AIBU that I'm annoyed the college makes my dd wear rainbow lanyard?

[thehusbandswife]

My dd started at sixth form last September and despite there being no uniform as such,the students have to wear their id badges on a rainbow lanyard.I am all for inclusion and diversity but feel angry that the college enforce such political opinions on their students and wondered what had happened to freedom of choice.Then last month during tutorial they devoted a whole hour teaching the students what it meant to be lbgqt as well as what pan sexual,asexual gender neutral is. AIBU to feel that there are far more pressing things to teach the students rather than these issues.On top of this certain teachers feel obliged to air their own political opinions,deeming anyone who disagreed with them re Brexit,general election as "uneducated"
It has been 20 years or so since I was at college when the focus was on education and political opinion/persuasions were not mentioned.Is this the norm these days in Sixth form education?

Oh thank you for this thread. I needed cheering up. I love me some thick-as-mince Brexiteering bigot whinging about their child having to rub along in the real world.

You're complaining that they spent one hour on LGBT issues? ONE hour?

What's your issue with the rainbow lanyard? Doesn't match your DD's complexion?

Our local Uni just has rainbow lanyards now because they were so popular they stopped bothering with the rest. Nobody wanted them.

What is a lanyard

iklboo yey 😁

Blimey, have rainbows been appropriated for the sole use of the LGBT community now?

I would have thought they chose rainbow colours specifically to avoid the professionally offended wilfully misinterpreting the choice of hue.

I'm wearing rainbow socks today but I'm straight, is that ok?

I don't see a problem in healthy debate on LGBT issues personally. I would have thought most college students are probably fairly well clued up anyway though and don't need educating. Very politically aware and inclusive generation in my experience.

YABU

Hopefully with the help of college, your D.C. will grow up to be less narrow minded than yoy

suzy2b
www.lanyardstomorrow.co.uk/en/funky-breakaway-novelty-lanyards-safety-neck-strap-with-metal-clip.html#.Wp_pdzzfWEc

Interesting first post.

Interestingly enough the NHS are pushing us ( staff) to wear rainbow lanyards at our Trust. And they are to promote LGBT positivity etc

Our trust have banned all lanyards due to infection control.

YABU
By 16 she is old enough to know about LGBT issues.

@suzy2b - that ribbon thing you use to wear an ID badge round your neck.

A friend at school told me she was asexual and I had absolutely no idea what that meant. I would have loved to have learned these things at school. There's nothing wrong with learning about other people being different to you. Especially not in one hour long class! Also, rainbows were a thing before LGBT community so you're definitely unreasonable there. It's just a rainbow lanyard!

Teachers shouldn't be dismissing other people's views or opinions though, I'll give you that. Discussions should be encouraged.

I can't see anything political about a rainbow lanyard.

I have a colleague who wears a Wimbledon LTA lanyard.

He's clearly sportist.

Sex education should be based in fact and good research.

Teaching them about pan gender identity is nonsense.

I actually self-id as a rainbow lanyard.

Schools should teach pupils about the world they live in, and ours includes Brexit and LGBT people. As long as they were free to voice and discuss a dissenting, different or nuanced opinion, I don't see the problem.

The rainbow has long been a symbol of the LGBT community, as anyone who's ever strolled down e.g. Canal Street in Manchester will know. The lanyard is quite clearly, in this context, an LGBT-supporting one. If your daughter does not wish to support that, I would say that's fine and she can buy herself a different one and be prepared to justify why if anyone asks.

I personally do have a problem with all this safe-space no-platforming going on at academic institutions, but I don't think this is what you meant.

@DannyLaRuesBestFrock

LOL

I wear a lanyard with Darth Vader on it for work. I mean, to be fair, I am trying to promote the Dark Side and build up to taking over the galaxy...

Schools/colleges issue the same colour lanyards so that it is easy to tell who is supposed to be there and who isn't. For instance, staff might wear blue lanyards, visitors might be given red ones. Students can see at a glance who is staff and who isn't. Anyone with a blue lanyard will have been DBS checked.
I suspect the rainbow lanyard is not an expression of gayness at all, just an easy visual ID.

Bigotry, homophobia and prejudice thrive in an atmosphere of ignorance. Be grateful that your dd is getting an education that improves her knowledge and understanding of the world and her / other's place in it. Plenty of countries don't give their children that opportunity.