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.

Well I also don't understand why anyone would be against LGBT. Other people's priivate lives don't affect me.

To PPs who see ' hate' 'trans- bashing' etc : please please report it to mnhq.
They take it very seriously indeed.

No, it's you harassing someone about their beliefs which are quite literally none of your business and potentially protected under the Equality Act.

If you have actual reason to believe they are not doing their job properly, deal with that.

Otherwise, stop behaving like the rainbow stasi.

"the neutrality thing is a good point and maybe we shouldn't ever have had the rainbow ones"

This. Lesson learned. Change may be difficult but an organisation supporting young people will presumably have people trained and competent in having open discussions, and there will be ways to help youngsters feel nurtured and cared for, without creating a drama or making impositions on others over something as basic as a set of new name badges.

(If you want to do something that will have a genuinely lasting impact, teach everyone to put a small, hidden piece of sellotape on their top, to support the fabric where the pin pierces it, and avoid holes and excess wear and tear. If new badges are this traumatic, you really don't want to have to cope with a whole change of uniform!)

Years ago, before I ever gave the GI/GC issues any considered thought, I rejected requests to add pronouns to my bio, because I like to have freedom to change things up to suit current circumstances, and I didn't want the burden of having to justify 'removing' pronouns to suit my own evolving needs. And I've always resisted badges that are a talking point because I dont want people 'reading' slogans or anything else that I am wearing on my body. I'm not a walking billboard. I wish my general thoughts had evolved sooner, but I'm glad I never fell into the pronoun or display behaviour trap.

@MissScarletInTheBallroom This x 1000! (But on a noticeboard not a badge or tshirt 😁)

"We need to stop bringing our whole selves to work and start just bringing our work selves to work."

The T part affects all.women. Do you want men in dresses in women's spaces. I certainly don't.

I suggest your company take better legal advice than this if they allow their staff to be harangued by abusive colleagues. But who cares, at least the lawyers are getting rich.

I think interrogating how the present day 'rainbow' impacts ALL lgbt and not just one element is absolute showing their values

Goodness, people caring about their rights, how quaint and bizarre!

Why should people have to outline on their name badge at work their views on (a non popular and fading) weird gender ideology.

I find it hard to believe that an organisation had a badge that shows that someone is actively anti LGBT.
I wouldn’t wear one as I don’t see why I should wear a badge/ lanyard that actively promotes the T who totally disrespect women’s rights. I have no issues with supporting the LGB but still don’t know why this requires recognition. I also support animal rights - why can’t anyone wear a lanyard for this?

There has been no 'creating a drama' and no one has said it has been 'traumatic'

100% agree. Humans are mostly straight, some are gay, some are BI - END OF. Animals cant talk or make a fuss that's why!

Hi @whatishappening123 as you work with vulnerable young people, you might like to hear from a group of them who often need to access Nhs counselling and abuse support about why the trans flag stuff is a problem. Hopefully it will help readers recognise why Rainbow flags are hostile and threatening to some young people, including those whu support lgb rights. Neutral badges are better ....
childrenoftransitioners.org/schools-safeguarding-email-from-cots/

I’m in favour of freedom. People should be free to choose what they believe and what they support and what they think. I don’t want to live in a woke dictatorship. (And I say that as someone who passionately supports the LGBTQ community.)

The company might have decided to allow another option than a political symbol.

The person who communicated this to people might have disagreed with the change and presented it as choosing the other option ‘if you weren't happy to support LGBT anymore’. Unprofessional of them.

That is very powerful.

Bigots are easy to spot from their rainbow pride badges, though they are not ashamed of it at all. Quite the contrary; they are incredibly vocal about their intolerance of those who won’t play along with their fantasies.

Fair enough.

If your workplace has agreed that rainbow name badges are uniform, why do you think you deserve special consideration here?

I don't like some things at work, but I'm getting paid for my time.

"hostile". OK 🫩🫩🤠

Just to be clear, the comparator for a protected characteristic is someone without that characteristic. So in the case of men who identify as woman (so have the protected characteristic of gender reassignment) the comparator is other men. In other words, men who identify as women must not be treated differently to other men. It in no way gives them the right to be treated as the opposite sex.

While I understand that people don't like being forced to show support for things they have an issue with, I couldn't get upset about wearing something designed to show kids they are in a safe space.

Equality means EVERYONE is safe. We don't get to trump vulnerable kids to prove a point, especially when we have CHOSEN to work with them.

Feels a bit petty.

If your workplace has agreed that “From River to Sea” badges are uniform, why do you think Jewish workers deserve any consideration here?

Hardly equality when you wear a badge that privileges one group over all others.

@Catssuddenlyappear please can you explain to me why work should mandate to me (a regular employee) that I wear a rainbow badge?

I am a Christian - should all staff be mandated to wear cross necklaces?

I am black - should all staff be mandated to kneel in remembrance of George Floyd?

These are PERSONAL beliefs. The workplace should be neutral. Neutral for ALL.

I too am getting paid for my time. I feel I am entitled to do my job and get paid for my output without being dragged into overly personal idealogies.

May you explain your logic?