Today has been both positive and interesting on the activist hat-wearing front.
Call-backs from two organisations, both sounding as though they want geninely to sort out some stuff, both now committing to taking some action that may help.
First off is a large financial organisation that i have been talking to off and on over the last month or so about name change. I originally took up the case of a trans woman treated abysmally in branch: and now, their diversity manager wishes to talk.
Face to face.
Which is good, because i am more than prepared to invest a little time working with them and, hopefully, moving policy in a dirction that is mutually respectful and still gives them the IT security guarantees they need.
More on that in the New Year.
John Lewis sorts it out
Next up is a call from the diversity person over at John Lewis corporate. Very similar request. I could take the issue up through customer services (and presumably get an apology and £25 in gift vouchers).
Or i can come in sometime in the new year, meet with the different brands within the group, including, possibly, Wairose and John Lewis itself: and we can have a sensibleconversation about what a decent trans-positive policy would look like (and also, maybe, get to the bottom of whether saturday was one-off, or something more institutional).
First meet (the finance one), i am probably going by myself: second (John Lewis), i am taking along someone from GIRES, who were more than happy to come.
I don’t exactly represent anyone (though i suspect my views on most matters are not seriously out of line with views held by may others in the trans community). Still, i’d be very interested in hearing from readers on issues such as name change and use of changing rooms. What would people like/expect to see in a store’s trans equality policies?
Change of heart?
So is this all just co-incidence? I’d like to think so, vbut from comments elsewhere, too, i think it is more than that. In 2010, we had the ERquality At that set out some good (if incomplete) principles around trans protection.
Since, we’ve had some much more positive media coverage – with even more to come in the NewYear. And last week, we had the Home Office plan for trans equality cross a range of areas.
Businesses, whatever else they are, are not stupid: they can see which way the wind is blowing. Most, i think, are now aware that T is well within the LGBT umbrella and that T rights are increasingly embedded in UK law. So they don’t want a fight. They just want to get on with selling widgets, or whatever else they do, without aving to worry about being prosecuted for the stupid actions of some staff members.
That, i think, is what we are seeing now bubbling to the surface.
jane
xx
