Latest news with #AlkaSehgal-Cuthbert
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
University students are 'told not to ask a person's pronouns' in case it's triggering
Students at Liverpool University have now been told asking someone for their pronouns is not inclusive and could be triggering. In new diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) guidance, obtained by The Telegraph, students and staff at the Russel Group university were warned asking someone to disclose their pronouns could make them feel pressured to 'out themselves' as transgender. It reads: 'When you first meet someone, you don't want to ask about their pronouns,' the guidance reads. 'This could make them feel like you're asking them to out themselves as transgender, agender, or non-binary, which they might not want to do, particularly if you work in a conservative office.' Liverpool University, which has been part of the Diversity Champions scheme at controversial transgender charity Stonewall since 2009, told students they should instead introduce themselves with their own pronouns. According to the guidance this is 'an important indicator of support for trans and non-binary people' and by 'sharing your own pronouns, you're allowing the other person to share theirs, but not forcing them to'. It says 'this small action' can make the environment more 'inclusive for everyone to work and study no matter their gender'. Staff are told to put have their pronouns in their email signature and to mention them when they introduce themselves whilst also only referring to students as 'they/them' until they have confirmed their pronouns. Both staff and students are told the phrase 'preferred pronouns' is 'incorrect' and should not be used because the word 'preferred' suggests someone's gender 'is a preference'. The guidance says declaring pronouns is a 'personal decision' and people should not be forced to share them but adds that ;it can make a real difference in reassuring' trans, non-binary, and LGBQT+ staff and students 'they are welcome and accepted'. It also says switching to 'gender-neutral pronouns' for everyone 'ultimately doesn't require too much effort' but could make 'a huge difference in creating a warmer, more inclusive workplace environment for everyone'. The general secretary for the Free Speech Union, Lord Young, told The Telegraph the guidance demonstrate that 'what is politically correct in the trans community changes every 10 minutes'. He added that it feels 'a bit 2024' in light of the Supreme Court judgement and suggested universities stop issuing these guides as 'they cannot hope to keep up'. Director of campaign group Don't Divide Us, Alka Sehgal-Cuthbert, told the publication as 'human beings' we are able to speak to each other and can work out 'difference, hurts and offences' on our own without needing 'approval or gold stars'. She added it is an 'elemental freedom of being a free citizen in a democratic society' and that 'policing this, in whatever guise, encourages authoritarianism'. A spokesman for the University of Liverpool told The Telegraph: 'We are fundamentally committed to the wellbeing of all our staff and students, and proud to be a diverse, welcoming and inclusive community. 'This guidance - which is not mandatory - is intended to support inclusive communication and sits within our broader efforts to foster a respectful and supportive environment.'
Telegraph
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Don't ask about pronouns, university students told
Asking someone for their pronouns is now not inclusive, university students have been told. The University of Liverpool has issued diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) guidance that warns that asking someone to disclose their pronouns may make them feel pressured to 'out themselves' as transgender. The Russell Group university, which has been part of the controversial charity Stonewall's 'Diversity Champions' scheme since 2009, warns staff and students to avoid asking the question. 'When you first meet someone, you don't want to ask about their pronouns,' the guidance reads. 'This could make them feel like you're asking them to out themselves as transgender, agender, or non-binary, which they might not want to do, particularly if you work in a conservative office.' Lord Young, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, said the guide showed that 'what is politically correct in the trans community changes every 10 minutes'. 'This trans-inclusive language guide feels a bit 2024 in light of the Supreme Court's decision,' he told The Telegraph. 'Given that what is politically correct in the trans community changes every 10 minutes – from you must ask someone what their preferred gender pronouns are, to you must not in the blink of an eye – wouldn't it be better if universities stopped issuing these guides? They cannot hope to keep up, so why not just bow out?' The guidance says that staff and students should instead introduce themselves with their own pronouns because it is 'an important indicator of support for trans and non-binary' people. 'By sharing your own pronouns, you're allowing the other person to share theirs, but not forcing them to,' it says. The guidance adds: 'This small action can contribute towards creating a more inclusive environment for everyone to work and study no matter their gender identity.' The university's DEI measures tell staff to put their pronouns in their email signature, always introduce themselves with them and use 'they/them' for everybody until they have made clear what pronouns they have. The advice goes on to warn staff and students to not use the phrase 'preferred pronouns'. 'Despite the popularity of the term, it's incorrect, since 'preferred' implies someone's gender is a preference,' it reads. Alka Sehgal-Cuthbert, director of campaign group Don't Divide Us, said students and academics should say 'thanks, but no thanks' to the guidance. 'We are human beings capable of speaking with each other, and working out differences, hurts and offences, ourselves,' she said. 'We don't need official approval or gold stars from anyone. This is an elemental freedom of being a free citizen in a democratic society - policing this, in whatever guise, encourages authoritarianism. 'There must be better jobs the so-called, often self-appointed, 'DEI experts' could be doing other than encouraging us to behave like infants or paternalistic carers. 'You can state whatever pronouns you want and still be a nasty person, and vice versa. Most of us know this. It seems like our academic elites are having problems understanding this.' The guidance states that declaring pronouns is a 'personal decision' and that people should not be forced to share them. 'To include your pronouns is a personal decision, though it can make a real difference in reassuring our trans, non-binary, and broader LGBQ+ staff and students that they are welcome and accepted for who they are within the university,' the advice reads. It adds: 'Ultimately, using gender-neutral pronouns doesn't require too much effort on your part, but it could make a huge difference in creating a warmer, more inclusive workplace environment for everyone.' A spokesman for the University of Liverpool said: 'We are fundamentally committed to the wellbeing of all our staff and students, and proud to be a diverse, welcoming and inclusive community. 'This guidance - which is not mandatory - is intended to support inclusive communication and sits within our broader efforts to foster a respectful and supportive environment.'
Telegraph
28-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Saying ‘blind drunk' is offensive to disabled people, says retailer
Using the phrase 'blind drunk' is offensive to disabled people, B&Q staff have been told. The DIY chain has issued an inclusive language guide which warns against using any phrase that associates 'impairments with negative things'. Staff are told examples of phrases to avoid include 'blind drunk' and 'deaf to our pleas'. The guidance is the latest example of diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) policies issued by businesses in an attempt to be more inclusive. The guide urges workers to 'understand that offensive language often includes words and phrases that reinforce stereotypes, reinforce derogatory labels, exclude certain groups of people, patronise or trivialise certain groups of people'. The guide adds: 'Common phrases that may associate impairments with negative things should be avoided, for example 'deaf to our pleas' or 'blind drunk'.' Elsewhere, the guide uses the phrase 'sex assigned at birth', suggesting that biological sex is not innate and is instead 'assigned' based on how a person's anatomy is perceived when they are born. It also shows that B&Q has produced a 'coming out at B&Q' guide for LGBT staff adorned with the controversial trans-inclusive Progress Pride flag, an amended version of the rainbow pride flag that includes extra colours and symbols to represent black and transgender people. Under 'further race and ethnicity community resources', the company points towards resources for 'Ramadan and Eid' and 'Diwali' – but nothing about Easter or Christmas. 'Need to get a grip' Alka Sehgal-Cuthbert, director of the campaign group Don't Divide Us, said the guide was 'nonsensical'. She said: 'B&Q management need to get a grip. 'It's a DIY store where knowledgeable, polite customer service, a general rule to treat colleagues respectfully and some basic, clear outlines of sanctions/grievance procedures would be better than this effort to drum up a utopian workforce. 'Creating a 'nurturing environment' where 'all can grow' is really best left to parents and gardeners. 'And on the community resources for race and ethnicity, why is Christianity absent when it is the longest-standing cultural and ethical resource for the biggest community of all – the British people? 'It can be shared or at least accepted, culturally if not religiously, by everyone. That makes it a lot more inclusive than this nonsensical guidance.' Meritocracy as microaggression Last week, The Telegraph reported on another inclusive language guide issued by The British Antarctic Survey (BAS), which oversees Britain's research stations in Antarctica. The guide claimed that believing in meritocracy could be a 'racist' microaggression. Other examples include guidance issued by The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, which has previously told NHS staff not to call fat people 'obese'. Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, meanwhile, has warned doctors that telling a disabled person they are 'inspiring' is a 'microaggression'. VisitBritain, the tourism group, described the word 'able-bodied' as a 'harmful' language. It told tour guides to use the phrase 'non-disabled' instead when talking about people who do not have disabilities. A spokesman for B&Q said: 'B&Q has been a proud part of Britain's communities for over 55 years. Our 21,000-strong workforce helps more than 20 million people improve their homes across our 300 stores, and we're committed to ensuring everyone feels welcome.'
Telegraph
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Chilling effect of diversity guidance reaches the South Pole
Believing in meritocracy can be a 'racist' microaggression, polar scientists have been told. The British Antarctic Survey (BAS), which oversees Britain's research stations in Antarctica, claimed that believing 'the most qualified person should get the job' can be a form of 'racial harassment'. In an inclusivity guide issued to employees, the organisation says the 'myth of meritocracy' asserts 'that race does not play a role in life successes'. It defines meritocracy as the 'belief that performance alone will be enough to earn recognition [and] promotion' and says it can be a 'microaggression'. Scientists working for the national polar research institute were also warned that saying 'I believe the most qualified person should get the job' can count as 'racial harassment'. The guide advises against saying 'everyone can succeed in this society, if they work hard enough'. It claims that anyone who uses the phrases sends the 'message' that 'people of colour are lazy and/or incompetent and need to work harder' or that 'people of colour are given extra unfair benefits due to their race'. Management 'imposing fake value' Alka Sehgal-Cuthbert, the director of campaign group Don't Divide Us, said much of the guide was 'rooted in the ideological lens of EDI' and focused on imposing 'intrusive and arbitrary speech codes'. She told The Telegraph: 'Diversity is not a self-evident good to be respected at all costs, and management shouldn't be in the business of trying to impose this fake value because, ultimately, it stifles a more genuine diversity of thinking. 'As such, EDI speech and conduct codes are likely to foster hypersensitivity, grievance and stultifying conformity. None of these are good for 'good relations' at work.' The guide also claims that both of the phrases 'all lives matter' and 'there is only one race, the human race' are microaggressions that 'indicate that a white person does not want to acknowledge race'. These phrases deny 'a person of colour's racial/ethnic experience' and send the message that minorities must 'assimilate… to the dominant culture'. The guide also lists a number of sexualities under a section entitled 'understanding differences in sexual and gender identities'. These include 'demisexual' – meaning that you only experience sexual attraction to someone with whom you have a deep emotional bond – and 'allosexual', which is defined as 'the ability to experience sexual attraction'. The guide also uses the controversial term 'sex assigned at birth', which claims that biological sex is not innate and is instead 'assigned' based on how a person's anatomy is perceived when they are born. Employees told to recognise their 'cultural biases' It also says all BAS employees should be 'aware' of their 'privilege and power', which involves 'recognising the colonial histories and cultural biases that may have led to people's different positions within the team'. The BAS, which is part of the UK Research and Innovation quango, operates Britain's polar research stations, aircraft and the Sir David Attenborough research ship. It was established in 1962 in succession to the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, which sought to establish permanent bases in the Antarctic during the Second World War. A spokesman for BAS said: 'We aim to make BAS a welcoming and inclusive place for all. 'We achieve this by investing in comprehensive training and offering valuable information on safety and wellbeing for all BAS staff and those who deploy with us. 'BAS wants to create a responsible culture where we support inclusive leadership that puts everyone's safety first. Our guide provides learning and information on how to be part of an inclusive community.'
