Is that really Stonewall’s view of the world?
The rest of that interview:
20:59:
Robinson: Just one last specific: the other example, about women’s rights, is this yes tabloid story, but with substance behind it, that people who give birth shouldn’t be called mothers, they should be called people who give birth – is that really Stonewall’s view of the world?
Anderson: So, no, this again is what gets mischaracterized. What Stonewall looks to do is to provide organizations with good practice to provide an incluzive place to work. It’s not the law, Nick.
Robinson: But is it good practice to stop calling mothers “mothers”?
Anderson: In some organizations potentially that’s what they might want to do, in terms of the culture that they’re trying to create and in terms of what had actually worked in other organizations. These are suggestions…
Had actually worked how? In what sense? For whom? What are we talking about here? Why is it seen as a good thing to “create a culture” that conceals the existence of women?
This is about creating a place, creating a culture, where people really can be themselves.
Not if those people are women it doesn’t. It erases women so that men who pretend to be women can feel more comfy.
After that they move on to party politics so that’s where I cease to transcribe.
Essentially – ‘These places have paid us a great deal of money to publicly grade their performance on trans issues against benchmarks that we set. They allow us to train their staff and set their internal policies including matters that can become part of HR action. If they and their staff don’t do what we say then hell will break loose. But sure, it’s only suggestions.’
Basically, ‘Nice shop you’ve got here. Shame if something were to happen to it.’
I guess we’re supposed to be happy he’s willing (or forced) to say “It’s not the law, Nick,” when previously Stonewall was enthusiastically misrepresenting the law without caveat. Now they’re on the back foot, and he’s being much more cautious, tentative, and conciliatory than he might have been in the past. Combine that with being confronted with an interviewer who is not cowed, tamed, or captured. Much less bossiness and bullying. I hear getting slapped back can do that.