In April the Supreme Court ruled that for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010 the words man, woman and sex referred only to someone’s sex at birth, and not to their gender identity. The EHRC then published interim guidance which suggested that legally trans people should no longer use the toilets matching their gender identity, and indeed in many cases should only use gender neutral facilities.
UCU Cambridge passed a motion at a branch meeting calling on University management to issue a statement in support of trans, non-binary, and intersex students and staff of the University, affirming their continued use of the spaces (including bathrooms) in which they feel most comfortable, and to offer ongoing pastoral support.
https://www.ucu.cam.ac.uk/motion-on-solidarity-with-trans-non-binary-and-intersex-staff-and-students-following-the-supreme-court-ruling-on-interpretation-of-the-equality-act-2010/
We met with senior management on 10th June, where they confirmed that the University’s policy on gender reassignment is still in place. That policy states that trans members of staff can use the toilets and facilities matching their gender. We called on the University to communicate with all staff that this policy is still in place, that it is not appropriate to challenge anyone on the facilities they are using, and to offer links to proper avenues of support beyond the staff counselling services. We also asked them to take part in the EHRC consultation process.
We are disappointed that it has taken the University two weeks to make a statement and that it still does not offer clarity on what facilities trans people are currently permitted to use, or offer advice on how to seek practical support.
https://universityofcambridgecloud.sharepoint.com/sites/StaffHub/SitePages/Supreme-Court-ruling-update.aspx
We are also disappointed that they have chosen only to respond to the EHRC consultation via a joint response with UUK. While we recognise that there may be some weight in a collective HEI response, we would have hoped for a Cambridge response, as well. This is an area where we feel the university could and should be leading the way on a fully inclusive approach, demonstrating their core values:
- freedom of thought and expression
- freedom from discrimination
The EHRC consultation closes on Monday, and as well as union responses we would encourage everyone to respond individually. You can find some suggested tips on how to respond from:
Trans Actual: https://transactual.org.uk/equality-act-campaign/responding-to-the-ehrc-consultation/
Gendered Intelligence: https://genderedintelligence.co.uk/news/23-guidance-on-responding-to-the-ehrc-consultation
You can also consider signing the Cambridgeshire Trade Unionists for Trans Rights open letter:
https://www.ucu.cam.ac.uk/cambridgeshire-trade-unionists-for-trans-rights-open-letter/
The University states that they “will continue to do everything it can to make Cambridge a welcoming and inclusive place for all” – but they are demonstrably failing to do so.
Cambridge University branches of:
UCU – https://www.ucu.cam.ac.uk/
UNISON – https://www.unison.cam.ac.uk/
Unite – https://uniteuoc.org.uk/
