This document discusses the challenges a provider faces in balancing religious freedom and LGBTQ equality in practice. It presents perspectives from the provider's leader, HR head, staff, learners from both the inter-faith and LGBTQ societies, and a union rep. While the provider has policies supporting equality, staff still hear homophobic language and some religious tutors and learners have refused to participate in content about sexuality. Effective implementation will require leadership in upholding values of respect for all, thorough training, clear communication of processes, and unions helping navigate complex cases consistently.

1. Turning policy into practice
Managing the interface: sexual orientation and faith
Dan Simons

2. Provider K
A hypothetical case study

3. Kenneth, the leader
• ‘There’s no issue here. We welcome
everyone regardless of their colour,
creed or sexuality…
• ‘We hired an excellent consultant to
write our Single Equality Scheme, so I’m
confident our policies are up to date.’
• ‘All areas of equality are covered in staff
and learner inductions.’

4. Sandra, Head of HR
• ‘Our staff code of conduct is clear about the
responsibility to treat everyone fairly.
• ‘We have had a couple of incidents where religious
staff refused to teach about sexuality.
• ‘In one case, we issued the tutor with a formal
warning.
• ‘On the other occasion that would have been
excessive as it wasn’t an essential part of the
course, and I was worried about the tutor’s
right to express his religious views.’

5. Jenny, a tutor
• ‘I’ve heard some religious staff make homophobic comments
behind the backs of gay staff or learners. I don’t want to get into
a theological argument with them, but it does make me feel
uncomfortable, particularly as my daughter is gay.
• ‘I know that a couple of tutors have refused to teach certain
subjects because of their beliefs, but the cases were dealt with
very differently, and I don’t understand why.
• ‘I’ve had learners walk out of a class which dealt with sexuality
because they felt it conflicted with their religious beliefs. I know
the Learner Charter is clear about learners’
responsibilities, but I didn’t really know how to
deal with that situation.’

6. Mohammed, learner and Chair of the Inter-Faith
Society
• ‘We have staff and learners from several religious
groups in our inter-faith society. Most of them are
fine with gay people, but I know others see it as
being against their faith.
• ‘I know that one of the faith groups has staged walk-
outs from classes where the tutor was teaching
them about sexuality. I personally didn’t think they
were right to do so, but it’s my job to focus on the
things our faiths have in common rather than on
where we disagree.’

7. Tom, a learner and member of the LGBTQ Society
• ‘I guess we’re better off here than in some places. People are
mostly OK about me being gay.
• ‘We had a talk about equality at induction, and the Learner Charter
says stuff about being respectful and tolerant, but I still hear
homophobic language all the time. Most staff ignore it, which would
never happen with racist language. I think they’re particularly scared
of challenging it when it comes from religious people.
• ‘We were supposed to be talking about sexuality on one of my
courses, but the lesson was cancelled. We were promised it would
be rescheduled, but we’re still waiting and I don’t really understand
why.
• ‘I heard from one of my friends that some religious learners walked
out of one of her lessons because they disagreed with the tutor
talking about sexuality. Whatever the policies say, nothing much
was done about it.’

8. Terry, a staff Union rep
• ‘I’ve had to represent both staff who wanted the provider to
take more action on homophobic language, and a religious
tutor who was being disciplined for refusing to teach about
gay issues. It’s hard to treat everyone consistently and fairly,
and put my personal views to one side.
• ‘Our Union has very good national guidance on religion, belief
and sexual orientation, but I’m not sure all our branch reps
have a good understanding of it.
• ‘We do get consulted about our provider’s policies, but often
too late to look at the detail of specific equality issues.’

9. Over to you
- What should Provider K do to turn its
policies into practice?
- Consider:
- Leadership and management
- Training and induction
- Communication
- Role of Unions

10. www.slideshare.net/managingtheinterface