If the council asked if you were gay ...?

[marshlander]

A housing authority in Leeds has been criticised for sending a questionnaire to its residents asking them some pretty personal questions.

Leeds sex quiz fury - Yorkshire Evening Post

The excuse is to make sure that that people are receiving a good service. The authority promised that data would be safe and only divulged to "building maintenance firms, alarm fitters and drain cleaners". Why is it the drain cleaner's business that I'm gay or belong to this or that church?

Here's a thought, why not devise a set of standards for treating all people with courtesy and fairness and avoiding the need to fill in stupid forms in a money and time-wasting exercise?

What would you do if confronted with a form from the council asking about your sexual orientation, religious beliefs and health?

[Genersis]

If I was asked. I'd answer truthly. But i would wonder "why the hell would they want to know?".:confused:
I just hope the information doesn't end up in the wrong hands/used maliciously.:frown:

[fredv3b]

As a bit of explanation, the council is obliged to show that residents are in practice not discriminated against because of age, disability, etc. Merely pointing to a council policy about how everyone is not supposed to be discriminated against is not good enough.

Although I don't know what it has to do with drain cleaners.

[marshlander]

If I was asked. I'd answer truthly. But i would wonder "why the hell would they want to know?".:confused:
I just hope the information doesn't end up in the wrong hands/used maliciously.:frown:

That's the whole point. While I am as out as is possible I have disclosed on my terms. Local authorities, HMRC, the NHS and many other organisations have appalling records at keeping information confidential. This is just another town hall exercise in making up a job that doesn't need making up.

[marshlander]

As a bit of explanation, the council is obliged to show that residents are in practice not discriminated against because of age, disability, etc. Merely pointing to a council policy about how everyone is not supposed to be discriminated against is not good enough.

Although I don't know what it has to do with drain cleaners.

Again, that is the point. It is absolutely right that local authorities monitor the quality of their services to their whole community. This whole exercise, though, seems to be thoroughly misguided.

[fredv3b]

Me suspects that the explanation about the survey is badly worded and what the council meant is that it would tell the drain cleaners about your dissatisfaction with the state of the drains not your answers to the whole survey.

[SlipknotRlZZ]

If I was in that situation, I'd proudly answer to whatever they ask me because my personality, my beliefs and my appearance is something that stands way above my professional development or education. If I were lesbian, I think that same philosophy would apply to such occasions.
I know that this sounds a little too...well, that I sound too self confident and you probably think I only think so because I haven't seen what life can be like yet. I think you may be right, but I also think that I can do it because of past experience.

[juk]

In my last role I was the person who had to interpret regulatory requirements, and then decide on how best to balance that with sense. My guess is that the wrong person had that particular job in this case.

I think it would be sensible to see that there would only likely be certain aspects of the survey results that may be passed to drain cleaners etc (i.e. disabilities). I cant imagine for a moment that the council would be so stupid as to send bob the drain cleaner to mr jones giving directions, details of the job and details of mr jones sexuality.

Personally I dont mind them asking these questions because I am not forced to answer them (and wouldnt answer them).

[eastofeden]

I would lie.

[Boysstuff]

Its seems to pop up alot on all sorts of paper work, application forums, questinares, insurence forms, membership forms, its very common theses days, its no bodies bussness, tell them nothing.