May updates from Theo, our LGBT+ officer
Supreme Court ruling response
- Following the UK’S Supreme court ruling that ‘woman’ refers to biological sex under equality laws, the University released a statement that was unacceptable, inviting ‘respectful debate’ on this topic under the guise of ‘free speech’.
- We responded to this by encouraging members to reply to the internal comms mailbox, saying how shocking and disappointing this response was. Trans identities are not something that can be debated. Existence cannot be debated.
- Central UNISON’s policy on trans equality is:
- Trans men are men, trans women are women and non-binary identities are valid and we advocate inclusive workplaces for all members.
- They have created the following fact sheets:
Trans bake sale & resistance rally
In response to both the Supreme Court ruling and a planned talk from a noted “gender-critical” speaker at the School of Policy Studies, our branch held a bake sale to raise money for Trans Aid Bristol (final total £472.33!). We also rallied alongside students in front of Senate House to show our support for trans colleagues, students and friends. The School of Policy Studies’ event was postponed.
Meetings with the EDI team
Our branch will be having regular meetings with the EDI team to discuss what the Supreme Court ruling means for trans staff.
If you notice your workplace changing policies around trans, non-binary and gender diverse issues, please get in touch with us: unison-office@bristol.ac.uk
Future plans
We are planning to create badges to make our trans allyship visible, especially with what the Supreme Court ruling means for single sex spaces and toilets. The initial design is below, intended to let trans colleagues know we’re happy to go into a single sex space with them for support.
