MLA criticises woke Government form

An MLA has criticised the Northern Ireland Civil Service for using a form with three gender options: men, women, or neither.

Timothy Gaston challenged officials from the Executive Office about the wording on the feedback forms for training and awareness on protecting women from domestic violence.

Gaston has previously criticised the Northern Ireland Civil Service for participating in Belfast Pride, calling it “institutional activism”.

Protect women and girls

The TUV MLA asked the officials: “What is ‘neither’? Biology dictates you’re a man or a woman. So, what is ‘neither’?”

Following the debate, Gaston said that he has written to all Executive ministers to clarify how their departments collect data on gender, and whether it “is recorded on the basis of biological sex or self-identified gender”.

He stated: “This is a matter of considerable concern to the public – particularly when it comes to a scheme which is specifically designed to tackle the issue of violence against women and girls.

“If Stormont cannot even define what ‘neither’ means in a gender category, how can the public have confidence that a scheme designed to protect women and girls is actually being targeted at women and girls?”

Funding diverted

Gaston added: “My colleague Councillor Ron McDowell previously exposed the fact that money from this much-publicised scheme to combat the scourge of violence against females is going to groups including transgender women in Belfast – that is, biological men.

“After Wednesday’s meeting, we now know that funding is being distributed province-wide on the basis that recipients are classified not into two genders but into three: men, women and ‘neither’. People are also given the option to say they would rather not state their gender.”