Action Aid is now saying that the doc which I published extracts of was "shared in error" (they have also said this to me)

They say they need to undertake an extensive consultation to reach a position on whether in fact male & female bodies exist...

https://medium.com/@MForstater/action-aids-policy-goes-right-to-the-top-323e1b4ab38 https://twitter.com/BellaTricks40/status/1285979694010114048

I am glad that they are reviewing their policy

Many people will be willing to share expertise with them - they should talk to @FondOfBeetles @SVPhillimore @HiboWardere @AskNic @legalfeminist - but to be a good faith exercise they need to be honest about how they got here.

My understanding is that this document was circulated in November 2019 by the CEO @GirishMenonAAUK to all staff, following mention of the trans policy and attitudes of supporters to it at this @CivilSocietyUK
@CSfinance event https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/actionaid-tells-cf-summit-it-is-on-absolute-alert-for-2021-financial-forecasts.html

The document is Action Aid UK branded, and nowhere does it say "draft", "for discussion" or anything else to indicate that it is not official policy

The document metadata says that it is authored by Andrea Metcalf @AMetcalf1906 - Head of People and Culture at Action Aid

In both the doc & email the CEO says "we are aware that there are differing views amongst some of our supporters ...whatever position we take we may lose a small number of supporters...whether we might lose supporters is not a consideration in terms of our commitment ...

While it may have been an "error" to share this policy (as in a strategic mistake), it was not an "error" as in a mislaid document.

Action Aid should be honest with its stakeholders and its staff.

Forcing people to be complicit in pretending to believe something that they know is not true is at the heart of the problem of how organisations are approaching "trans inclusion".

I will not be complicit in and nor should Action Aid staff be forced to.

AA can include transgender people in their staff, & their programming without saying such ridiculous, damaging and insulting things as "there is no such thing as a ‘biologically female/male body".

They can review this document without telling us that it was never official policy