by Simon Johnson, Telegraph
Former policy adviser was ‘pretty shocked’ by trade union’s previous guidance for dealing with transgender patients, tribunal heard
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) argued that “eunuch” was a gender identity in guidance to medical staff, Sandie Peggie’s employment tribunal heard.
Lisa Mackenzie, a former RCN Scotland policy officer, said the trade union had produced guidance for nurses on how to deal with patients with a “transgender identity”.
Ms Mackenzie said a glossary of terms provided examples of “gender identity”, which included “eunuch”, a term that refers to a male who has been surgically castrated.
She said she felt “pretty shocked” that a professional healthcare body had included this in its guidance to nurses “on how to offer clinical care”.
The list included other “contested” terms such as “girlboy”, “boygirl” and “genderqueer”.
Ms Mackenzie was giving evidence on the second day of Ms Peggie’s case against the RCN, claiming that they discriminated against her for her gender-critical beliefs.
The nurse is taking legal action, claiming that the RCN failed to support her in her dispute with NHS Fife, after she objected to share a female hospital changing room with a trans doctor. The union denies the claim.