Fire crews get a letter asking if they are gay or straight

Oct 25 2008 by Katie Campling, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

FIREFIGHTERS in West Yorkshire are being surveyed about their sexuality – but some firefighters claim it’s a waste of money.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has sent letters to its 2,200 employees asking them to state whether they are straight, gay, lesbian or bisexual.

Employees simply have to fill in a tick box form and do not have to disclose their identity.

The letter from the service’s human resources department states that the service is required by the Government organisation Communities and Local Government to ‘capture equality information’ about its staff as part of a National Equality and Diversity Strategy.

However, some firefighters are unhappy about being asked to reveal such personal information.