A London University has been accused of ‘woke gobbledegook’ for removing the word ‘woman’ from it’s maternity and menopause policies.
Ignoring basic biology, guidance from the University of the Arts London (UAL) declared that maternity, as well as the menopause, applies to “all genders”.
Although the new wording was implemented a year ago, the move has attracted attention since the institution began virtue signalling about it on social media and its own website.
Happy #InternationalWomensDay!
— University of the Arts London (@UAL) March 8, 2023
At UAL we are taking action to tackle typically gendered issues in society ↓
Summit News reports: University of the Arts London Vice Chancellor James Purnell wrote in a LinkedIn post in October 2022, “At UAL, we are introducing equal parental leave. Every new parent will be entitled to six months at full pay,” adding “It is fair to every kind of parent, of whatever gender or sex, or sexual orientation, whether adopting or not.”
In a further press release, the University noted that it’s maternity and menopause policies apply “irrespective of gender, sexual orientation or how people become parents.”
The policy itself states, “we wish to affirm in our use of language in this letter that not all pregnant people are women and thereby acknowledge trans, non-binary, gender-queer and gender fluid pregnant people and parents.”
In updated menopause policies, the university notes that it “may also be experienced by colleagues who do not identify as female.”
“UAL recognizes that menopause may also be experienced by colleagues who do not identify as female, so this guidance and support content is intended to support anyone experiencing menopause, regardless of their gender identity,” the university asserts.
For every ounce of hormonal suffering, bleeding, pain, severe illness during pregnancies, emergency c-sections to save me and my babies’ lives, peri-menopausal symptoms that I have gone through as a woman…you mean to tell me that you are now just offering up the same
— SIJK (@irwosina) May 4, 2023
2…to someone because they say they are a woman? Enough is enough. We women need to fight back for the rights that universities like this are giving away so frivolously.
— SIJK (@irwosina) May 4, 2023
Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis charged that UAL has abandoned “basic biology.”
“It is disturbing that a university does not understand the basics of biology… I hope [it] will stop this pathetic woke nonsense,” Gullis commented.
Toby Young, the director of the think tank Free Speech Union, told the Daily Mail that the university “has become so pickled in woke gobbledegook it’s becoming a bit of a joke. I hope it can correct course before it goes bankrupt.”
Young added that “Nearly all these institutions are publicly funded, yet all the polling indicates the public are overwhelmingly opposed to this nonsense.”
