Diana Thomas
I read an article in the Daily Mail newspaper here in the UK a while ago about a trans woman called Diana Thomas. I wont go into the full details of the article as you can read it here:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9280379/DIANA-THOMAS-spent-six-decades-man-does-say-trans-militants-stoking-intolerance.html
The thrust of the article is really about how trans is dealt with by institutions, which in this case is the local health authority. The story concerns Brighton which is one of if not the most trans friendly places in the UK. It appears there are a number of trans-men who retain they female reproduction system from birth and wish to have a baby. In order to avoid upsetting potential trans-men they have changed some of the terms used, for example the maternity unit is now 'perinatal services' mothers are referred to as (gender neutral) parents and apparently the term for breast feeding is now chest feeding. As Diana says in doing this the health authority are ignoring the fact that 99.9% of the people that use this service are women and that at best they see this as political correctness gone mad and at worst see it as an attack on their way of life. This in turn gives fuel to those who want to lobby against the trans movement.
The thing that seems to be missing here is balance, how to balance one group's rights and expectations against another without upsetting either side. This is not an easy path to tread, but I believe the answer is not to change names of departments or terms used for generations, in an attempt to appease one group, the answer surely is to ensure all people, irrespective of their life choices are afforded respect and given the treatment they need in a dignified way. I understand it's not easy in a hard pressed NHS system, but surly having the right protocols and procedures in place is the answer and if a person is given the treatment that they need with dignity and respect there should not be too many problems.
We see it in institutions here in the UK and I suspect throughout the world where in order to appease one group they upset another. The old saying is vitally important here, "You can please all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time but you can't please all of the people all of the time". This is all about balance, what is ideally needed against what is practical, but always taking into account respect and dignity. And that applies to both sides of the coin, we all need to work together in a dignified and respectful way to make a better future for all of us............
Diana Thomas Image - Daily Mail - Public Domain
FWIW, I'm a firm believer in finding a middle way through conversation, curiosity, and where possible, compromise.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of the situation, if any party starts to double down on their demands - rather than, say, talking about their needs - it's quite difficult to avoid escalation and folk retreating into their respective corners.
But, it's doable, if people want to. I think part of it comes with the language used to try and help everyone feel no one has won or lost, but that we've reached a place where we get what we need. Plus, there's always room to try again if folk are willing.
Just... not online 😉
Thank you Lynn, if only people would listen to each other and respect others opinions, life would be much simpler!
DeleteA message of common sense from someone at last Andrea.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly agree it is about respect. Respect the didnity of everyone, be ye cis, trans or otherwise.
And if we can be gentler in our opinion instead of screeching.
Great post!
Thank you, a little respect goes a long way!
ReplyDelete