Ottavio Caruso
2024-10-11 10:19:32 UTC
Original:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/10/09/nhs-hospital-in-great-yarmouth-gender-language-guidance/
Unpaywall: https://archive.is/qlP2J
## QUOTE
An NHS hospital has urged staff not to describe babies as being “born
male or female”.
Guidance developed by the James Paget University Hospitals Trust in
Great Yarmouth said its staff should use the phrase “assigned
female/male at birth” instead.
It claims this “accurately depicts the situation of what happens at
birth” and also describes other “inclusive language dos and donts” for
its staff.
The document, called Celebrating Pride, includes an “LGBTQ+ glossary”
with definitions for the range of terminology that should be used. It
also has a list of words and phrases to avoid in order not upset patients.
For example, the term “ladies and gentlemen” should not be used to
address a group of people but instead staff are encouraged to say
everyone, folks or honoured guests.
It says people should be described as “gay” instead of “homosexual”
because this “often connotes a medical diagnosis or a discomfort with
gay/lesbian people”.
It also tells staff to avoid terms like “both genders” and “opposite
sexes” because it implies there are only two – as well as titles such as
mailman, fireman, and policeman.
Biologically accurate language
Helen Joyce, the director of advocacy at Sex Matters, a human rights
charity, said it was “hard to fathom that any hospital is still
promoting trans activist language more than two years after the then
Health Secretary instructed the NHS to return to biologically accurate
language”.
Ms Joyce said: “It is also frankly embarrassing to see a hospital – a
place where medical knowledge matters – making the ridiculous argument
that people are “assigned” female or male at birth rather than simply
being female or male, as a matter of material reality.
“The leadership at James Paget Hospital needs to get a grip, say no to
its trans-activist staff and return to recognising that accurate
language about the two sexes matters in healthcare.”
Kate Barker, the chief executive of LGB Alliance, the charity and
advocacy group, said lesbian, gay and bisexual people “are not offended
by the term man or woman”.
“In fact, as same-sex attracted people, the sex binary is pretty central
to who we are. This tired old nonsense benefits no one, other than to
justify the pay of ‘diversity’ consultants,” she said.
Rupert Lowe, the Reform UK MP for Great Yarmouth, criticised the
hospital and said his “constituents would prefer this inaccurate and
confusing woke nonsense was left out of the hospital”.
## UNQUOTE
Apart from the inevitable political theater that this kind of news will
attract, isn't this blatantly offensive for those (presumably the a
majority) who don't agree with this terminology?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/10/09/nhs-hospital-in-great-yarmouth-gender-language-guidance/
Unpaywall: https://archive.is/qlP2J
## QUOTE
An NHS hospital has urged staff not to describe babies as being “born
male or female”.
Guidance developed by the James Paget University Hospitals Trust in
Great Yarmouth said its staff should use the phrase “assigned
female/male at birth” instead.
It claims this “accurately depicts the situation of what happens at
birth” and also describes other “inclusive language dos and donts” for
its staff.
The document, called Celebrating Pride, includes an “LGBTQ+ glossary”
with definitions for the range of terminology that should be used. It
also has a list of words and phrases to avoid in order not upset patients.
For example, the term “ladies and gentlemen” should not be used to
address a group of people but instead staff are encouraged to say
everyone, folks or honoured guests.
It says people should be described as “gay” instead of “homosexual”
because this “often connotes a medical diagnosis or a discomfort with
gay/lesbian people”.
It also tells staff to avoid terms like “both genders” and “opposite
sexes” because it implies there are only two – as well as titles such as
mailman, fireman, and policeman.
Biologically accurate language
Helen Joyce, the director of advocacy at Sex Matters, a human rights
charity, said it was “hard to fathom that any hospital is still
promoting trans activist language more than two years after the then
Health Secretary instructed the NHS to return to biologically accurate
language”.
Ms Joyce said: “It is also frankly embarrassing to see a hospital – a
place where medical knowledge matters – making the ridiculous argument
that people are “assigned” female or male at birth rather than simply
being female or male, as a matter of material reality.
“The leadership at James Paget Hospital needs to get a grip, say no to
its trans-activist staff and return to recognising that accurate
language about the two sexes matters in healthcare.”
Kate Barker, the chief executive of LGB Alliance, the charity and
advocacy group, said lesbian, gay and bisexual people “are not offended
by the term man or woman”.
“In fact, as same-sex attracted people, the sex binary is pretty central
to who we are. This tired old nonsense benefits no one, other than to
justify the pay of ‘diversity’ consultants,” she said.
Rupert Lowe, the Reform UK MP for Great Yarmouth, criticised the
hospital and said his “constituents would prefer this inaccurate and
confusing woke nonsense was left out of the hospital”.
## UNQUOTE
Apart from the inevitable political theater that this kind of news will
attract, isn't this blatantly offensive for those (presumably the a
majority) who don't agree with this terminology?
--
Ottavio Caruso
Ottavio Caruso