University won’t use term‘mother’ despite U-turn

A Scots university is to stand by a decision to stop using the term “mother” despite the campaigning charity which recommended the move U-turning on the advice.

The charity Stonewall, which has been advising a range of companies and institutions, including the Scottish Government, on trans rights, yesterday said they no longer suggested “mother” might be exclusionary to trans people.

However, the university said it felt the initial guidance was correct and they will continue to use the term “parent” instead, adding: “A decision was taken to use more inclusive and personal terms in our policies in light of feedback from organisations including the university’s staff networks and Stonewall.

“One example is the use of the term ‘parent’ in familyfriendly policies as not everyone who has responsibility for children is a biological mother or father.”

In an interview, Stonewall’s chief executive Nancy Kelley denied it was given, saying: “I’m a mum. I’m married to another mum. It’s a deeply emotive term. I would be upset if my children didn’t call me mum.”

However, the charity later confirmed the advice was given but stressed the term can continue to be used.

It said: “Our guidance is now clear that feedback should suggest a number of options for making the guidance inclusive of all different ways that our families are formed. It is not necessary to remove terms like ‘mother’.”

The group’s “diversity champions programme” was found to encourage organisations to rewrite their policies in return for preferential treatment.

Documents showed many places which agreed to do so were given extra points on the workplace equality index, which styles itself as the leading assessor of the country’s most Lgbtfriendly employers. However, a number of public bodies have pulled out of the scheme, including the House of Commons, BBC, Ofcom and the DVLA.