Globe Theatre accused of ‘appeasing’ gender activists after staff inclusivity guidance leaked

Training documents told staff to replace words such as ‘gentleman’ with ‘someone’ and to avoid using the term ‘guys’

The Globe Theatre has been accused of trying to “appease” extreme gender activists after leaked documents showed staff were told to use the word “queer” and avoid the word “gentleman”.
In one training document shared with The Telegraph, staff members were informed they should avoid calling people “guys”, which can count as a “negative micro-behaviour”, or telling members of the LGBTIQA+ community “You’re so brave.”
Staff were also told in training: “If you hear someone using the wrong pronouns for somebody, you can correct them by saying ‘Oh you mean they, not she.’”
Should someone take offence to being informed they are using the wrong pronouns, staff are advised to say: “That’s actually harmful to trans and gender diverse people.”
A former employee said the changes coincided with the production of I, Joan, written by Charlie Josephine, a non-binary actor who has published guidance on how theatres can be more inclusive. 
Josephine’s “rollicking queer Western”, Cowbois, recently played at The Royal Court Theatre (RC) in a joint production with The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).
During Josephine’s time at The Globe in 2022, staff members were sent a document titled I, Joan Audiences Document, which advised them to use gender-neutral terms. 
This included replacing “There is a gentleman in the Foyer who needs your assistance,” with “There is someone in the Foyer who needs your assistance.”
Last month, Josephine published a guide on how theatres can facilitate “‘queer work’ in ‘straight venues’” and sent it to recipients of the actor’s newsletter. 
Criticising the use of “ladies and gentlemen” announcements, Josephine directs readers to the website Pronouns.org as a “great resource” – which the Royal Court and RSC link to online.
Other suggestions by the actor are mirrored in the RSC and Royal Courts’ activities. 
Josephine recommends theatres should put “a note about what you mean by using the word ‘queer’ or ‘trans’”, and the RSC has followed this advice, linking to a page titled Talking About Gender underneath information for Cowbois.
Josephine previously pledged to “never stop bigging up” the work of Gendered Intelligence, a charity that has given seminars in schools to four and five-year-olds on gender identity. The RSC lists Gendered Intelligence as a partner.
Commenting on the developments, James Dreyfus, the TV and theatre actor, said: “The notion that forcing gender identity theory upon audiences is essential as it ‘bolsters inclusivity’ is utterly misguided. 
“In reality, it is simply pushing a vast number of people away. Not only from potential audiences but from the profession itself.
“The theatre is already inclusive, by its very nature. To further compartmentalise and cause division where there was none is a folly for which the arts will soon pay a heavy price.
“Oh, and the word ‘queer’ has not been reclaimed by a huge number of same-sex attracted people. It’s predominantly used by heterosexual people to appease edgy and Q+ extremist activists. Most gay people I know loathe the word as it was the last thing they heard before getting a kicking.”
Andrew Doyle, an author and comedian, said: “The imposition of gender identity ideology on the arts has been a disaster for creative freedom. 
“The best artists are free-thinkers, but this new authoritarian movement demands that they conform. This is why so many theatres are producing propaganda rather than vibrant and innovative works of art.”
Recently, the Royal Court said it was considering redundancies after a difficult financial year for the theatre, and the RSC said it would be offering 25,000 tickets at £25 to “throw open the doors” to a more diverse crowd. 
Recipients of Josephine’s newsletter had “CheapTckts” to Cowbois flagged at “an exclusive discounted rate of £15”.
The Arts Council England has allocated over £15 million in annual funding to the Royal Shakespeare company for 2023-26.
A spokeswoman for The Globe, who also represents the non-binary actor, said: “Charlie Josephine is an incredible artist. We actively support all other theatres supporting the rights and work of artists.”
Charlie Josephine declined to comment.