her thoughts first

Sounds a positive thing to do.

I would not do personal pronouns in signatures and don't do even though never asked to, out of support for the choice not to do so.

Given your organisation seems keen to highlight groups with protected characteristics, maybe they’d like to do something about women? Consider what issues prevent women from achieving their potential in the workplace, and that might include the importance of single-sex spaces….

Keep your head down but rehearse arguments just in case anyone challenges you

I feel for you. My work put up a picture of their new lanyard (the progress pride flag) intertwined with our company logo and said to show support and inclusiveness to our most vulnerable trans colleagues.

I'm in the research side of things for HR; so I know that there are literally two trans men in our company of 5000 and that's it. Nothing about support for gays, lesbians or bisexuals. Despite making up over 20% of the workforce. The message said to show support to our trans colleagues. So only them.

Now I know one of the two who are trans. Essentially a no nonsense person who has said in person to me they know their sex but are more comfortable presenting as masculine. Actually don't have pronouns in their emails, just a masculine name. Think one that could be either sex. Anyway, I've not spoken about it but I'm assuming they'd be rolling their eyes too at this.

Our head of EDI is a bonkers male TRA who used to work for a dodgy youth trans charity so it's not a surprise really.

Employers have a duty to ensure a workplace environment free of discrimination but I don't think any company has any business telling staff to 'show support and inclusiveness' for a particular group. It sounds harmless enough but what does it exactly mean? Does it extend to pushing employees into accepting TWAW? Does it stop them voicing support for the recent supreme court decision? Are they allowed to read Harry Potter on their lunch breaks?

Sorry, I know this is an old thread, but are there really lesbians there? I know there are gay men,,but I haven't seen any lesbians named. I think Trump's conservative Christian wing of supporters with string views on women's roles might find lesbians more offensive than gay men.

Perhaps because its work? At some point bosses just need to say be respectful and do your job no-one cares about your personal life leave it at the door

There doesn't need to be so much angst about it all just DO YOUR JOB

How would that affect people in the UK?

I was thinking specifically of Tammy Bruce.

Genderism is a sexist belief.

While I can't speak to what types of sexism it is and is not safe for women to speak out about at OP's place of work, in general it is certainly reasonable for women to be upset that their employer is celebrating sexism, or is comiserating with sexists that a legal ruling in favour of women is setting back their ambititions.

I actually find it really weird that you equate the Feminist perspective with racism rather than the sexist genderist one.

Thanks, that makes sense.
I suspect that Bruce having been single for a long time is part of why Trump (and Fox News!) see her as OK to employ. I think employing a lesbian with a wife or partner would possibly be beyond what certain sections of MAGA would be happy with.

I actually think it's more likely Bruce is bisexual. In 2006, she stated : ' In a 2006 interview on C-SPAN, Bruce said that she identifies as a lesbian—and that she identified as a bisexual through her 20s before she realized that she would need a woman in her life if she were with a man but wouldn’t need a man if she were with a woman. “This irks the gay elite,” she said. “For me, it is a choice. It is a preference. It’s not an orientation. … I think we are a combination of influences, of our environment. I don’t think we’re born this way.”
She also said that her sexuality is “even stronger” because she views it as a choice. “It’s almost like if you’re adopted. Your parents made a choice to want you,” she explained. “And it’s something I feel even more strongly about because it’s conscious. I like being different, and I enjoy my life.”

Choice? Preference? If she's attracted to both but prefers women, that's not being a lesbian.

https://marketrealist.com/p/tammy-bruce-wife/

. Edited to remove post as hadn't realised this is another zombie thread walking.