The Ministry of Defence has established 93 different diversity networks for personnel to discuss race, gender and mental health.
Staff networks have been created for civil servants and those in the Armed Forces to discuss issues around diversity.
It includes seven networks for LGBT+ issues, 14 for race issues and 10 for gender issues.
The groups provide diversity guidance, display posters and celebrate diversity related events, The Daily Telegraph has revealed.
A general view of the name plaque of the Ministry of Defence
GETTY
Posters included asking staff “are you an ally?” and defining the 51 “most commonly used” terms around LGBT issues, including “LGBPTTQQIIAA+”.
The Army LGBT+ Network “facilitated a gathering of members of the Army’s Trans Community” for Transgender Day of Visibility in March last year.
The post, written by the network, said: “The current toxic undertone in media, political & cultural discourse is affecting our people.
“Likewise there are still instances of active & passive Transphobia (& Homophobia) occurring within our Service.”
The post concluded: “As a final parting shot the Army Trans Day of Visibility will only remain necessary until the point that inclusive behaviours are instinctive within the Army’s muscle memory, its culture, and the minds of all of its people.”
Cabinet Office Minister John Glen ordered a review into Civil Service diversity networks last month
GETTYThe RAF’s Gender Network also wrote an MoD blog post celebrating International Pronouns Day in October 2023 entitled “What are Personal Pronouns and why do they matter?”
It said: “It can be offensive or harassing to guess at someone’s pronouns.”
The post also highlighted neopronouns, including “xe/xir/xirs, ze/zir/zirs and fae/faer/faers”.
It appears the MoD has far more networks than compared to the 19 established at the Home Office and 18 created in the Ministry of Justice.
The MoD has 20 networks established for disability issues, including the Defence Stammering Network and the Defence Epilepsy Network.
Research from the Taxpayers’ Alliance found that besides the MoD £309,090 was spent to support 187 staff networks across 12 departments between 2019 to 2022.
Cabinet Office Minister John Glen ordered a review into Civil Service diversity networks last month.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
There are concerns about army recruitmentPAHe hopes it will help drive efforts to maintain impartiality in Whitehall.
Glen said: “That’s why we want to issue new guidance to inform and clarify how they work.”
The report comes as the British Army wants to relax security checks for recruits from overseas to boost diversity.
Responding to The Telegraph’s report, Tory MP Richard Drax said: “What we need is an army that is ready to fight, not wonder what they should call each other or what gender they are.
“I am appalled at the level of wokeness that has infiltrated our Armed Forces which damages morale and weakens effectiveness.
“Having served in the Army, I know that all we cared about was whether the man or woman to our left and right could do the job.”
