Fri, 13 Dec 2024 11:17:38 GMT

I’ve recently been away from work dealing with a nasty case of burnout. It left me feeling lethargic, anxious and that my worth was less than zero.

It’s been a hard few months of getting myself back to some semblance of normality – therapy and a lot of personal hard work means that I am now starting to get myself back to some measure of where I once was.

So, you’ll imagine my surprise and delight when I found I’d been nominated for an award as LGBT+ Business Leader of the Year at the inaugural Metro Pride Awards. Being recognised by your peers is an important part of any leader’s ability to apply purpose to their day to day work, and to do the things that really make a difference for society. I had no idea I’d been nominated, having not had access to my work emails – so the announcement graphic on LinkedIn was my first indication.

It really helped lift me at the end of this period of absence. Last week I received an email inviting me to provide 600 words on what I have been doing to assist the judging panel. In the context of this award my work is all about the acceptance, celebration and elevation of Trans and Non Binary people at work and in all parts of society – including, I am very proud to say, in Sport, through my founding and chairing of QuinsPride, the world’s first LGBTQIA+ supporters’ association in professional rugby.

Last year I supported many thousands of people in business to be better allies to the Trans and Non Binary community at work, while making their organisations more resilient and effective, I spoke up against intolerance and hatred, supported our women’s ERG at work as a committee member. I spoke up against the rising tide of hatred being promulgated across the UK and US, and while this work is hard – it has never been more necessary.

So you will be maybe surprised to see that my name no longer appears on the nominees list for the awards. In preparing my statement for the judges, I followed the link to see who would be on the panel, and was surprised to see a prominent sportsperson who spent the late summer indulging in rank transphobia following the success of Imane Khelif, a cisgender boxer who found success at the Paris Games.

The fact that Imane Khelif is not Transgender makes no difference to the comments that were made, the fact that Imane Khelif may well not be an ally to my community makes no difference. Some claim that the two boxers thrust into the maelstrom of abuse this summer may be Intersex – this claim made without substantiation and without the consent of the people concerned – this makes it even worse; Intersex people are part of my community – they are the ‘I’ in LGBTQIA+ they are my family and face into the most horrific abuse, often from birth when they have no voice.

The real issue is that the comments were made with no scientific backing. There is not a single study which compares Trans women with cisgender women in sport which concludes an advantage – indeed the very lack of Trans athletic success in female categories, despite decades of inclusion suggests that any ‘advantages’ are simply not present.

The abuse meted out this summer was appalling and mirrors the abuse I received when speaking out against the banning of Trans Women in Rugby 2 years ago – abuse which included death and rape threats. Apart from some ‘oh that’s terrible’ comments, I have found little support beyond platitudes – even from within our broader LGB(T)Q(I)A community (with honourable exceptions) – this is the goal of those who would roll back access to sport for Trans people, and then the wider community – a stated goal made by the right wing anti LGBTQIA hate group, the ‘Family Research Council’ on Friday 14th October 2017.

The commentary in the summer was eerily reminiscent of the Colour Bar that the BBBC (British Board of Boxing Control) implemented through to the middle of the 20th Century, or the bans on women competing in sports like Rugby and Soccer. Unscientific, pseudoscientific and bigoted.

So, do I, as a leader put myself forward knowing that the judging panel includes someone who has actively harmed the Trans and Non Binary community – or withdraw?

I reached out to the organisers to explain my position, and the answer – maybe predictably was that they accepted my withdrawal. They are, I am sure good people and told me they took it seriously, but in our current climate where the oppressor screams ‘cancelled’ and the oppressed are left to pick up the pieces – pieces which include hate, attempts to remove our livelihoods and ability to go about our lawful, peaceful business it’s clear that the Trans Woman is the easier loss for the event.

Leaders are not defined by awards and accolades, they’re defined by what they do, how they behave and what they inspire in others. I have to focus my attentions in that direction. Leadership is also about moral courage, indeed, I’d argue that this is the defining characteristic of leadership. People are entitled to opinions, and to say what they want to say – that’s core to society, but what people say has consequences; for others, for themselves and for the organisations they represent.

And when opinion is touted as fact, without any serious examination for the general public, then we find oppression spreading unchecked, used as a distraction, tainting human rights with foetid politics.

The future of society must be built on inclusion and acceptance of all. This does not include the selective erasure of members of the community on an assumption that they should be grateful for what is left. If you purport to be organising for the LGBTQIA+ community it means all of us, our unity is strength. There can be no exceptions.

I’m sad not to be there, many friends are on the list, and I enjoy a night of glamming up as much as the next person – but it would be wrong to be there. I know that even saying this will open the floodgates for more abuse – it always does. But silence is what is relied upon by those spreading darkness.

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 11:17:30 GMT

I’ve recently been away from work dealing with a nasty case of burnout. It left me feeling lethargic, anxious and that my worth was less than zero.

So, do I, as a leader put myself forward knowing that the judging panel includes someone who has actively harmed the Trans and Non Binary community – or withdraw?