IT’S OK TO BE GAY NOW. Or so we are told. If that’s the case, how come two men were recently asked to leave a branch of Sainsbury’s because another customer complained that they were being affectionate? I see straight couples kissing all the time. Why shouldn’t gay couples do the same?
I wasn’t shocked that someone objected to them kissing — we all know that sort of homophobia exists — but I was surprised that the security guard asked them to leave. I suppose there’s no particular reason for him to be any more clued up on LGBT+ issues than your average Joe. There are people like him in all professions. But you’d think Sainsbury’s would have a better screening process for staff on the shop floor.
Diversity training isn’t frivolous; it’s an essential part of preparing a modern workforce. Britain is diverse. People with disabilities, people from ethnic minority backgrounds and people who express their gender and sexuality in a variety of ways are going to want to buy bread, milk and those really moreish triple chocolate cookies that Sainsbury’s do— and supermarkets need to ensure they feel safe and welcome. We are reminded again that in modern Britain it is still not safe for people who are perceived as gay or trans to walk down the street without fear of being questioned, ridiculed or beaten up. This is a scandal. Until the day comes that queers of every persuasion can walk hand-in-hand through the streets without fear, we are nowhere near true equality.