Oxford University LGBTs - sign our petition to make the University change the law!

[MyPearlViper]

Open Letter Here

We understand that the University is under immense pressure to adopt the EHRC’s transphobic interpretation of the law.

Lads. The University has to follow the law.

Glad to see you believe in challenging harassment when it happens. Women need single sex spaces for their safety, dignity and privacy. This is the law and women’s right.

Pahahaha!

Anonymous (Student)
Anonymous (Engineering student)

Nearly a whole 500 signatures. 😂

If they don't like it they're free to leave the University.

All those Anonymouses (Anonymice?)

I presume they've ticked a box when signing? Why on earth would they not give their names?

Are they not on the Right Side of History? Who, now or in the future, could possibly regard them negatively for signing such a worthy document?

Edited for pre-coffee typo

The University has to follow the law.

Yes. Yes it does. And is. Good for them.

The petition doesn't actually say anything about changing the law. Which isn’t within the university's power.

[Edited because I think I misunderstood the intent of the post. It's early. I'm mot awake yet.]

No way. I work for the University and this petition is ridiculous. We must accommodate people of all sexes and religions, and the trans community rights do not take precedent over those of a biological woman or a biological Muslim/Christian woman. Most university toilets are now neutral; what the Colleges do is up to each individual College. My experience has been that the trans community staff members are reasonable.

The petition does of course raise many questions about higher education in the UK and the Oxford admissions process.

They are of course free to campaign for all toilets to be mixed sex and unisex if they wish, but a single sex toilet cannot be mixed sex. It is not within the EHRC's gift to do anything about that.

I clearly remember learning about this kind of thing when we did sets in primary school.

I found 6 engineering students.

I sincerely hope that any future work they do is strictly theoretical and does not involve bridges/nuclear reactors/tall buildings.

We must accommodate people of all sexes and religions...

I'm sure an academic will be OK with me correcting this to "We must accommodate people of both sexes and all religions...'

What questions does it raise? Your statement is quite broad.

Absolutely! Apologies, I was writing on the fly.

I think you'll find that it's "Anonymeeses" (rhymes with cheeses), by Special Bluestocking Decree. (All Hail, etc, etc...)

Being students of Oxford University, you'd think they would understand the difference between guidance to explain the law, and the actual law!

However, something called The Right Side of History seems to have melted their brains or at least stunted their higher reasoning functions. I feel very sorry for their tutors. Unless, of course, their tutors are also of the "I'm Right, You're Wrong" variety.

Also, not an academic but professional services staff.

Campaigning say through the Student Union (or whatever it is called in Oxford) to change the law is reasonable. Not wilful disobedience of the current law.

They are of course free to campaign for all toilets to be mixed sex and unisex if they wish...

But equally convenient and sufficient single sex toilets need to be provided in addition, otherwise this would constitute indirect discrimination against women.

This made me grin too, @ArabellaScott! Good to see they have the courage of their convictions 😆

Yes, and if they wanted to change the law or were responsible for University policies they would have to engage with that point and all the points that keeptoiletsafe has ever made about toilet design. But instead they just vaguely complain about the messenger.

How were people with such poor critical thinking abilities accepted by Oxford?

The core of their argument is that single sex toilets are discriminatory, but instead of making that argument (not saying I agree with it), they complain that single sex toilets are single sex.

Even the big beardy bloke with the oversize silicon fetish tits?

From the letter:

"The EHRC themselves admit “there is no type of official record or document in the UK which provides reliable evidence of sex” "

I don't think they are doing themselves any favours by making this point...

Only two Drs and one associate Professor.

"We can resist the EHRC code by refusing to participate in policing other people’s gender/sex"

I genuinely don't understand what they mean by policing.

We all know what our sex is. Some folks like to flibble and wibble about gender. But sex is sex, and I don't know how anyone would police mine, or how I would go about policing someone else's

When you enter a single sex space you know if it is male or female. And everyone, trans, non-binary, whatever- knows if they are in the wrong space. Its you who polices yourself, surely?

They haven't actually stated what's wrong with trans people using the toilet that corresponds to their biological sex, and how their 'safety' or 'dignity' would be impacted.

There are only a tiny number of trans people in the world. Most people in the world 'identify' according to their actual biological sex as women and men. Surely it makes sense to keep existing toilet configuration that cater for the 'safety' and 'dignity' of the vast majority of the population?

Why [rhetorical q] this push for everything to be changed to the unpopular, unsafe and generally problematic mixed sex toilets, when the traditional Women's/men's/accessible configuration works fine for almost everybody in the population?
Not to mention the financial cost, the physical disruption, the necessity to adhere to various workplace/building regs etc...

I find 'just why?' a useful challenge, I usually refer to it as 'channelling my Inner Toddler'.

As this is Oxford Uni, I'll refer to it as 'applying the Socratic method' instead😄

"We can resist the EHRC code by refusing to participate in policing other people’s gender/sex" breaking the law."

There, fixed it for them. I wonder how many would have signed if the wording had been accurate?

Other universities are available