(Presidentialwire.com)- The UK Cabinet Office decided to scrap a series of “gender inclusion” workshops after some civil service employees complained that the workshops were “scientifically nonsensical.”
The sessions were run by a:gender, which describes itself as a “trans and intersex” cross-government staff network. The Cabinet Office offered the sessions throughout several departments in Whitehall.
But after concerns were raised with ministers and senior officials about the content of the workshops, the sessions were abruptly ended last month.
In a letter of complaint, the Women’s Rights Network provided a detailed analysis of the workshop’s contents and why it was problematic.
The letter alleged that the rights of women and lesbians were being “overridden” because the trainer “presented as fact” the belief that humans can change their gender.
According to the complaint, the workshop trainer claimed that those who refuse to accept gender identity were “devious” and “not qualified to give an opinion,” while those who refuse the label “cisgender” were told their refusal was a “dog whistle” for transphobia.
In their letter, the Women’s Rights Network provided a series of testimonials from those who attended the workshops, including one who said the session caused her to shake with distress because it was “scientifically so nonsensical and bizarre.” Others described the workshops as “awful,” “upsetting,” “bullying,” and “preachy”
Several members of Parliament, including Sir Robert Buckland, Andrew Lewer, and John Penrose, also complained to the Cabinet Office about the workshops after receiving complaints from their constituents.
In December, the Cabinet Office notified the Women’s Rights Network that the workshops had stopped and “are no longer being offered to civil service colleagues.”
But it isn’t entirely a win for sanity, as it appears the Cabinet Office is open to holding new workshops in the future, informing the Women’s Rights Network that a:gender’s content will be “subject to a review” to “ensure that any future content aligns to the diversity and inclusion strategy.”
