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.

Do you think people should be allowed to display any political symbol they wish at work?

Yes I know. I disagree with the red option “do not agree with LGBT”

LGBT is in no way marginalised. It is centred in all DEI initiatives, it is promoted across towns and cities, and in this case prioritised over everyone else on lanyards.

Lol, as you can see, they are ALL covered as protected characteristics so that’s clearly the point, given the person I originally replied to claimed LGBT wasn’t protected.

I am not anti LGBTQIA+ but I would object to being made to declare my support publicly for anything. If I went to a Pride event then rainbow badges, clothing etc would be appropriate, I don't feel it should be compulsory in a work setting.

It isn’t

You’re not to be taken seriously.

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

That’s good, because I’m sure the feeling is mutual @AguNwaanyi

Why do you keep quoting things which disprove your claim?

Just DON’T teach them to punch them in the balls if all else fails… or tweet about doing so.

ETA 🤦🏽‍♀️

Wear the rainbow, or else eh?

Actually several posters have said LGBT is not a protected characteristic

www.gov.uk/discrimination-your-rights

It isn’t. I am no longer taking your posts with any degree of seriousness @Sunsetswimming

.

Going too far to basically say you wear this or you're against LGBT. It doesn't need to be promoted on a uniform!

Urgh I hate crap like this - use the badge or else you hate etc etc. why the fuck is it not ok anymore to just quietly support anymore? Why must I now use some rainbow badge?!

If people don’t even understand what the protected characteristics are I’m not wasting my time on their nonsense.

But you could wear all sorts of badges for all sorts of causes of your own volition. My teen has cancer, what if she came to your place of work and you weren’t wearing a cancer research badge, should she feel ostracised? Why does only LGBT matter?

Agree. There are so many issues I care about, basically just equality, so to wear a badge for them all would be ridiculous 🙄

Well it isn't.

Sexuality (which includes L, G and B but also heterosexuals) is one.

Gender reassignment is another.

So LGBT is not a protected characteristic, although all people within this group will have the protected characteristic of sexuality (including those who are heterosexual, as many trans people are), and some of them will have the protected characteristic of gender reassignment.

Identities such as queer and non binary are not protected at all.

The reason many people love these badges is the opportunity it gives them to coerce and harass colleagues and service users. They should all be banned.

Have we not all seen enough of Emma Watson's face this week?