NHS rainbow badges

[YesIWorkForTheNHS]

As per (shiny new) user name, I work for the NHS. They're bringing in rainbow badges and lanyards at my trust (Google NHS rainbow badges if you want).

Anyone want to help me disentagle / articulate what I think about this?

On the one hand, I want to be inclusive (in the sense that I want everyone to have equal access to healthcare, and remove barriers - real or perceived - to people accessing what we offer). But biological sex matters, particularly in healthcare, and I think we should be held to high standards wrt equality of access for everyone (including women and girls) whether or not we are wearing stripy accessories.

I'm ignoring it for now. But I've had plenty of people tell me how great it is. I have friends at work who know what I believe wrt sex and gender, but I'm not sure I want to have an all-out discussion about my decision not to signal "my tribe" with a badge. The rainbow does not (any longer) represent my beliefs.

Surely at work we should be treating all people the same? The bow implies that a male demanding entrance to say a gynaecology ward with ‘women’s troubles’ will be humoured? Or as happened, a pregnant person presenting themself at hospital with abdominal pains - as a man, and insistent on this - not being given critical checks that resulted in the loss of a baby?

Literal virtue-signaling?

It's a political statement. Which should not ever be used at work in a public-servant type of role. I can see the purpose if, as someone suggested above, it's to signal a specific skillset/area of specialism.

But this seems like faddy rainbow-washing rather than being a genuine way to ensure all patients are treated fairly and respectfully.

I understand where people are coming from who feel wearing the rainbow makes them more approachable. But as someone who has had colleagues banned from certain countries because they treated a murderer with dignity and compassion, there really, really should not be a need for rainbow lanyards. All NHS staff should treat all individuals from mass murderers to the most innocent child, from the most left wing to right wing, from the most confused to the most rigid in their thinking with compassion, dignity and the utmost skill.

The idea that the rainbow is some sort of sign of universal inclusion is laughable in my view.

To most it is a symbol of gay rights. To those who've been paying attention that has been high-jacked by trans privilege.

I doubt more than a miniscule fraction of the population would think it a sign of general inclusion encompassing disabilities, sex, freedom of thought conscience and religion. If anything more people see it as anti freedom of thought and religion and would be put off by it than encouraged.

Political symbols have no place in the public sector. When did we lose sight of this basic principle?

I echo what Michelleoftheresistance says. The rainbow flag has become a real warning marker for me. It's a symbol of lesbian and female oppression.

If I see someone wearing a rainbow lanyard or badge or whatever I have no idea if I'm actually dealing with someone who is genuinely lgb friendly or just some thoughtless straight person who's been on a half-day Stonewall training course and decided to wear it because they believe in lady brains and think the rainbow makes them look cool. I will be extra-careful around anyone wearing one.

The NHS is supposed to be inclusive of EVERYONE, that's the whole point of it. The rainbow is a divisive political symbol and it should be understood as such. As Michelle has pointed out on this thread, it's even divisive to members of the community it is supposed to represent!

Does an NHS staff member choosing to NOT wear a rainbow and making a weird pledge to "be willing to support anyone with a protected characteristic" (WTF?) mean they AREN'T going to be sensitive to the healthcare needs of LGBT people? If they're working in the NHS that's a key component of their job- to treat all patients with dignity, regardless of who they are.

Or will opting out send a signal to their colleagues that they might be guilty of some kind of wrongthink? Will it affect promotion opportunities, or their ability to be taken seriously by superiors who choose to wear it?

And, as others have said, what does wearing the rainbow tell patients who may have a whole variety of reasons for not liking or trusting the movement it represents? It would put me off, because I don't want to receive any kind of intimate care from men. If everyone at the hospital or GP surgery was wearing a rainbow when I went in to get a smear test, it sends a signal to me that I won't be guaranteed a female HCP.

Incidentally, I kind of feel the same way about the poppy. I don't have a problem if people want wear it and support the Poppy Appeal, but I feel it's almost becoming mandatory (look at the shit people get if they go on telly in November without one) and if you don't wear one you're at risk of being labelled as unpatriotic and uncaring about the sacrifices made by people in the Armed Forces.

Both the rainbow and the poppy are becoming virtue signals, from different political wings.

Anyone a fan of Seinfeld? There was one where Kramer was doing an AIDs walk but refused to wear the red ribbon because everyone was so insistent that he must. He ended up getting beaten up.

The poopy appeal is an interesting comparison. I work in the public sector, local government not NHS, and very year someone from the poppy appeal comes in and asks us if we will host a collection tin. And every year we say no because we don't collect for any charity, that would be seen as a political choice and we have to be neutral so no charity collections of any sort are permitted. Yet every year come the 11th we are expected to wear a poppy (which we are supplied with from a box bought years ago so no year in year out giving involved, purely 'virtue signalling'). It makes no sense.

Poopy? Poppy!

Ahem Lord Prof. Have you not clocked my username??

😂

Serenity now - insanity later

I'm bisexual and a sexual assault victim.

My sexual orientation has never been a barrier to getting healthcare and I have always felt comfortable disclosing my orientation to HCPs.

My sexual assault history has caused difficulty getting pelvic exams and smear tests, difficulty getting IUCDs, and I have often not disclosed it all. When I first started disclosing it, I was unsure as to how the HCP will react. I still haven't told my GP practise nurses during smears because I anticipate that they may not have the training that a gynaecologist or sexual health specialist would have to be able to respond helpfully. As a consequence, I have to book a full day off work for every smear test to recover from the retraumatisation of having my vagina invaded and stretched and hurt. If I could not be assured of a female HCP for smears, I could not attend them, putting my life at risk of cervical cancer. I remind you again that these problems are from sexual assault, not my sexual orientation.

I would love a purple ribbon badge or similar that would signal to women that a female staff member had been trained in handling sexual assault disclosures and would help you advocate for what you need to minimise distress and retraumatisation during pelvic exams.

FFS I've panic attacks on the examining couch and been screaming and in tears, but that doesn't matter to Penis News because I have a cunt. Prick News do not represent L nor the female B, they should rename the acronym G-maleB-T.

I might be a bit angry about this.

Interesting thread. I've been wearing a rainbow lanyard for a couple of years on the basis of it showing that I am a gay-friendly listening ear to people using our services. It came with awareness training so that it would not only be used to get woke cookies without clearer understanding of potential difficulties.

As I have become clearer in my views about the trans ideology I have wondered if I should stop wearing it but decided not to because I do believe that gay people do still generally get worse treatment in the NHS because of casual and not-so-casual discrimination and someone with gender dysphoria still needs my best care.

Interestingly though, all the different staff networks now want different lanyards. It feels quite divisive to me now - what was about improving care now seems to be about group allegiance and that makes me feel like we're going backwards.

As a pregnant lesbian I think these lanyards are fantastic. Noticed both my midwife and the guy who took my blood wearing them yesterday.

It made me feel a lot more comfortable explaining my baby was conceived using a donor. Having encountered homophobia in the NHS before, it's simply reassuring to know the person treating you isn't prejudiced.

If they are voluntary I really don't see the issue. If the OP doesn't want to wear one then nobody is forcing her.

Actually I think it’s insanity now.
Multiple lanyards for different interest groups. Yep, that’s definitely what the NHS should be spending our money on.

*As a pregnant lesbian I think these lanyards are fantastic. Noticed both my midwife and the guy who took my blood wearing them yesterday.

It made me feel a lot more comfortable explaining my baby was conceived using a donor. Having encountered homophobia in the NHS before, it's simply reassuring to know the person treating you isn't prejudiced.*

And that is exactly why they were created. I don't think it's fair to let our anger over other issues stop us from doing what we can to counter discrimination.

Even if lesbians are being pushed aside in the current climate by this movement?

I hate the idea that if you don't wear one it is assumed that you are a raging bigot. Care should be supplied to all regardless of their sexuality, race, age, politics, religion...

It made me feel a lot more comfortable explaining my baby was conceived using a donor.

I'm not sure that people's feelings about sperm donorship are that tightly attached to their view of LGBT issues though?

Exactly justanothernomaj

They are there for the benefit of LGBT patients to show there is understanding of the specific needs of these patients.

I do think there is a very separate issue going on where women should absolutely have the right to request a female doctor or nurse - and for that person to be biologically female.

Wearing a rainbow lanyard doesn't mean you disregard the needs of your female patients!

I've been thinking about how I feel about this compared to someone like a nurse wearing a turban or a nurse who is clearly Amish or something like that. Or for that matter if I happened to know that my nurse was gay, maybe they mention a spouse in passing or something.

Those things don't actually bother me, and I think it's because my expectation is really that whatever they think, and whatever I think, and obviously we all have our own convictions, religious beliefs, etc, they are going to give me the best care they can and human consideration. For the most part that's been my experience as well, I've had the odd doctor who was in some way judgemental, but I've always had really amazing nursing care in that sense.

So, with the doctor or nurse wearing a turban, that's their personal conviction, they do it because its about their rules for themselves. I'm adult enough to be comfortable with someone with different ideas than I have.

But when its about the institution claiming allegiance to something, that seems different to me. It's foundation is supposed to be care, the same care, for everyone, even the worst possible people.

Goosefoot honestly the assumption from pretty much all doctors, nurses, midwives etc is that all women are straight.

All the forms I filled in for my pregnancy refer to the baby's 'father'.

I am often asked for my 'partner's' blood type when discussing my pregnancy which is confusing as my partner isn't related to the baby!

When I had my last baby the midwife asked me if I wanted my mum (my wife!) to wait outside...

The rainbow lanyards show a great step forward, that people are being trained to understand not all women are straight.

Of course care should be given to all regardless but the fact is that it isn't. In our trust there is a disproportionate level of religious and cultural fuelled discrimination. Even when there isn't outright discrimination there are often lost opportunities to really give someone the support they need.

As I say, I am aware of all the problems and I've had a lot of dilemmas around some of the T stuff that comes with the LGB but I can't let that stop me giving my best exactly because everyone should get the best regardless of my political opinions.

Wearing a rainbow lanyard doesn't mean you disregard the needs of your female patients!

In a climate of TWAW, your female patients might not realise this. How the HCP feels about the lanyard may not be obvious to the patient, and the patient may misinterpret its intent.