Hampshire Constabulary is the ‘Top Police Force 2013′ for lesbian, gay and bisexual people, and its Chief Constable is LGB Champion of the Year.
Stonewall – the lesbian, gay and bisexual charity – named the force as the best performing for the LGB community, coming 15th in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index 2013.
Inspector Julie Fry, who chairs the force’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGB&T) Resource Group, said:
“Our proven track record and consistent high scores in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index is something the whole force should be proud of.
“Our success is driven by those passionate and capable individuals who take on roles additional to their day jobs. It’s these Lesbian and Gay Liaison Officers, Resource Group members and Sexual Orientation champions who are helping to improve the service we deliver to our communities and ensure lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender police officers and staff are properly supported in the organisation…Recognition from Stonewall is the icing on the cake.”
Chief Constable Alex Marshall was also named Stonewall’s LGB Champion of the Year.
Alex Marshall, LGB Champion of the Year
Recognised for his commitment to LGBT staff and communities, he said he was ‘surprised to [receive] the award’ and is ‘very proud’ of his team. He is the force’s Fairness and Equality Champion and has previously been recognised as a ‘Straight Ally’ by Stonewall.
The top 5 gay-friendly employers this year are:
1 Accenture
2 Gentoo
3 The Co-operative
4 Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
5 Home Office
I’m gay, out to a lot of people, but all this LGB(TQC+, however many other letters people seem to need to put) equality seems completely over the top. The Uni seems to employ several equality advisor type people – does anyone know what they do and how the uni would be different without them? Stonewall should be utterly focusing on places where it’s still illegal to be gay.
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You would probably know what they contributed to the University, if you spent 5 seconds on google. Do you expect Stonewall, a UK based charity, to just storm into another country and dictate their laws? Don’t be so ignorant. They best they can do is raise awareness, something they continue to do. http://www.stonewall.org.uk/what_you_can_do/donate_to_stonewall/6632.asp
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No – I don’t expect them to storm into countries, and that isn’t what I said. I actually meant that they should do it via diplomatic means.
I’m still intrigued what practical difference on a day-to-day basis equality officers make. Just because I am gay doesn’t mean I want to be / like it, and even though it took me several years to come out and come to terms with it no amount of ‘equality’ helped me / encouraged me to do anything different. Despite their best intentions, I know that there’s a silent large minority (perhaps even majority) of gay people who feel totally alienated by the work Stonewall (and other more local LGB groups) does.
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