Mick Hartley

From today's Times:

The Royal Navy is considering issuing multiple ID cards for those who are gender-fluid after being challenged by internal diversity and inclusion groups.

Recruits are not allowed more than one “Mod90” identification card, which displays a person’s name and photograph, and allows access to the Ministry of Defence estate.

The navy said that position was being “challenged” by staff networks. “We hope to offer more inclusive guidance,” it said, adding that some gender-fluid people in the navy had already been able to obtain extra passes for their main place of work.

Gender fluidity is the idea that identity is not fixed and a person may self-identify as a different gender over time.

The revelations emerged in the navy’s application to the Stonewall Top 100 Employers list — run by the LGBT rights charity.

Yes, I think we rather expected Stonewall to feature here.

It gets worse.

The navy’s submission for last year’s Stonewall 100 scheme, obtained by The Times, shows how extensive diversity and inclusion training is ingrained into the service. It placed joint 71st in the group’s top 100 employers list for last year.

Recruits are rigorously prepared to fight discrimination. They receive a diversity and inclusion package and a “classroom instructor-facilitated lesson” in the first week of a ten-week induction, the Stonewall application shows.

This contains information about “sexual orientation and gender identity and discusses each in detail, referring to bisexuality and trans and non-binary genders”.

In addition, all navy personnel complete a mandatory package every other year called Be The Change, which is taught by a qualified diversity adviser.

Sections include teaching how “unconscious biases shape the way that they impact on others”.

Navy career advisers also receive training on gender identity and unconscious bias by the navy’s diversity inclusion team.

This includes a presentation using a “genderbread sailor” to give the career advisers a greater knowledge of “gender identity, transgender issues and sexual orientation in today’s society”.

The navy has removed “gendered language” from its maternity, paternity, adoption and special and compassionate leave policies.

It has also removed pronouns, which means “generally defaulting to ‘service person’ or ‘SP’ and ‘they/them/their’, while family and leave policies must use ‘partner’ instead of ‘husband’ or ‘wife’ ”

The maternity, paternity and adoption policy “uses more descriptive and accurate terms like ‘non-primary caregiver’ as opposed to the traditional, assumptive, gendered terms”.

When a recruit shares that they are transgender “they are to be treated in their affirmed gender in all respects”, including uniform, accommodation and changing facilities, the application states.

A “genderbread sailor”? Our enemies will be quaking in their boots.

The navy said it had gender-neutral toilets “wherever possible”, including on its ships.

Type 26 and 31 frigates, and future submarines, are built with gender-neutral toilets, it said.

HMS Collingwood, the navy’s shore establishment, has announced that gender-neutral bathrooms are available across the establishment, the form claims.

Any advisory group on hand – or just someone with a brain – to explain how gender-neutral toilets are not going to help in the recruitment of women? No, of course not. 

The navy also has a policy on non-binary uniforms, accommodation, “use of pronouns in signature blocks” and the removal of gendered titles on the global address book.

A desk guide of trans and non-binary terminology is to be turned into a “digital resource for all staff”.

The application details how it held a Royal Navy Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression conference in June 2021.

All senior leaders and line managers have an “inclusion-based objective”, the form says….

Is Stonewall part of a Russian-inspired plot to destroy this country's institutions from within? Yes I know – ridiculous, of course…but sometimes you can't help wondering….