Our campus trade unions have a strong and proud history of leading the fight against oppression in all forms. UCU and Unison are appalled at the current rise of anti-trans rhetoric, rulings and behaviour that has made life insecure and unsafe for our trans and non-binary comrades. Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual observance to honour the memory of the transgender people whose lives have been lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.
The new University strategy aims to promote equity, inclusion and diversity. If we want to be a university known for inclusive policies, we should make a strong commitment to supporting all of our staff and students. We must take a strong stance against the Supreme Court ruling from April this year. We reject the notion that the view of judges equates to universal or unchallengeable ‘truth’ and that it be the final word on matters such as this. As university workers, we restate our support for freedom of research and opinion.
This is a scary and uncertain time for trans people and their supporters, but our university should be a space where we and our students feel safe; a place where people are free to question the basis of claims and to challenge authority. Our university should be a place where students can develop their political consciousness and grow their activism. A university can only fulfil these fundamental requirements if it fosters a safe and supportive environment for all. The Supreme Court ruling creates an unsafe environment, both in its detail and in the ideological message it carries. The ruling and associated interim guidance have already led to exclusionary policies and practices in many organisations, and contributed to a broader climate of uncertainty, fear and anger. We are committed to preventing this from happening at our university.
UCU and Unison assert the following points and call on the Vice Chancellor and executive of the University of Brighton to commit to them, in order to ensure our university fulfils its obligation to ensure a safe, inquiring academic environment that supports all staff and students.
• Trans rights are workers’ rights. The struggle for equality and fairness at work must include and centre the voices of transgender people
• No one should be forced to hide who they are at work, and nobody should be forced to out themselves at work. We will challenge transphobia in all its forms, whether overt discrimination or subtle exclusion
• Gender is a matter of self-identification. We reaffirm the current guidance which says all staff can use toilets aligned to their self-identified gender
• Equality legislation must be defended and strengthened. The Equality Act 2010 provides protection on the grounds of gender reassignment. We will resist any attempts to roll back these rights
• Inclusive workplaces benefit everyone. We will campaign for strong policies on gender identity and expression, including access to facilities, healthcare support, and transition-related leave
• Solidarity means action. Education and training should be provided to ensure that staff understand their responsibilities and create truly inclusive workplaces
• We continue to support Trans Pride in our city and work with trans organisations, trans charities, LGBTQ+ groups, committing in research, teaching and outreach activities
• Staff and students must be involved in processes that continue to shape our university to respond creatively and collaboratively to changing legal, political and cultural contexts, to build an ever more equitable, inclusive institution.
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