Rainbow badges at work - upset

[whatishappening123]

I work in a sector with vulnerable young people. A few years ago, we made the decision as a company to wear as part of our uniform, a name tag with the rainbow on as part of pledging our support to LGBT+
We have all received new name badges and for the first time ever- an option has been provided to have a red coloured one instead of the rainbow if staff 'do not agree with LGBT+'
I have raised this with HR and union and been told that staff are now allowed to choose and that is their right.
I feel really upset by this - colleagues I have known for years are now deciding against the rainbow badge.
We work with the most vulnerable- who are often LGBT. Some of our service users have asked staff directly why they are not using them- and they have lied saying " They'd run out , or the pin on the rainbow ones are crap, some staff are hiding the red ones.
It's not a majority by any means - it's probably about 11 staff in a staff of 60.
I just feel really really upset by it, but I can't quite put my finger on why.
I also don't understand how people can be 'against' LGBT
It's a protected characteristic.

I don't agree with the nonsense that is gender changing, so I definitely wouldn't wear the rainbow badge 🤷‍♀️

I’m a lesbian. I wouldn’t want to wear a rainbow badge & I’d be reluctant to stay in a place where everyone had them on.

This is because the rainbow isn’t pro-LGB any more. It’s purely about the T, and gender ideology is intrinsically sexist & homophobic. Has your workplace heard of the Cass Report?

Why do you need a badge to do that? What other groups of people are wearing a badge for?

I'm the first link! 🤷

Here you go: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/7 (Gender Reassignment)

https://www.gov.uk/discrimination-your-rights

What service do you offer if you need to advertise where you are pro or anti LGBT people? Surely a company shouldn't be forcing people to declare their views on a protected characteristic?

Copy and paste the text then. I don’t click on random google docs.

Why do you think women are not vulnerable to violent men in the Scottish female estate, or in America or other countries where male rapists are locked up with vulnerable women?

As for queer conspiracies, you need to read up on Foucault, Ruben, Califa or Butler. They are the ‘big’ academic queer theorists and all promote the removal of age of consent in their own words. No conspiracy needed.

Gender reassignment is a PC, and sexual orientation is a PC. “LGBT” is not a PC and there are conflicts of interest as pp said.

I don't understand why a work badge should be showing 'support' for anything. Surely the purpose is to show the wearer's name - not what ideology they believe in.

It would make me feel very uncomfortable if the only option was a pro-LGBTQ name badge, just as it would make me feel uncomfortable if the name badge had a cross on it, or any other symbol that showed my support for a belief system. My belief or non-belief is my own personal business.

It sounds sensible that the employer has now given people the option of having a neutral name badge.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-transgender-prisoner-policy-comes-into-force

Which rock have you been living under for the last two years?

Pronouns do significant harms. They are not neutral. So I absolutely wouldn't use them. They are not harmless.

LGBT is not a protected characteristic.

DB is gay and the most venously anti-LGBT+ person I have ever met. He is enraged that people think it's ok to openly discuss his sexuality and 'support' it. He has all the rights anyone in the land does, he knows many globally dominant religions consider his life sinful and avoids them and homophobic countries.
The parading of this nonsense is harmful in many ways: rainbow washing is rife.

Agree. If you’re in a job supporting people, you’re there for them, not to express your own opinions.
Wear one or don’t wear one, fine. To wear a specific anti badge isn’t on. It’s about the service users, not the staff.
Frankly if you’re “anti” LGBT+, why would you even want to take such a role?

I really want to state my thoughts but can't formulate a sentence that won't have me kicked.

The red badge is just neutral.

'I also don't understand how people can be 'against' LGBT'

But the fact is that, rightly or wrongly, lots and lots of people are against it.
IMO one of the underlying issues with current social tensions is that many people have felt for too long that they cannot say what they believe, at risk of being punished.
It may come as a surprise to you , OP, that people may prefer not to support the Rainbow, but the truth is that many people, including very nice ones, can make that decision . Obviously quite a few are at your workplace.

Why would I need to put "my pronouns" anywhere? Everyone can see I am a woman. What would be the point of doing this?

I don't "value" other people's identities, I really don't give a shit about them, they have nothing whatsoever to do with me.

The workplace needs to be a neutral place which is equally inclusive of everyone, not just people who think they have their own pronouns.

You can't legislate for feelings in someones head, especially when those feelings don't reflect reality and upset other people.

Yep here you go.

"The Equality Act 2010 says you must not be discriminated against because:

• you are heterosexual, gay, lesbian or bisexual
• someone thinks you have a particular sexual orientation (this is known as discrimination by perception)
• you are connected to someone who has a particular sexual orientation (this is known as discrimination by association)

In the Equality Act, sexual orientation includes how you choose to express your sexual orientation, such as through your appearance or the places you visit."

To be honest, I'm not really as invested in this discussion as you are. That'll teach me for scrolling idly whilst my tea is cooking.

Peace out.

Yes, I know what the prison policy is as of a few years ago, as a personal friend of mine was instrumental in getting it changed. Where are you getting that all the men who were already in female prison are segregated? You claimed that there was zero risk of women being attacked by trans identified males. Let’s have that evidence.

What harms do they do?

Also this does not apply in Scotland and they have repeatedly refused to adopt a similar policy @Bobbingtons

None of that is relevant to T