First LGBT+ Federation Reps conference starts today

13 February 2020

The LGBT+ Federation Rep group is being launched today at a conference organised by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) and attended by Kent Police Federation’s diversity lead.

The two-day conference, to be held in Leatherhead, Surrey, will bring together 20 LGBT+ Federation Reps from around the country to discuss how best to support LGBT+ Reps and how to encourage more LGBT+ police officers to become Reps.

Chief Inspector Rhiannan Pepper, diversity lead at Kent Police Federation, who is attending the conference, said: “We want a Federation that’s a true representation of the workforce, in all aspects.

“It’s about people who might not have thought about becoming a Federation Rep looking at it again and realising what they can do to help others. Then we’ll support them through the process – it’s about having that visual representation.” 

She added that they would be sharing experiences and best practice at the conference, and that it was also an important step forwards for gaining the confidence of the public, if they can see that the police are helping their own LGBT+ colleagues.

Rhiannan said that the climate in policing was changing: “It’s a bit more open than it was a few years ago, but there are still some barriers for people to come out.”

The conference agenda includes talks about the law and examples of how the Federation has helped members who were targeted or treated differently because they were LGBT+.

Speakers will talk about their personal experiences, and there will be sessions about how the group can keep up the momentum and take the issue to the national seminars. They will also appoint a Chair and Vice-Chair of the group.

Rhiannan said: “This is a real step forwards for the Federation, when you look at how representation has been changing in the past five years and continues to change.”