Mayor enters Pride debate after ambulance service withdraws from event

[mrshoho]

Mayor enters Birmingham Pride debate after ambulance withdrawal - BBC News https://share.google/ACz113Oiugv6iVZ1Y

Interesting decision. Will other areas follow?

Yes and that was daft of me to say but it's v annoying Unison can outright state they reject the gender critical movement. It's not the same as being racist or homophobic. It's a protected belief. They could not guarantee to support one of its members who had a work place grievance where gender identity was partly involved. I know we have a choice as to whether we join a union but almost all of them share the same views.

They don't have much choice.

I bet WMAS lawyers were all over them like a rash, now the law is so clear on this aspect - the statement has lawyer-advised written all over it.

Someone should do an FOI to see the emails about it, just for pure entertainment value.

Just popping on here to say a lot of NHS staff have rainbow lanyards as a hangover from Covid clap for the NHS things. It’s not necessarily pride related. Covid was really bad if you worked through it in the NHS, the fear and stress was real, and a lot of people are not ready to forget that.

That may indeed be what the wearers think they are saying (and I completely sympathise with the sentiment) but what the general public interprets the wearing of a rainbow lanyard is the following, from the NHS:

“Have you seen our rainbow badges and lanyards?
Wearing a pride badge or pride progress lanyard is a way for us to show that we're an open, non-judgemental, and inclusive place for people who identify as LGBTQI+.”

www.lnwh.nhs.uk/lgbtqiplus/

Thank you, that's a really good point - I noticed during Covid that the rainbow was being used in a non-gay way, but we had never copyrighted it, I think Noah had prior claim to it😁
I don't forget the sacrifice that healthcare workers made during Covid, but some of the weird online conspiracy theories about it overlook the real tragedies, and, by extension, the real heroism of healthcare workers.

It's a pity that the rainbow has now been associated again not so much with the lesbian and gay community, which most people are OK about, but with transgenderism, which is a lot more contested.

It's good to know that an individual's rainbow lanyard may represent and commemorate courage and resilience during the pandemic. It's unfortunate that it has come to mean something else.

How other people see it is difficult, but very often it’s either Covid or just a jolly colourway which might have the bonus of feeling inclusive to lgb people. I don’t thank anyone is wearing the MaxPride 17 colours on a lanyard.
A lot of trusts gave out badges saying thank you with a rainbow after covid and I think some people hold very tightly onto those items.

All of our public services should have a robust Equal Opps / non discrimination policy backed up by professionalism and accountability.

That’s it! Properly implemented that’s all that is needed to demonstrate ‘dignity’, ‘solidarity’ etc with minorities.

Not taking time out of an underfunded overstretched service to parade about in face paint draped in flags.

As I say, I totally sympathise. I personally am very drawn to rainbow coloured clothing, but in the last 5-10 years have actively avoided it. It makes me angry (at myself) that I do this, and that I feel I have to do this so as not to be seen to support something I don’t support. I don’t know what the answer is, I’m afraid.

How 'inclusive' is it to wear any statement of private opinion, in a workplace? But above all, when that workplace involves potentially helpless vulnerable people? Religious tokens are not suitable. Nor, political allegiance badges, or indication of membership of one or other sports club. But even worse, would be indications that staff were keen on an ideology which might make them place a man in a bed next to a woman while she is unable to esacpe him.

Because local branches/districts have been taken over by activists who want to be seen as, well whatever the opposite of 'transphobic' is, rather than sensible. Most activists are not f/t teachers but are the only ones who have time to attend regular meetings.

Is it just me or does anyone else have difficulty in understanding WMAS' decision making? It seems staff attending Coventry Pride is acceptable but Birmingham is not? What's the difference?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2d6gj8em7o?at_link_type=web_link&at_link_origin=BBC_CWR&at_ptr_name=facebook_page&at_campaign=Social_Flow&at_format=link&at_link_id=75A39424-6FB7-11F1-8391-B53663EA467C&at_campaign_type=owned&at_medium=social&at_bbc_team=editorial&fbclid=IwdGRzaASuGo5jbGNrBK4YhGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHpIHN5qqvqs22ZCLc_HHHzKnZUZduhUnsObWbYT53bwA1okeUU2QpmFbghUj_aem_PPF77BBqOY8DeVt789DpuA

Perhaps because Birmingham Pride declared itself political last year, whereas Coventry Pride has not?
Just a guess, from the article. That Birmingham’s rush to exclude some people for political reasons, effectively made them ‘political’.

Isn't it just that they attend as themselves not as identified medics? An employer cannot restrict what you do outside of work so long as it is lawful.

An employer cannot restrict what you do outside of work so long as it is lawful.

Yes they can. Anything that reflects badly on the employer would be grounds for a disciplinary. A medic who promoted anti-vax disinformation for example.

"We look forward to seeing staff taking part in their uniform, should they wish to," they added.

Seems they are encouraging them to wear their uniforms for this one.

"What I find harder to accept is the idea that showing up for your LGBTQ+ staff and patients is somehow a political act. These services exist for everyone."

”Everyone” - exactly and this parade is not for everyone.

The group on parade, getting attention and propaganda, is just one small part of society, members of which the ambulance service will treat with care and respect, just like they would anyone else, as and when they need to - when they have an accident or fall ill.

Well done to the ambulance service.

Yes but they have now done an about turn and are actively encouraging their staff to attend the Coventry parade in their uniforms! Seems that the legal advice they were given a few weeks ago is not that important now.

I think they received legal advice in the interim and were told that the judgement was made against the Police and could not be made to apply to the Ambulance Service.

I expect another court case will happen at some stage making the judgement cover all uniformed services as it should. It the government will make this clear to them.

There is simply no place for uniformed ambulance staff marching under the banner of an organisation that wants to force lesbians to accept male bodied people on their websites and in their clubs or force all women to accept male bodied people in their spaces either.

What a shame @mrshoho

Someone must have confused them into thinking their job was to single these people out with adulation and promotion or they were being unkind.