Political badges should be banned from NHS uniforms

Except people who are very opposed to LGBT people do see a rainbow badge as political, which is my point about how all sorts of things will be deemed political, showing an opinion.etc which patients may take umbridge with. Some people could think a consultant going by Ms is a statement. We can't overly police everyone because patients hold a spectrum of beliefs. HCPs are humans too and currently are allowed to express themselves within the rules of their organisation. As long as everyone is treated respectfully.

We have patients not customers..well clearly opinion is split here between people responding to me that LGBT pins or lanyards are totally different and not political, and others saying it's a political sign and will cause fear in patients. It doesn't matter apparently that LGBT patients more often prefer to see an LGBT staff member depending on the reason they're there, and that my lanyard makes me instantly identifiable to PP who very actively doesn't want to see me.

Because the other items are based on a need. Wearing a hijab or kippah is a religious requirement, wearing a pin or a lanyard isn't.

These are the two obvious examples, but the NHS could easily undertake a process to assess other requests. Its done in other industries (like in construction, sikhs can wear turbans rather than a hard hat).

This isn’t about you though
It’s about the political expression of a lanyard and the potential effect it can have on customers

I think you are in danger of making this thread about LGTB pins or lanyards when what the OP made clear in her first post was that she was talking about something else:

"New report says political badges such as Pro Palestine shouldn't be worn on NHS uniforms. It's led to increased antisemitism and fear amongst Jewish patients".

But how do we justify banning them without the other items? Given they can all cause the same patient upset

I think you are in danger of making this thread about LGTB pins or lanyards when what the OP made clear in her first post was that she was talking about something else:

"New report says political badges such as Pro Palestine shouldn't be worn on NHS uniforms. It's led to increased antisemitism and fear amongst Jewish patients".

Ok great, I'm glad that you could easily see that and can request to not be cared for by me from afar. I'm not openly (or behind closed doors) oppressing anyone. I also have the right to not treat patients who are rude and abusive, and if you told me in person I was actively oppressing you by wearing my organisation provided lanyard I'd ask someone else to see you too.

Except people who are very opposed to LGBT people do see a rainbow badge as political, which is my point about how all sorts of things will be deemed political, showing an opinion.etc which patients may take umbridge with. Some people could think a consultant going by Ms is a statement. We can't overly police everyone because patients hold a spectrum of beliefs. HCPs are humans too and currently are allowed to express themselves within the rules of their organisation. As long as everyone is treated respectfully.

I don't think of anyone not wearing a LGBT lanyard or pin as straight (or assume everyone wearing one is a lesbian, gay, bi, or trans). I don't think about who the people treating me are sexually attracted to or their gender identity at all.

To me, the lanyard wouldn't bother me, whereas the Palestinian flag would, because that's been associated with hate and violence in my personal experience. As evidenced on this thread though, its not possible to know how any symbol will be interpreted by others so the safest (and most patient-centric) approach is to ban everything (except the items you listed previously).

As I am an LGB person, your rainbow lanyard scares the shit out of me. You assume only homophobes aren’t on board with the politicisation of who I am attracted to and the co-opting of my sexuality to force me out of women’s spaces and that says everything about how you would treat me. The rainbow lanyard is a specific political statement and nothing to do with supporting LGBs anymore. The NHS might have provided it but that just goes to show how mad things are now that they wasted money on marginalising LGB people at a time when they’re allegedly financially struggling. I would be fucking petrified if I was an inpatient on a ward and saw a rainbow lanyard because they are a tool of my oppression as an LGB woman. You are not my ally. And no, afaik we can’t just say, after a long wait for basic healthcare services, ‘sorry I want to see someone who isn’t openly oppressing my people.’ Just don’t oppress people!

This thread is about "political badges" so not sure your LGTB example is relevant anyway.

I think the problem is more about staff choosing to identify as on one side or the other in highly controversial wars like "pro Palestine" or "pro Israel".

What do you mean though? I should be assumed straight is what you're saying by saying I could just not do it. Why can't I be identifiably LGBT or an LGBt ally given this is within the NHS values? If a patient doesn't want to be cared for by a gay woman then surely they should know I'm gay and make an informed choice, I'm not at all trying to stop a patient accessing healthcare. That doesn't mean that everyone who works in healthcare has to present as straight passing.

This thread is about "political badges" so not sure your LGTB example is relevant anyway.

I think the problem is more about staff choosing to identify as on one side or the other in highly controversial wars like "pro Palestine" or "pro Israel".

Its very clearly an active choice to wear something that identifies you as part of any group because you could just not do it.

Why would I, as a patient, know about your sexuality or political beliefs or heritage or any other personal detail? How would that ever come up and in what way would that be necessary to treat me?

If your view is that your right to express your personal beliefs and identity is more important than a patient's right to access health care, just say so, but its very clear that those choosing to wear pins etc are placing their own wants over the needs of their patients.

What do you mean though? I should be assumed straight is what you're saying by saying I could just not do it. Why can't I be identifiably LGBT or an LGBt ally given this is within the NHS values? If a patient doesn't want to be cared for by a gay woman then surely they should know I'm gay and make an informed choice, I'm not at all trying to stop a patient accessing healthcare. That doesn't mean that everyone who works in healthcare has to present as straight passing.

What do you mean though? I should be assumed straight is what you're saying by saying I could just not do it. Why can't I be identifiably LGBT or an LGBt ally given this is within the NHS values? If a patient doesn't want to be cared for by a gay woman then surely they should know I'm gay and make an informed choice, I'm not at all trying to stop a patient accessing healthcare. That doesn't mean that everyone who works in healthcare has to present as straight passing.

Its very clearly an active choice to wear something that identifies you as part of any group because you could just not do it.

Why would I, as a patient, know about your sexuality or political beliefs or heritage or any other personal detail? How would that ever come up and in what way would that be necessary to treat me?

If your view is that your right to express your personal beliefs and identity is more important than a patient's right to access health care, just say so, but its very clear that those choosing to wear pins etc are placing their own wants over the needs of their patients.

Wearing a pin isn't actively behaving in any way though. As a LGBT person wearing an NHS provided rainbow lanyard how am I actively choosing to offend homophobic patients? Are you saying I need to be assumed straight at work and any sign of my sexuality is me being provocative?

Outrageous that they ever were, remember the issue about a nurse having a necklace and crucifix, how is this allowed when that was banned?

Yeah but they wont listen because they would rather risk upsetting some people just to try to signal to others how
supportive they are.

Of course wearing a badge is a way of showing support without having to get your hands dirty

Indeed. You would assume 'professionals ' might understand that. No need to wear your opinions on a pin on your work uniform. Just be professional.

But the difference here is between a neutral action (not using any pronouns or wearing any badge) and negative action (calling the patient a pronoun that will distress them, wearing a badge that will distress them).

Healthcare workers are not being asked to deny their beliefs or act in a way that counter to their beliefs, they are being asked not to actively behave in a way that may distress patients.

I didn't realiser you were a healthcare provider till this post.
I assumed a social science or humanities academic.
Do you honestly have no understanding of what it means to centre a patient's understandings of the meanings of various signs, symbols, symptoms even, in a healthcare setting?
A professional's intentions are so wholly irrelevant to making healthcare culturally safe and accessible for all people.
"But I wanna wear my badge!!!"
I'm beginning to see why things like maternal health outcomes for black women continue to lag despite decades of good intentions on the part of providers. It's not about the message you intend to communicate, it's about the message that's received by your patients.
It's not about you!!!! It's about your patients. Even when you don't understand their perspective. Especially when you don't understand their perspective.