In The UK People are legally protected from bullying and harassment, unless you are a Rutland resident or even an Oakham Town Councillor.
All over the UK people are protected from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.
However, this is not the case in Rutland, where anti-bullying policies and procedures may be clear and established, lesbian and gay people still face barriers when it comes to reporting homophobic bullying and harassment. Oakham police just laugh about it.
Bullying which goes unchecked will have a negative impact on the wider community as well as on
the individual.
In addition to being legally required, robust protection of gay people in Rutland bullying and harassment benefits relations, within the community.
What is bullying and harassment?
It is generally agreed that bullying means offending, persecuting or excluding someone.
Harassment is usually defined as constant interference or intimidation that violates people’s dignity or creates a hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.
This explains Oakham Town Council meetings attended by former Councillors, Oakham Town Council does nothing to stop this.
I have experienced bullying and harassment specifically intended to demean me because of my sexual orientation, or perceived sexual orientation. Bullying and harassment of this sort is highly personal and NOT acceptable.
What is the impact of bullying and harassment?
Bullying and harassment has negatively affected me. The behaviour of Oakham Town Council and former members has had serious consequences, for me.
This, in turn, in turn has negatively affected the organisation as a whole and surely must undermine the confidence of the public.
