The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), which is the “professional body” and trade union which represents member physiotherapists in the UK, has launched its first “definitive position statement on transphobia” with the publication of its “position statement on transphobia.” The publication has sent a chill through the profession, as anonymous whistleblowers express concerns about censorship.
The “transphobia” statement describes the aim of “eradicating [transphobia] from our profession” by instructing members that they “must raise concerns about colleagues” if they think that the colleague’s “personal values, biases and beliefs” have led them to “discriminate” against others, with discrimination including “denying” someone’s “gender identity or refusing to accept it.”
The publication was accompanied by an announcement by the CPS declaring that the “Transphobia statement is a milestone for the profession.”
In unpublished internal memos provided to Reduxx by an anonymous member, the CSP vows to prevent its “channels being used to spread transphobia” and urges members to report colleagues and comments to the Corporate Comms Team.
The published definitions were created following a consultation process announced by the “LGBTQIA+ voice and network of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Definitions of Transphobia Working Group,” with a “Statement of Intent” in January of 2023.
After a year of deliberations, the CSP announced on X that it had adopted its first “definitive position statement on transphobia.”
Stephanie Land, chair of the CSP LGBTQIA+ network, thanked staff and members for their “efforts and emotional labour” invested in creating the “pivotal piece of work.”
The position statement attempts to define “transphobia” for the “safety of transgender members and transgender patients” and describes it as “complex” and stating: “There is no definitive list of transphobic behaviours, but it includes, for example, the questioning of a transgender person’s gender identity.”
Citing a definition by “TransActual” the statement goes on to say:
“The consequence of transphobia is that trans people struggle to live openly and comfortably in society. An ultimate outcome may be the erasure of trans people as a viable class of people. Transphobia includes, but is not limited to:
Attempting to remove trans people’s rights.
Misrepresenting trans people.
Abuse.
Systematically excluding trans people from discussions about issues that directly affect them.
Other forms of discrimination.
(Source: TransActual)”
Sarine Baz, chair of the CSP Equity, Diversity and Belonging committee, stated in the announcement that “transphobia,” as defined by the CPS, is “never acceptable” and that “’expressing negative attitudes or feelings towards transgender individuals, or other transphobic actions, can’t be tolerated.”
The position statement lists CPS commitments with No.6 in the list describing the commitment for members to “show allyship by challenging transphobia outside the profession.” It also instructs member physiotherapists to take political stances, “including opposing so called “conversion therapy,” which has been under consultation in the UK for proposed new laws to enforce bans on “conversion therapy” which, according to the BBC, “include practices aimed at transgender people.”
The CSP statement goes on to say that: “But in doing so we note the advice of the Equity, Diversity and Belonging Committee not to hold or take positions on the following issues: trans athletes, single sex services outside healthcare or gender recognition legislation.”
The Equity, Diversity and Belonging committee has members who specialize in sports and sex-specific sporting injuries and members who focus on the specific experiences of black and ethnic minority people.
The Position Statement also declares that it will censor comments from members and the public on forums where members discuss issues, stating “We will not allow transphobic comments to be published on the CSP website, on iCSP, in our e-bulletins or in Frontline.”
While aiming to encourage “the development of safe spaces for education around transgender issues. Discussing discrimination can be challenging and people should feel safe to discuss how we address all forms of oppression … centred on the experience of those who are oppressed.”
The Position Statement includes reference to the new Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) standards of conduct which come into force in September 2024. The HCPC regulates registered physiotherapists who are members of the CPS. The provisions quoted include that members must “take action to ensure that your personal values, biases and beliefs do not lead you to discriminate against service users, carers or colleagues.”
Reduxx has obtained unpublished internal CSP documents circulated to members, warning that “[the CSP] are seeking to prevent negative and transphobic voices pre-empting this statement” and that they alerted LGBTQIA+ Network members “via WhatsApp” so that members can “emotionally prepare” for the launch.
The briefing paper states that the CSP is “taking a position on trans rights” because it stands for “human rights and against all forms of discrimination and hatred” and states that “transphobia in the workplace and within healthcare is damaging and destructive for transgender and non-binary people… it is a barrier to the culture of safety needed to progress physiotherapy into an equitable, diverse and inclusive way.”
The paper also notes that there is “no legal or consensus definition of transphobia,” leading the CPS to have to develop one on their own.
Describing what action the CPS will take against the undefined transphobia, it states it will “challenge transphobia outside the profession” and the Equity, Diversity and Belonging Committee “will actively monitor progress.”
In a question on whether “transphobic members” would be penalized, the CSP says it is not the arbiter of professional complaints, and that the HCPC will instead decide on complaints. However, the updated CSP voluntary code will “inform that work” of the HCPC in making their judgement on complaints.
Members are told that the CSP commits to “preventing our channels being used to spread transphobia. We do not monitor posts in real time but will remove or edit comments which do not conform to the position statement as soon as we can. If you have concerns about anything you see on our channels please let the Corporate Comms Team (if you are staff) or [EMAIL] (if you are a member) as soon as possible.”
Members were instructed that following the statement “on 11 April supportive commentary on the statement, wider commentary showing allyship on trans issues, will be acceptable.”
When hypothetically asked how the CSP members should manage social media commentary they are advised that “there is a risk that people outside the profession may choose to get involved online… this may include very challenging behaviour which could be distressing.” They are told “do not get into protracted exchanges with those who don’t agree with us. Instead put our positive messages, without reference to the negatives, in order to counter them.”
After that, they are told to report hateful comments to the website administrators, social media companies and the police.
CSP’s position statement garnered much attention on social media from those concerned with gender ideology’s impact on women’s rights. Notably, Maya Forstater, who won an Employment Appeal Tribunal that found that her “gender critical beliefs” were protected under UK equality law, highlighted her concerns with the new CSP Policy.
“Have you consulted a lawyer before producing this? Ask them about Meade v WCC & Social Work England,” Forstater asked, pointing to a recent case judgment in 2024 which found that a social worker named Rachel Meade was unlawfully harassed and discriminated against in the workplace by her employer on the basis of her “gender critical beliefs.”
The CSP statement on transphobia was published one day after the much-anticipated Cass Review which “demolished” the NHS’s “entire gender treatment model” and highlighted ideological guidelines on the discussion of “transgender” issues having detrimentally impacted health care professional’s behaviors and practices.