NEU districts are holding their AGM (Annual General Meetings) during May.
LGBT+ Officers were asked to bring a motion to the AGM, for agreement. The wording of the agreed motion is below.
Trans Rights are Human Rights – Resist the Supreme Court Ruling and Discriminatory EHRC Interim Guidance
Staffordshire NEU notes:
- The April 16th Supreme Court ruling declared that sex, in the Equality Act 2010, refers to sex assigned at birth and uses the undefined term “biological sex”
- Bridget Phillipson stated on 22nd April people must use single-sex spaces according to sex assigned at birth
- The General Secretary wrote to Bridget Phillipson on 23rd April to request urgent support and information for schools and colleges.
- The EHRC interim update on the practical implications of the judgment, published on 25th April, is incoherent, unimplementable and discriminatory. It is misrepresentative of other legislation, including the Health and Safety at Work Act 1992 and international human rights law.
Staffordshire NEU believes the ruling:
- Contradicts current practices, which allow all staff and students to use gendered spaces appropriate to them
- Contradicts human rights and dignity of trans and other gender-diverse people in education, and encourages discrimination, harassment and hate crimes.
Staffordshire NEU urgently:
- Condemns the EHRC interim guidance on the Supreme Court Ruling, and calls for it to be withdrawn.
- Calls on all Staffordshire schools to support the right to use gendered facilities which match gender identities
- Calls on employers to develop and implement trans-inclusive policies.
- Pledges to donate ÂŁ500 to the Good Law Project fundraiser, to challenge the Supreme Court judgement and provide legal support for trans/non-binary individuals affected by the judgement
- Agrees to support and promote all local protests and activities for trans rights. To aid this, Staffordshire has set up a WhatsApp group as part of the NEU Educators for Trans Rights community.