Can Men Be Lesbians At Work? (Ft. Kellie-Jay Keen)

As employers grapple with the Supreme Court ruling, we ask: how did ‘trans inclusion’ go so wrong at work? Have HR teams been silencing women with reasonable objections to policies which prioritise gender identity over biological sex? How much of this mess is the fault of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) – and can men be lesbians at work?

In this explosive, powerful and moving new episode of This Isn’t Working, women’s rights campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen delivers some truth bombs for UK employers to consider. As they examine the implications of the judge’s clarification that ‘sex’ and ‘woman’ in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological sex (not gender identity, or the sex stated on a person’s Gender Recognition Certificate), we ask:

Why do so many women at Kellie-Jay’s Let Women Speak events say they have been shamed and silenced by their employers after questioning ‘trans inclusion’ policies which they say distort sex-based language, and disadvantage women?

Is it ‘transphobic’ for female employees to voice concerns about the unintended consequences of workplace policies created without their input or consent?

Do employers understand that for some trans women (biological males) there is a sexual motivation for dressing as they do, and for requesting accommodations from their colleagues?

Who are ‘trans widows’ – and is it time for employers to recognise that the impact of later-life transition is not always positive for the ex-partner and children of that person? Should more thought be given to the notion that everyone’s identity should be ‘celebrated’ at work?

Is it appropriate to expect employees to welcome gender diversity trainers who are still campaigning for puberty blockers for gender-distressed children, and who champion medical transition as the best solution for gender-confused adults?

Have Barclays, Google, EY, BP, JP Morgan, Amazon, Clifford Chance, Whitbread, Metro Bank, Sky, Bloomberg, Sage and Gallagher done enough due diligence on the ‘trans awareness’ partners they have been working with? In the cold light of day, will they have regrets about the messages they have been promoting to staff over the last few years?

Has the CIPD failed in its duty to provide HR professionals with accurate and balanced information to help to create workable, legally sound policy? Has some of its advice actually created legal risk for employers?

If employers have made big mistakes in this area, how can they be fixed?

Enjoy the episode…