Health Education England is some sort of government body, described slightly differently by each source I saw, and it came up with this new and exciting version of the usual sludge:

Health Education England statement of intent, publicly committing to trans inclusion and equality in support of the trans and non-binary community.

What is “trans equality”? What is the absence of “trans equality”? What are they talking about? In what way are trans people not already “equal”?

As for “inclusion,” we know what that means, and that’s the problem. It means men being “included” with women and (much less urgently and insistently) women being “included” with men. That’s a stupid idea of “inclusion.” We don’t have to “include” lawyers with doctors or doctors with lawyers; we don’t have to “include” students with teacher or teachers with students; we don’t have to “include” toddlers with adults or adults with toddlers; the list goes on. We don’t have to be “inclusive” of everything and everyone at all times and everywhere. We don’t have to “include” men with women, and we refuse to, and we’re not going to do it. Also we’re a “community” too, so how about being “inclusive” of us for a change?

And that’s just the title.

Dr Navina Evans, Chief Executive, Health Education England commits Health Education England to the below statement of intent:

All human rights are compromised if any one group is excluded. We are at our best when we stand together, and we all have a role in ensuring our NHS is a place where all our citizens are treated with respect, dignity, and compassion.   

Excluded from what though? Excluded from what??

In recent months, the public debate around trans and non-binary rights has intensified. As HEE’s leadership, we have growing concerns about the hostility that trans and non-binary staff & patients are experiencing.    

But those are two different things. Discussion of what “trans and non-binary rights” might be is not the same thing as hostility to trans and non-binary people. If the discussion of rights were more honest and less hostile to women, maybe the hostility that trans and non-binary staff and patients are said to be experiencing would cease to exist.

A fundamental promise of the NHS is that we exist for all and we have a duty of care to all. It is crucial that everyone, including trans and non-binary people, feel respected, safe and receive an equal level of care.

What about women? If men who claim to be trans are allowed to force themselves on women in wards then how can women feel respected and safe? What about them?

As a healthcare organisation we want to reiterate our commitment to implementing the spirit and the letter of the Equality Act – by striving to create an NHS that is fair and truly inclusive.

But if the NHS is “truly inclusive” of for instance men on women’s wards then it’s not truly inclusive of women. What about that?

Now, more than ever, is the time to educate ourselves and others to become active trans and non-binary allies. Within HEE, we have been making consistent efforts to understand and appreciate the experience of our trans and non-binary colleagues. We are having conversations, developing our own understanding, and continuing our learning. We have made progress, but we have a long way to go on our journey. We are confident that this is the only right way forward that reflects our values and the values of the wider NHS.

We stand with the trans and non-binary community.    

There’s no mention of women on the entire page. Not one. The word “trans” appears 11 times.