LGBT month - This is a weird event to have during work time...

[LGBTmonth]

Our work LGBT Network has invited us all to a talk during most people's working time (2-3pm on a Monday) that involves "A reflection on transgender and intersex inclusive anatomy education initiatives... including an EDI Biomedical Sciences project using 3D printing and wax modelling to represent transgender, intersex and cisgender perineal anatomy."

This is an event for a general audience. Most people where I work, do not work in anatomy or even in medicine, although a small minority of people do.

In fact, in the teams group where I saw it advertised, no one would be working in the medical field at all.

A web page with a list of events, this one included, has been linked to by our director in a regular email he sends to our department along with a recommendation to attend some of the events.

I know it's optional to attend but it just feels very odd to have this suggested as something I should be spending my working time on when it's completely unrelated to my work.

Just removing the trendy bit to make this clearer that this is about looking at genitals on work time - WTAF?

"3D printing and wax modelling to represent ... perineal anatomy."

It's part of a series of events for LGBTQ history month.

🤢🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

The person giving the talk doesn't work here, although was previously associated with the organisation.

As an aside, can someone remind me when Disability History month is, when Women's History month is, when Elderly History month is, and when Pregnancy History month is. The talks for those will be fascinating and more relevant .

Private or tax funded?
Who pays when if they get sued

Othered people with a PC re medical condions and PC re "trans" not to mention having penis or labia or other tissue playing on computer screens in any open plan office is not a bright idea from a HR point of view.

“Sorry I can’t come to the weekly team meeting, I’m booked in to look at some waxwork testicles online this afternoon.”

Not often I am lost for words, but eeurgh!

I do wonder how companies are turning a profit when most of the staff time is taken up with having to hear about a tiny tiny minority of the population. If this persists the tide is going to turn big time.

Yeah, that's weird to have as a work event and I say that as a woke captured trans supportive person. I mean, it's the sort of thing I might be interested in hearing about it my own time, but probably going to be alienatingly esoteric for most people, which shouldn't be what you're going for with inclusion events at work!

The more I think about this [which unfortunately I have been doing, even during lunch] OP, the more I think that it is not just irrelevant, creepy and gross, but completely and totally unacceptable in the workplace.

As one of the L in LGBT+, I object strongly to anybody's perinea being the focus of an event which allegedly 'celebrates' us.

Clearly, it is all to do with the T not the LGB, so from my LGB✂T point of view, it has feck-all to do with most of the LGBT+ 'community'.

The motivation of the person presenting this event needs to be interrogated, e.g. are they professionally qualified to lecture on human anatomy?

But even if they are, this is a really gratuitously disturbing thing to present even as an option to a workforce.

Its way way way cheaper to opt for the PC of "who with and how you have sex is not my business"&"T" rather that solve the employee issues which are ignored with other PC.🤷‍♀️

A work event to show 3D penises and vaginas on line? Does that not trigger an IT access issue?

It’s a university isn’t it?

Yes, and tbh probably very identifiable from what I've already posted.

A uni? hmmm... I suppose they can claim it is 'of important educational and academic interest' or something🙄
But from what you say, the appearances of perinea [I've never written that word so many times, having never written it before today!] is, as I said, a bit 'niche', and also I didn't think 'show and tell' existed beyond primary school.

Absolutely bonkers
In what way is this a celebration of anything?????
It is weird
And points deducted for the use of "cis"

I gather it’s from this research. Anatomical education has historically lacked representation of gender- and sex-diverse bodies, limiting student understanding of diversity in bodies. This project aimed to (1) develop models of the cisgender female, transgender female, and intersex perineum, and (2) design an autonomous learning session to promote engagement with underrepresented anatomies.
Over a four-week period, nine hybrid anatomical models were created using a combination of 3D printing and wax sculpting techniques. A digital model of the bony pelvis was sourced from Sketchfab, modified in Tinkercad to retain perineal structures and incorporate the perineal membrane, and printed using BCN3D Epsilon printers. External genitalia were sculpted in terracotta and white wax, then painted to represent a range of skin tones. The final collection included four cisgender, two transgender, and three intersex models, each depicting variations in anatomical structures such as the clitoris, labia, and superficial perineal pouch structures commonly seen post-vaginoplasty or in intersex presentations.
Supplementary resources, including labelled sketches, case studies, and explanations of terminology, accompanied the models to support self-directed learning. Survey responses from a self-selected sample of twenty-seven participants (students n = 19, staff n = 8) indicated that the models improved understanding of anatomy, provided inclusive representation of intersex and transgender bodies, and should be integrated more broadly into medical education. This project demonstrates how combining 3D printing and wax modelling can enhance representation of diversity in anatomy education and promote inclusive and reflective learning.

It seems to be looking at females + TW (post op) and I guess females with DSDs. It’s a mish mash of suggesting that female anatomy can be recreated on a male body but I guess that’s where we are.

I mean if it's a university then I presume it has some sort of academic interest to some.

I don't think the subject is weird in and of itself, but if I was working in say, accounts or catering, and still expected to go then that would be rather odd.

Presumably this is a voluntary talk anyway?

Well as a podiatrist I wont be going 😂

Registrations are open - will there be audience participation?

You definitely win the internet today😂

Yes I agree there is probably some academic interest for some and it is voluntary.

I think if it were a research seminar and advertised through the department that would be fine.

However, I'm not an academic and neither is anyone in my department. It's being advertised in teams groups and in emails and these events are being recommended by senior members of staff.

There's also a quote from the Provost on the webpage where the LGBTQ events are listed, so it seems to me that university leadership is supportive of this event for a general audience.

I'm still working out my thoughts but I question whether this event is appropriate for several thousands of people who work there and if it's a good use of our time.

I went to the Great Wall of Vagina once and it was interesting but I would be absolutely amazed if any workplace organised a tour of it for LGBT month. Quite frankly I don’t need to see any of these anatomies on work time unless I’m engaging with them professionally. 😂

inclusive representation of intersex and transgender bodies, and should be integrated more broadly into medical education.

That is a post cosmetic surgery body which has been modified in a unknown way as the modification likely has surgeon specific way.
And drug modifications may lead to compromised bones and other side effects.
The best advice a medical student can be given is "first do no harm" if it is not your specialisation dont go doing guinneipig training on someone who need proper medical interventions find a specialist.

in anatomical structures such as the clitoris, labia, and superficial perineal pouch structures commonly seen post-vaginoplasty or in intersex presentations.

The only reason the DSD is included is to pretend that male bodies have female body parts. Plus the designer can print any output the designer can think of as factual visual representations of post Op males

Intersex
Which is an very outdated term

DSD are normally managed by a multidisciplinary team who look at the various issues within their specialist area and how they overlap into other specialist areas.
First do no harm applies here too.