Who decided the Assembly should be diversity champion?
Move to back transgender rights took place during suspension
EARLIER this year the author J K Rowling was subjected to a torrent of abuse on social media after she had raised questions about transgenderism. She is only one of many public figures to experience the ire of the activists, and no one can dispute that transgenderism is a deeply divisive issue.
There are strong views on both sides of the debate, but when it comes to the Northern Ireland Civil Service and the Northern Ireland Assembly, only one side of the debate is being heeded.
The new Civil Service staff handbook has a section entitled “Trans equality policy statement” and it applies to all the 23,000 civil servants in Northern Ireland.
Now, this is about more than just people who have undergone hormone treatment and surgery in order to look like the gender they wish to be. It can apply to anyone who identifies as a gender other than their biological gender, and even to those who say their gender alters over time. The choices are endless.
According to the handbook: “Trans people may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms, including (but not limited to) transgender, transsexual, gender-queer, gender-fluid, non-binary, gender-variant, crossdresser, genderless, agender, nongender, third gender, two-spirit, bi-gender, trans man, trans woman, trans masculine, trans feminine and neutrois.”
This, of course, is an issue for the transgender person, but it is also an issue for everyone else.
How do you address someone you know to be a biological male, but who identifies, whether permanently or temporarily, as a female? Is it he or she, or one of those newly invented words like “ze” and “zir”?
According to the Civil Service staff handbook, you need to get this right or there could be repercussions: “Names and pronouns should be followed in accordance with the individual’s wishes. Intentionally and persistently mis-gendering, or using colleagues’ previous names, would amount to harassment and should not be tolerated... Breaches of this policy will be treated in a serious manner and be dealt with under the Dignity at Work Policy.”
Civil servants are now being told: you must buy into this, whatever moral, social, intellectual, or religious, reservations you may have — or else.
The liberal-left is certainly intent on imposing on us a culture of chaos and confusion.
So, where is all this coming from? There are several local pressure groups that campaign as transgender activists.
But the principal driving force is Stonewall, the largest and most powerful LGBT pressure group in the United Kingdom.
It works closely with the Rainbow Project, the principal LGBT group in Northern Ireland, and operates a Diversity Champions programme.
Government departments, public services and private companies — indeed, any organisation that employs people — is then encouraged to sign up as a Diversity Champion.
That involves a general commitment and several specific commitments, including the creation of LGBT staff networks and embedding transgenderism in the organisation.
There is also an annual fee and, according to Stonewall’s website, both the Northern Ireland Civil Service and the Northern Ireland Assembly have been signed up as Diversity Champions.
Now, I follow our local news fairly closely, but I certainly can’t remember any debate at Stormont, and neither can I recall seeing any consultations.
In fact, both the Civil Service and the Assembly signed up as Stonewall Diversity Champions during the recent rather extended period when devolution was suspended, and that raises a whole series of questions.
Who in the Assembly decided that it should become a Stonewall Diversity Champion?
And who decided that the Civil Service should become a Stonewall Diversity Champion?
They are two separate questions, because both entities are listed by Stonewall.
How were those decisions reached? What factors were taken into consideration? What consultation took place with transgender activists? What consideration was given to the impact on those who believe that gender is biological?
Those are just a few of the questions that could be asked — and should be asked — and many of us will be awaiting the answers.