Fury as charity asks volunteers to disclose gender and sexuality

THE National Trust was at the centre of a new political correctness row last night after asking volunteers to disclose their sexual and gender orientation.

In an online survey, the charity – which operates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – is asking them to reveal their ‘gender identity’, giving them the choice of ‘male, female, trans, nonbinary or intersex’.

The survey, sent to all of the trust’s 65,000 volunteers, then asks them: ‘Is your gender identity the same as the gender you were assigned at birth?’ It also asks them to identify whether they are gay, bisexual, lesbian or straight.

The trust last night insisted that the survey was voluntary and anonymous – and that volunteers were given the option of ‘preferring not to say’.

However, some volunteers and critics labelled the study ‘intrusive’ and ‘completely unnecessary’ and warned that it risked alienating many of the trust’s core supporters.

It comes weeks after the charity sparked fury by forcing volunteers at one of its properties, Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk, to wear gay pride badges. The trust was also criticised for ‘outing’ Robert Wyndham Ketton-Cremer – the late writer who gave Felbrigg Hall to the trust in 1969 – as gay.

The controversies have come during the tenure of Dame Helen Ghosh, the outgoing director-general, who has been accused of promoting a politically correct agenda.

The charity has recently been accused of becoming obsessed with a tick-box culture of ‘the disabled, the aged, LGBTQ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer] and ethnic communities’.

Last night, former Tory minister Ann Widdecombe said: ‘The National Trust has lost its way completely. These questions are intrusive and unnecessary.’

One trust volunteer, who asked not to be named, said: ‘I was horrified to be asked for my gender identity and sexual orientation. What on earth has that got to do with volunteering?’

The trust said: ‘These questions help us to understand who volunteers with us so that we can make the trust a more relevant and accessible place to volunteer.

‘Questions about gender identity and sexual orientation are an optional part of our annual volunteers’ survey.’