New transgender policy for 23,000 civil servants ‘should not have been left to whim of officials’

He was responding to the news, published by the News Letter today, that in 2019, while Stormont was dissolved, the civil service re-wrote its rule book for staff in such a way that compels them to use whatever language transgender people wish.

This does not just refer to people who medically transition; it also takes in cross-dressing people, those who do not want surgery or hormones, or people who say their gender is a fluctuating spectrum.

The ex-finance minister had asked his former department (which is in charge of civil service personnel) who was consulted when drawing up a new policy on trangenderism.

READ IN DETAIL ABOUT THE NEW RULES HERE.

The ex-finance minister had asked his former department (which is in charge of civil service personnel) who had been consulted when drawing up a new policy on trangenderism.

The department named nine different consultees – seven of which are transgender / LGBT advocacy groups.

They are: Stonewall, GenderJam, SAIL NI, TransgenderNI, Focus–The Identity Trust, NI Civil Service Diversity Champions, and the NI Civil Service LGBT Staff Network.

The other two consultees listed are the trade unions (which are generally supportive of LGBT campaigns) and “individual colleagues”.

READ TRANSGENDER NI AND EQUALITY COMMISSION’S TAKE ON THE NEW RULES HERE.

Questioned further by the News Letter, the department said the rules had in fact been in effect since April 2019 – although they were not made publicly available on the internet until after the News Letter started enquiring about them this month.

Mr Storey said that his own view is “a Biblical perspective, that there are only two genders – male and female”.

He added: “I would disagree with the entire transgender agenda that we’ve seen over the last number of years...

“I suspect if they had consulted with the Christian Institute or with faith organisations, they’d have got a different view as to how they should apply the rules and find they should deal with people.”

Nevertheless he also said “I still want to respect people even though I disagree with what they may believe”.

When it comes to the fact this was drawn up with no minister in post, he said: “It’s an issue that needs to be revisited. It’s legality will have to be looked at because it’s cross-cutting, it’s contentious, and it’s novel.

“Clearly such an issue like that has different opinions, and divides opinion. It’s something that shouldn’t have been taken solely at the whim of one civil servant, or a number of civil servants.”

READ MORE NEWS LETTER COVERAGE OF THESE ISSUES:

CLICK HERE: Belfast mayor at transgender rally hits out at ‘lack of non-binary identification’

CLICK HERE: Lawyer’s ‘serious human rights concerns’ over transgender guidance for NI schools

CLICK HERE: Christian pastor: The day dad told me he was a woman

CLICK HERE: Church of Ireland document states there are males, females – and ‘non-binary’ people

CLICK HERE: Church of Ireland general synod member ready to quit if gender stance changes

CLICK HERE: Hate crime: Dissent over gay marriage ‘could see you before NI criminal court’

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