Counsel for the Respondent, Mr Frew, has insisted that it was my intention to use: ‘both the Respondent and the Employment Tribunal to further and publicise [my] belief’, and that I used it as: ‘a vehicle for [me] to obtain the attention that [I] was desperate to have’. This could not be further from the truth. Are we to believe that every gender-critical employee who initiates an employment tribunal claim against their employer takes such action for publicity and attention? Or might we reasonably assume that equality and fairness, along with a resistance to discrimination at the hands of an insidious ideology, might be the motivation? The only thing that changed in my relationship with my former employer was the Council’s introduction of a de facto policy of self-identification. Had that not been introduced, I believe I would still be working as an ICT Project Officer in the Digital, Change and Technology team at East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
Self-identification, to use a popular vernacular, ‘does what it says on the tin’. I won’t repeat here what I’ve said countless times elsewhere. Suffice to say that publicity or ‘attention’ was not on my bucket list. Those who have seen me perform my songs at an ‘open mic’ night will attest to how difficult I find being in the limelight, self-contradictory though that might seem.
I had worked for East Riding of Yorkshire Council for four years, without incident. I had an exemplary record, with no disciplinary warnings. The only episode I can recall in which, perhaps, I behaved in a recalcitrant manner was towards the end of 2021, when I was asked by my manager to submit an ‘expression of interest’ for my own job to be made permanent instead of fixed-term. On principle, I refused because my managers were already aware of my abilities and contribution to the team.
I was told that two fixed-term roles would be made permanent, and there were three possible fixed-term employees, including me, as candidates; but no matter who was made permanent, their roles and duties would remain the same. I refused to engage as I felt the best candidates should be made permanent, and if I wasn’t one, then I’d be happy to remain on a fixed-term contract. Neither my managers nor my family could understand my position (during the disciplinary investigation related to the current case, it was suggested by one of my managers that I wouldn’t engage because I had ‘some expectation that…one of those roles should be given to [me]’).
This case has involved me having to write a great deal of material: for my disciplinary hearing, my appeal hearing, my initial claim through ACAS, and my witness statement for the Employment Tribunal (along with various other written representations); but also, seemingly endless emails and written notes on my research into UK legislation and relevant case-law.
I was already a long way into the employment tribunal process before I first began (in March 2023) to think of writing a book about my experiences. The earliest electronic file I have for it was created on 30 March 2023. On the same date, I contacted one of my former managers to ask for the dates she began and left her role at the Council, and mentioned the idea of writing a book: ‘I’ve started writing the story of my current dispute with the Council with the aim of publishing a book about it. I have so much information that I realised I need to bring it all together in one place, and a book seems to be the obvious option’.
After a conversation with my wife and daughter, in which my daughter wondered about the initial reason for and the response to the symbol used by Prince, we began to seriously think about a title for my book. I decided that it might be appropriate to include formerly known as…, and that became my working title.
The work continues, and I chronicle each new development for possible inclusion. I have completed a draft Introduction, and the first two chapters are well underway, The bulk of the rest of the book will primarily be a copy and paste exercise: statements, transcripts, written submissions, etc.
I will use this page to provide updates on the progress of the book (all links should open a new browser window). The draft Introduction is available here (replacing this page with a new page).