Counterterror unit told not to use the word ‘homosexual’

HOME Office civil servants were told not to use the word “homosexual”, in a presentation on gendered language.

The Homeland Security Group, which leads work on counterterrorism, attended a talk last week on “the right language” to use around LGBT issues.

The Home Office last night moved to distance itself from its contents, which it said did not represent “departmental or Government guidance”.

Across 12 slides on gender issues, first reported by Guido Fawkes, Whitehall staff were told: “Be aware a person’s sex, gender identity, and gender expression may not correspond. Genderqueer is a blanket term for those who don’t define their gender in binary terms, not a modern invention. Each identity is valid and deserves respect.”

A slide on terms to avoid using included “homosexual and homosexuality… which is generally considered a medical term now. People tend to use ‘gay’ instead.” It also warned against the use of the word “transsexual”.

The civil servants were urged to wear rainbow lanyards, include personal pronouns in email signatures, and join the LGBT civil service staff network.

They were also shown an extract from an email which read “sorry for calling you mate”, which appears to have been included to dissuade others from using such language.

The Home Office’s LGBT network held five events during working hours in as many months last year. The lectures included a 90-minute virtual session on “The Queer Dead: Reconnecting with LGBT+ People from Long Ago”.

The Home Office said: “This document was used as part of an internal event, and is not official departmental or government guidance.”