Union official slammed over ‘deeply offensive’ pro-trans slogan

A teaching union representative has come under fire for promoting a pro-trans slogan at the SNP party conference.

Mike Corbett, NASUWT National Official for Scotland, wore a ‘Protect The Dolls’ t-shirt at a fringe event in protest at a BBC decision to follow editorial guidelines by removing the slogan from a Strictly Come Dancing episode.

But women’s group For Women Scotland criticised Corbett for wearing the t-shirt “in full knowledge of the harm and hurt he is causing”.

‘Bitter experience’

Susan Smith, co-director of For Women Scotland explained: “‘Dolls’ is a regressive term to denote hyper-feminised men who make a claim to ‘womanhood’ based on stereotyped appearance and performance which draws on the most reductive, sexist ideas of women’s lives.

“We know from bitter experience that the ‘protection’ of such men comes at the expense of women, who are forced to cede safety, privacy, and dignity.”

She described the slogan as “deeply offensive”, and branded it a “deliberate insult” to women in his union.

Single-sex spaces

In September, The Trades Union Congress — of which the NASUWT is an affiliate member — passed a motion to “Oppose the EHRC Code of Practice” and prevent single-sex spaces from being separated by biological sex in the UK.

However, the Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities, Joy Morrissey, said: “The court was extremely clear and Labour MPs and trade unions should be supporting its ruling, not seeking to undermine it.

“The Equality Act already protects gender reassignment and the Gender Recognition Act remains in force. The answer is not to rewrite the law simply because Labour MPs and their union paymasters dislike the clarity the Supreme Court has provided.”

The Code of Practice, which applies to services, public functions and associations, was recently updated to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling that ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex.