British Transport Police faces backlash for suggesting people who question gender ideology should not work for them
- Officer tweeted picture of members of force holding Pride flag in Brighton today
- He encouraged applicants to become part of a ‘diverse and inclusive force’
- BTP’s official account added: ‘If you’re offended by this, please don’t apply’
- It is facing criticism for ‘discriminating against those with gender critical beliefs’
The British Transport Police (BTP) is facing a backlash after suggesting people who question gender ideology should not work for the force.
It comes after an officer tweeted a picture of members of the force holding a Pride flag with the BTP logo emblazoned across it in Brighton today.
The tweet accompanying the image said: ‘Great to see BTP represented at Brighton Pride today.
‘Loads of opportunities to join us. We want you to apply to be part of a modern, diverse and inclusive police force.’
But the force’s official Twitter account is facing criticism over discriminating against people ‘holding gender critical beliefs’.
BTP’s tweet read: ‘We love to see it. Inclusion isn’t political, and we’ll always celebrate being as diverse as the communities we protect.
‘If you’re offended by this, please don’t apply to work for us – thanks.’
A British Transport Police officer tweeted a picture of the force logo emblazoned across a Pride flag in Brighton today
The BTP’s official Twitter account then replied: If you’re offended by this, please don’t apply to work for us’
Social media users have pointed to how the tweet ‘implies the force discriminates against people on the grounds of protected belief’.
One said: ‘I have some bad news for whoever is running your Twitter account. If anyone with openly acknowledged gender critical beliefs applies and fails in their application to work for you this tweet would be admissible of reasonable suspicion of discrimination.’
A second added: ‘Well, that’s pretty blatant. Don’t apply to work for us because we don’t want diverse opinions, we don’t want people who question orthodoxies, we don’t want people who can think for themselves.
‘Only people who agree with this controversial sociopolitical ideology need apply.
A third said: ‘The first part of this statement is fine. You are perfectly entitled to celebrate diversity in your force and in the community.
‘The second part implies that you will discriminate against people on the grounds of protected belief.’
The backlash comes after an army veteran was arrested by police for ‘causing anxiety’ after retweeting a picture of a swastika made out of Pride flags on social media.
Darren Brady, 51, has slammed Hampshire Police for ‘impeding his right to free speech’ after he was placed into handcuffs at his home in Aldershot for sharing a meme last month.
Footage of the arrest was widely shared on social media and showed an officer who told Mr Brady he was being apprehended because his post had ’caused anxiety’ and been reported to authorities.
The image Mr Brady retweeted was of a swastika that had been digitally manipulated and was made out of four LGBT pride flags.
In the video, shot on a mobile phone, Mr Brady can be heard asking the three police officers: ‘Why am I in cuffs?’
One officer responds: ‘It didn’t have to come to this at all.’
Mr Brady replied: ‘Tell us why you escalated it to this level because I don’t understand.’
The officer adds: ‘Someone has been caused anxiety based on your social media post. That is why you have been arrested.’
Backlash over the arrest included Hampshire’s own disgruntled Police and Crime Commissioner PCC Donna Jones.
She said: ‘I am concerned about both the proportionality and necessity of the police’s response to this incident.
‘When incidents on social media receive not one but two visits from police officers, but burglaries and non-domestic break-ins don’t always get a police response, something is wrong.
Donna Jones (left), PCC for Hampshire, revealed to media she is ending the contract with the company which manages the programme. Darren Brady, 51, (right) slammed Hampshire Police for ‘impeding his right to free speech’ after he was placed into handcuffs on Saturday at his home in Aldershot for sharing a meme
‘As Police Commissioner, I am committed to ensuring Hampshire Constabulary serves the public as the majority of people would expect. It appears on this occasion this has not happened.’
And last month JK Rowling praised a ‘gender-critical’ lesbian lawyer as her ‘heroine’ after she won a landmark employment tribunal case against her London chambers, who must pay her £22,000 in damages.
Allison Bailey accused Garden Court Chambers of withholding work from her and trying to crush her spirit after she criticised Stonewall’s trans policies including recommendations to change pronouns from ‘she and he’ to ‘they and their’.
Ms Bailey’s gender-critical beliefs include that sex is biological and cannot change, and that the word ‘woman’ is defined as ‘adult human female’.
She subsequently won her case for discrimination against Garden Court – but lost her case against Stonewall, who she had branded a ‘malign influence’ in British society and workplaces.
The BTP has been contacted for comment on its tweet.
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