Is a gender-neutral JCF a bad thing?

Dear Editor,

I note with interest the directive recently issued by the Commissioner of Police Kevin Blake to members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) that “correspondence and communication will no longer refer to any member by their gender, in terms of their rank” .

Now, without doubt, every person should be equally recognised for his/her work irrespective of the sex of the individual. Equally, however, it is foolish to forget that males and females are different and these differences matter. According to the commissioner, “There is no need to differentiate members based on gender.”

What is of concern is that Commissioner Blake has called into aid the notion of “gender neutrality” as the basis for his directive. This issue of gender neutrality has in other jurisdictions set in motion attempts to erase valid distinctions between the sexes. It facilitates males who “identify” as females with one result being that these males are permitted to use female bathrooms. One’s suspicions are further raised by the commissioner’s aspiration that this directive “will undoubtedly serve as a beacon for other institutions, both within Jamaica and internationally, to follow suit in recognising and respecting the service of all individuals in a manner that transcends gender”.

Being mindful of the gender confusion that is now sweeping Western civilisation, one could be forgiven for wondering whether this is not a cleverly orchestrated move intended to usher in transgender ideology within the JCF and the wider society.