Latest news with #inclusion
RNZ News
5 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Government orders Sport NZ to scrap transgender inclusive community sport guidelines
Minister for Sport and Recreation Mark Mitchell. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii Sport NZ is ditching its guidelines for the inclusion of transgender people in community sport, after direction from the government. It has also removed the document, which the government originally asked it to review and update, from its website. Labour has labelled the decision a step backwards, and is questioning why the position changed from updating the principles to removing them entirely. First published in 2022, the document asked sporting bodies to consider a set of "guiding principles" to make participating in community sport more inclusive for transgender people . But last October, then-minister for sport Chris Bishop said sporting bodies were "grappling with a tricky issue," and asked Sport NZ to review and update the principles . Former Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii National's coalition with New Zealand First contains a commitment to "ensure publicly funded sporting bodies support fair competition that is not compromised by rules relating to gender". In 2023, New Zealand First campaigned on making any publicly funded sporting body "that does not have an exclusive biological female category, where ordinarily appropriate" ineligible for public funding. Announcing the review, Bishop said the principles did "not reflect legitimate community expectations that sport at a community level should not just be focused on diversity, inclusion, and equity, but also prioritise fairness and safety". The completed review was handed over to Bishop's successor Mark Mitchell. Rather than an update, the government has now told Sport NZ to stop all work on the guiding principles and remove them altogether. "After considering the review, the government has informed Sport NZ that it should not be involved in publishing guidelines related to gender in sport," said Sport NZ chief executive Raelene Castle. "Sporting organisations will continue to make their own decisions on the participation of transgender people in community sport and there are a range of expert organisations that can provide support," she said. Sport NZ chief executive Raelene Castle. Photo: Photosport / Andrew Cornaga Earlier this month, the Save Women's Sport Australasia group published an open letter to Mitchell, urging him to "dump" the guidelines. "Their continued existence creates unnecessary conflict for national sporting bodies, particularly those reliant on Sport NZ funding, who may feel pressured to adopt these guidelines despite their misalignment with international federation policies," the letter said. The group previously met with Bishop and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters , in the weeks leading up to the announcement of the review. Labour's rainbow issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert said removing the principles was a step backwards, and the government was kicking people while they were down. "It's about enabling organisations to keep people safe, to support people, and most of all create inclusive environments. But here we have the government removing and excluding people from playing sport, and that's not acceptable," he said. He said there was no evidence for removing the guidelines, and Sport NZ had not raised any issues with them. "Sport NZ has always advocated for the inclusion of trans people in sport, no matter what age they are. We want people to be involved, we want all New Zealanders to be playing sport. Most of all, we don't want people excluded and I don't think that's what New Zealanders expect either." He questioned whether there was a "political trade-off" with New Zealand First in order to remove the principles, instead of update them. "Sport NZ, they did want inclusivity, and I absolutely agree with that. Why has that position changed?" Labour's rainbow issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver The "overarching principle" of the document was inclusion. "Every New Zealander has the right to participate in Sport and to be treated with respect, empathy and positive regard. Transgender people can take part in sports in the gender they identify with," the document said. The guiding principles were based around: Each principle had its own series of suggestions, such as providing private spaces in bathrooms, using gender-inclusive language, and establishing robust anti-harassment codes of conduct. The principles were not mandatory and were not rules or criteria, as Sport NZ noted it would not be possible to provide a one-size-fits-all approach across every code. The guiding principles did have a section on safety, noting "the gender identity of a player does not create a danger or risk to safety" and "transgender players, as with all cisgender players, are diverse and varied in their height, weight, strength and stamina". It said mismatches or significant disparities may contribute a risk to safety, depending on the sport, but various sports had age and weight restrictions to reduce mismatches or any subsequent injuries that may arise. RNZ has approached Mark Mitchell for comment. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Forbes
9 hours ago
- Health
- Forbes
Why Some Professionals Still Hide Who They Are At Work
The healthiest workplaces allow multiple definitions of success. They don't push people up a ladder. ... More They build space for growth in multiple directions. For all the messaging around psychological safety, inclusion and modern leadership, many professionals still carry unspoken weights. Not because they lack skill. Not because they lack confidence. But because they quietly suspect that showing certain parts of themselves might cost them. Some keep quiet about mental health. Others downplay caregiving responsibilities. Many avoid drawing attention to career breaks, disabilities or even the fact that they prefer depth over hierarchy. These aren't flaws. They're facts of life. And yet, inside many firms, they still come with risk. A stigma isn't a rule. It's more like a whisper. A sense that being too honest could shift how others treat you. That your reputation might change if you reveal what's really going on. And so people edit. They conceal. They show up as only part of who they are. This has consequences. When people don't feel they can bring their full selves to work, the entire culture suffers. When Vulnerability Gets Mistaken for Weakness The idea that professionals should always show confidence is deeply ingrained. But when confidence becomes performance rather than expression, something gets lost. People push through even when exhausted. They commit to deadlines they cannot sustain. They smile in meetings while quietly bracing themselves inside. Why? Because showing doubt feels dangerous. Because saying, 'I'm not okay today,' could be misunderstood as being unreliable. What results is surface-level strength. Not the kind that fosters trust, but the kind that hides what's really happening underneath. And when everyone is pretending, no one gets to be real. The team cannot grow. Hard conversations get avoided. Decisions suffer. Creativity stalls. All because people are scared to say what they really need. Trust isn't built through perfection. It is built through shared honesty. And when the environment punishes vulnerability, people stop investing emotionally altogether. The Quiet Bias Against Nonlinear Careers Another stigma that still holds strong is around careers that do not follow a straight line. People who have paused to care for a parent, moved industries or taken time out for health often find themselves under quiet scrutiny. It shows up in tone. In interview questions. In how quickly assumptions get made. Someone who took time off to raise children might be seen as rusty. A professional who left a fast-paced sector could be labeled less ambitious. Even lateral moves within a company can get read as aimless rather than intentional. This is short-sighted. Because those who step off the traditional path often return with sharper focus, stronger boundaries and greater emotional range. The problem is not the career break. The problem is the lens. The belief that constant forward motion is the only sign of growth. That view ignores the value of reflection, redirection and recovery. Organizations that understand this will gain access to talent others overlook. When Being Different Comes at a Cost There is a subtle penalty that often follows people who look, speak or operate differently than the dominant group. The bias might not be loud. But it's there. It shows up in how ideas get received. In who gets interrupted. In whose competence is quietly double-checked. Professionals from underrepresented backgrounds are often expected to adjust. To mirror tone. To anticipate discomfort. To soften their presence so others feel at ease. That self-management is exhausting. It reduces visibility. It makes people shrink rather than lead. It's not just about hiring more diverse candidates. It's about creating environments where they don't have to carry the weight of someone else's bias. That means leadership has to go beyond optics and confront how status is conferred in the day-to-day. When people feel they need to conform just to be heard, the workplace loses out on originality, risk-taking and trust. Choosing Not to Lead Shouldn't Be Judged There is a quiet stigma around those who opt out of leadership. Not because they lack skill. But because they understand what they want. If you do not aspire to lead a team or run a department, you are often seen as less ambitious. The assumption is that you are plateauing. That you are less invested. That you have somehow stopped progressing. But that is a narrow way to define ambition. Some professionals are motivated by mastery. Others by freedom. Some want to deepen their work without managing others. That is not a lack of drive. That is clarity. And forcing people into roles they don't want leads to disengaged managers and frustrated teams. No one wins. The healthiest workplaces allow multiple definitions of success. They don't push people up a ladder. They build space for growth in multiple directions.
BBC News
16 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Unions condemn Northamptonshire Reform councils over flag ban
Two unions have criticised a county's Reform UK-led councils over their decision to no longer fly the LGBTQ+ rainbow flag from their North and West Northamptonshire Council's new flag policy dictates that only the union jack, St George's and council flags will be the Royal College of Nursing and Unite said not flying the rainbow flag "undermines efforts to create inclusive, welcoming communities".Defending the flag policy, Reform UK MP Lee Anderson said: "Bring it on. We were elected to deliver change and that's exactly what we're doing." In the unions' joint statement, they said: "This isn't about neutrality - it's about erasure."The Pride flag is a symbol of dignity, respect, and the ongoing fight for equality."It said the flying the flag "during celebrations and key dates shows solidarity".The unions said the council's policy sends "the wrong message to LGBTQ+ residents, staff, and patients across the region".They urged the authorities' leaders to reconsider."We're proud to stand with our LGBTQ+ members and colleagues. We call on local leaders to do the same," they added. In response to the criticism, Anderson said: "Banning the flying of any flag that isn't the union flag is a great first step."He said foreign or Pride flags had "absolutely nothing" to do with running a local a statement, West Northamptonshire Council said it "continues to support all residents... and community-led activities, including providing its support to organising the recent Northampton Pride activities".North Northamptonshire Council said it would fly "other national flags when it is appropriate to do so".It said the policy applied to flagpoles "at our corporate buildings" but not other flag poles across North Northamptonshire. A spokesperson said the authority would be "happy to work with the local community and town and parish councils to raise flags at some locations, where appropriate". Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bradford's Usman Ali knighted by King Charles at Windsor Castle
A diversity and inclusion champion from Bradford has been knighted by King Charles III. Usman Ali, a long-serving advocate for social justice, was recognised at a ceremony at Windsor Castle for his work in equality, representation, and social mobility. During the investiture, Mr Ali compassionately covered the King's hand during their handshake, an act explained by a spokesperson as follows: "[Mr Ali] was mindful of the King's well-documented medical condition, which can cause discomfort and swelling in the hands, and wished to shield His Majesty from potential close-up media scrutiny." Mr Ali used the opportunity to thank King Charles for his support of Muslim communities, and in particular for hosting Ramadan at Windsor Castle earlier this year. He told the King: "You won the hearts of billions of Muslims worldwide by hosting Ramadan at Windsor Castle this year - and the hearts of your Kingdom by the love you showed to Bradford, our City of Culture 2025." Mr Ali was allowed to bring six family members to the ceremony, after having made a written request that South Asian family-centric traditions, and the cause of social mobility, be considered (Image: Supplied) Mr Ali also praised the King's response to being heckled by college students during a recent visit, saying: "Your humility and patience touched the nation." One aide noted that the King had "taken a real liking" to the Yorkshire champion. Mr Ali was allowed to bring six family members - double the normal allowance - after writing to the palace to advocate for consideration of family-centric traditions in South Asian communities, and for the cause of social mobility. He also asked for this compassionate exception to be considered for others from minority and working-class backgrounds going forward. Mr Ali said: "For communities like ours, family isn't just support – it's survival." He added: "This belongs to every child told they didn't belong, every parent who sacrificed in silence, and every community still waiting to be heard. "I stood at Windsor for all of us." A spokesperson said: "[Mr Ali's] recognition comes as a point of pride for Bradford and a signal that voices from all walks of life – including those who have faced poverty, disability, and exclusion – can shape Britain's national story. "With his influence spanning justice, diversity, youth, and social mobility, Usman Ali MBE is now seen not only as a Bradford hero, but as a humanitarian voice for multicultural Britain." Mr Ali has worked across multiple Ministry of Justice departments. His work spans His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, probation and prison reform, neurodiversity advocacy, youth justice, public protection (MAPPA), and international civil service inclusion networks.
Wall Street Journal
a day ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Medical Schools Quietly Maintain Affirmative Action
In Lionel Shriver's most recent novel, 'Mania,' the U.S. has been overtaken by an ideology known as mental parity. Adherents refuse to acknowledge any differences in intelligence or ability. Testing becomes pointless because no one is allowed to fail. Medical degrees are issued regardless of competence, and people lose trust in doctors. Those who can afford it travel abroad for healthcare. The book is a shrewd and funny send-up of diversity, equity and inclusion hysteria. What's not so funny is how far down this path we've traveled already. The Supreme Court's 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard made it illegal for colleges and universities to use race as a factor in admissions, yet a new study accuses medical schools of evading the ban.
