Here are examples from real life where change happened, sometimes easily, sometimes over time. We’ve paraphrased and changed identifying details in some of these examples.
Pronouns
The chair at a meeting asked us to share our pronouns as we went round the table introducing ourselves and our role. When it came to me, I just gave my name and role and said nothing about pronouns. No one said anything at all, and a few people did the same as I did.
I am a visiting tutor at a university. I was emailed by the department for biographical and work details and invited to share my pronouns, if I wanted to. I ignored it. No one asked again.
I was part of the communications team of a charity who I volunteer with. The newly-appointed (paid) CEO wanted to get to know all 200 of us better, and suggested we all send in a short bio, including our pronouns, and it would be circulated round the whole group. I noticed the CEO and her assistant both had their pronouns on their emails. The assistant’s signature was very prominent, with each letter of SHE/HER a different colour. She, like her boss, was female. I said I didn’t think this would be a good idea, using the notion that some people may prefer to keep an ongoing transition process to themselves. Requiring a pronoun might “out” someone before they were ready. The CEO said this was a point that had not occurred to her and she would seek further advice. The matter has never been brought up again.
Policy and strategy
In England, Integrated Care Systems exist to improve care, health and wellbeing of a local population. I am working with an ICS to support them to develop a systemwide breastfeeding strategy, under the leadership of the ICS Women’s Health Board in our area. I’ve shared the Women’s Health Strategy and its clear statement on language to ensure we don’t develop a policy that attempts to use gender-neutral or otherwise confusing language.
Challenging written material
I’m currently enrolled in the Breech Without Borders course*. New instruction handout material was being discussed with the cohort and all the usual noise about “more inclusive language” and changing women to people popped up and I braced myself for the moment of truth. I’m so, so happy to say that BWB totally blanked it and stuck with sexed language! I pointed out the handout was clearly understandable and the language was perfect and would translate well into other languages. To my pleasant surprise, they didn’t bend to the inclusive language brigade and kept the sexed language in! *BWB is a US organisation which supports research and training in the management of breech birth.
Websites
I called out an Australian pharmacy chain for calling mothers “birthing parents” on their website. In less than 24hrs they changed it to mothers.
Equality Act 2012
At my NHS Trust induction session, the Equality Act was incorrectly presented by stating that “gender” was a protected characteristic. After the event I informed the presenter they were wrong and linked to the EA website. They corrected the slide.
Intention to spend £100k on basis of ITEMS
NHSE put forward a £100,000 contract to create a “gender-inclusive” maternity care training programme based on research by LGBT Foundation, the ITEMS Study, since discredited. Read the With Woman letter about the funding. Read the critique of the research.
With Woman 