SEEN in Northern Ireland
A member of SEEN based in Northern Ireland provides some reflections on the setting up of a SEEN in Northern Ireland group, and meeting other members of SEEN based in Northern Ireland for the first time.
It was towards the end of last year that I first learned about SEEN. And, as the kids say, I finally felt “seen”.
As with many civil servants, I was increasingly concerned about the promotion of policies based on the concept of gender identity, rather than the protected characteristic of sex, across staff networks. Not to mention the proliferation of practices in relation to identity politics, such as pronouns in email signatures, and the general sense that “diversity and inclusion” meant submission to a strict set of beliefs which I did not share. Bring my “whole self” to work? How could I do that when social media told the horrid tale of what happened to those who were vocal about their belief in the importance of basic biology? It seemed that, wherever you looked, people were bullied – and worse – for raising concerns about the impact of ideas based on gender identity on the sex-based rights of women, as well as on gay rights and the safeguarding of children.
Yet at the time I felt that there was no choice but to suck it up - friends and family warned me against putting my head above the parapet for fear of repercussions, both social and professional. I had resigned myself to biting my tongue and tolerating the avalanche of material promoting ideas based on gender identity politics, until one night on X I saw a post about SEEN.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that SEEN has been a revelation for me. The very fact of knowing that there were hundreds of colleagues out there who share my beliefs and concerns was comfort in itself. But when I dug into the articles on the SEEN website, and got a sense of how genuinely tolerant, civil and professional the network is, I knew I wanted to get involved.
The journey to establishing a SEEN NI Chapter has been a fulfilling one. I began by speaking with SEEN leaders in other departments, who put me in touch with other NI-based civil servants who had come across the network in a similar manner to me. I met with them one by one, formed connections, and we now have a thriving band of gender critical folk who keep each other sane via coffees and lively chats. What started as a tentative exercise - we joked about creeping around like members of the French resistance - has evolved into a forum in which we can share views, highlight successes, and encourage each other to stand up for what we believe in.
Without the support of the SEEN NI cohort, for example, I wouldn’t have had the courage to hold a meeting with HR and D&I seniors to raise concerns about our department’s adherence to the Civil Service Code in the context of Pride Month. Or to challenge the views of a stakeholder who was dismissive of gender critical beliefs. In the SEEN NI group, despite our different backgrounds, experiences and politics, we have each other’s backs when it comes to combating overreach and disinformation.
And there is no doubt that our voices are being heard. As other bloggers have noted, progress can be slow and frustrating at times, but SEEN has taught me what can be achieved when rational, reasonable and tolerant people get together. So I would encourage any civil servant in Northern Ireland who shares our beliefs to get in touch. You’ll have a warm welcome in SEEN NI - to adopt a term that has been weaponised elsewhere, it truly is a “safe space”!
If you are a member of SEEN and interested in finding more about the SEEN in Northern Ireland group, or if you would like to find out more about Chapters of SEEN in general, keep an eye out for email correspondence via the SEEN mailing list for contact details.
If you are a civil servant and would like to join SEEN please submit your membership request via our ‘join us’ page
Cover photo by William Warby on Unsplash
