Senior Home office immigration civil servants told staff to wear rainbow epaulettes and lanyards, and include pronouns in their emails to fulfil their roles as 'LGBT champions', GB News can reveal.
Five senior Home Office officials, three of whom hold important positions in relation to Britain borders, sent “Pride messages”, seen by GB News, to Home Office staff to celebrate the LGBT month of June.
In her message, Jackie Armstrong, the Home Office's Director of Operational Capabilities Command for Immigration Enforcement, who is also the “LGBT+ Champion for Immigration Enforcement”, urged staff to wear “rainbow epaulettes or lanyards, change your email signature to include pronouns, or attend a Pride event locally”.
Ms Armstrong wrote that “Pride is about being you - both outside and inside work, whether you are part of the LGBT + community or an ally” and suggested staff join a Home Office LGBT “session held during the month”.
Meanwhile, the Home Office's LGBT+ Champion for Illegal Migration Operational Command, described Pride as important because “not everyone has that opportunity to feel comfortable in who they are and that for me is the purpose of Pride; to ensure that for every member of the LGBT + community both in the UK and overseas feel the right to be themselves”.
He continued: “Externally for the Home Office, I see that as representing the communities that we serve, be it at ports, on the streets or migrants who come to the UK [sic] know our values and acceptance of LGBT+ individuals.''
“Internally, I see Pride as a way to help others feel included and know they are not alone and that there are people like them at every level of the organisation.”
Dr David Bull, Deputy Leader of Reform UK, told GB News: “The Home Office's job is to control our borders, not to celebrate and promote LGBT ideology.”
“It is an outrage that senior officials are wasting time and resources on roles as ‘LGBT+ champions’.”
“The fact there is an "LGBT Champion for Illegal Migration Operational Command" is absurd and shows just how out of control wokeness is in the Civil Service.”
He continued: “This is a failure of the Conservative Party who have enabled and even promoted these ideologies within Whitehall.”
“Migrants are not interested in whether border guards wear pride epaulettes or lanyards, these civil servants are completely out of touch.”
David Kuenssberg, Director General of Corporate and Delivery for the Home Office and the department’s LGBT+ Champion, said in his pride message: “LGBT + Pride Season is a really important time for us to recognise our colleagues and the people we serve who are part of the LGBT + community, and celebrate the progress made to make this department a more inclusive space for everyone whilst also recognising where we need to do more.”
“As the LGBT+ Champion I am proud of those whose work on a day to day basis improves the treatment and experience of LGBT + colleagues, and would like to say thank you to everyone who contributes.”
Carl Housley, Chair of Spectrum, the Home Office's LGBT + Staff Network, said: “I hope all Home Office staff know that Spectrum is here to support you in any way you may need it and that you can take away something positive from attending our Pride Month events.”
Mr Housley’s message comes after GB News revealed that the Home Office’s LGBT network Spectrum is holding ten pride events for Home Office staff this month, including coffee mornings and a scavenger hunt.
Ben Habib, the former Brexit Party MEP, said: “Woke culture has infected every corner of the country including public services. For sane minded people it’s disconcerting that this fad is hijacking the governance of our nation.”
“Some put it down to extreme left Marxism. The long march through the institutions. And they may be right.”
“But the mechanism by which it is spreading is in fact government policy and regulations.”
“Woke is not an ideology taking its course. It is the compliance by institutions across the country with the requirement to practise Diversity, Equality and Inclusion.”
“DEI is the policy and regulatory requirement to discriminate in favour of minorities; no matter what the minority.”
“In the faux pursuit of equality, minorities are being promoted above and to the detriment of the majority.”
“The person most discriminated against is white, Christian and heterosexual. In other words, the traditional Brit is now the main subject of this racism.”
Finally, the Home Office's LGBT+ Champion for the Science, Technology, Analysis and Research department, said: “For many of us who identify as LGBTQ+ - including myself as a bisexual queer woman, visibility and acceptance is something that is a struggle on a daily or weekly basis.”
“It's easy to forget that Pride isn't just about the parade, rainbows and parties - although there's lots of that - it's a reminder of the journey to equality that still has a way to go and we are all a part of making safer psychological spaces.”
The champion told civil servants “you can be an ally through joining Spectrum” and urged people to learn about LGBT history and issues.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “These activities are being undertaken outside of core working hours, and in no way distract staff from their day-to-day roles where they deliver crucial work for the department.”
