Should the National Trust be handing out rainbow badges to workers?

There can be few people who don’t know that 2017 marks fifty years since the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England – the anniversary has been honoured by some excellent radio and television documentaries and numerous celebrations in museums and galleries.

The National Trust launched a campaign (and a book) called “Prejudice and Pride”, exploring (in their words) “the LGBTQ heritage of many National Trust people and places … exploring places that have been touched by the sexuality of their inhabitants, workers, owners and guests”. The campaign has proved controversial.

Robert Wyndham Ketton-Cremer restored beautiful Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk and donated it to the Trust when he died in 1969. Known as Bunny to close friends, Ketton-Cremer was intensely private – but now his double life has been revealed in a film commissioned by the NT for their LGBTQ campaign, with a commentary by Stephen Fry.

The Trust has also ordered volunteers at the Hall to wear rainbow badges while they show visitors round – but when a large group of elderly workers refused, they were told to “take a break” from front of house duties over the busy summer period.

Some of Ketton-Cremer’s family are outraged by the campaign, calling it a no more than a marketing stunt designed to attract more visitors to the property. Personally, I choose to visit historic houses because of their architecture – would knowing the owner of Felbrigg was gay make much difference to my appreciation of his exquisite taste?

Then there’s the question of ethics – not those of the disgruntled badge-refuseniks, but the surviving family members who were not consulted by the NT. Personally, I think the rainbow badges are crass – I’d like to think that were Ketton-Cremer alive to comment, he would feel that his contribution to our rich cultural and social mix was worth more than a silly badge.