I recently wrote an article on LinkedIn called "Bye bye DEI?" refering to the start of major challenges to DEI, predominately coming from the US. I spoke specifically about the nine protected characteristics we have here in the UK and how as allies we need to ensure we step up to in turn protect those protected characteristics, not just when it impacts us directly but when any of the nine are challenged.

The news this week of course includes the Supreme Court ruling in the UK that now says the legal definition of woman is based on biological sex.

I am a Cis woman, this doesn't impact me directly at all. But as an ally, I can't not speak up about this.

There's lots I want to say but for now, let me focus in on two things. I’ve chosen these two aspects to focus on as I originally wrote this piece for my LinkedIn profile and as someone who has spent 30 years in the recruitment industry I tend to focus my content through that particular lens.

1. A reminder that DEI isn’t just about “other people.” It benefits all of us whether that’s because you are older, younger, a women in STEM (or any other industry for that matter), ANY letter in the LGBTQ+ community, a person of colour, a parent, a single parent, neurodivergent, menopausal, disabled, religious, atheist, a non-native English speaker or any combination of these and many other factors, DEI allows workplaces to function better, to reflect the world we live in, and to ensure that talent, not privilege, determines who gets in and who succeeds.

2. In the BBC article linked here there is a reminder that despite this legislation and any personal views individuals may have, transgender people still have protections against descrimination and harassment. Gender Reassignment is also still one of the nine characteristics we protect.

I wish I had more faith that my second point will hold but as you can see in the second quote in my screenshot below, also from a BBC news article, this ruling is a start not an end to the challenge and if we don't speak up for others, who will speak up for us?