The PSA's Inclusion Representative for LGBTQ+ members, Supt Ed Haywood-Noble has published a blog following the European Gay Police Association conference.

At the conference, Nicola Crosbie-Barrie, General Secretary of the Scottish Police LGBTQ+ Association gave a speech, which he reflects on in this blog.

Leadership, Belonging and Moral Courage  

“What we’re talking about today is not really about flags. It is not really about Pride. It is about people.” 

Those were the opening words of Nicola Crosbie-Barrie, General Secretary of the Scottish Police LGBTQ+ Association, speaking recently about the experiences of LGBTQ+ colleagues in policing. There are moments when someone else finds the words that capture what many of us have been feeling. Nicola’s speech was one of those moments for me. I don’t expect everyone to agree with every point she makes, but I do believe every policing leader should reflect on the questions she asks. Simply, they are questions about the kind of culture we want to create in policing. 

As the Police Superintendents’ Association’s Inclusion Representative for LGBTQ+, I believe Nicola has articulated something that reaches far beyond discussions about flags, Pride events or individual legal judgments. Her speech asks a much more fundamental question of policing leadership. 

Nicola spoke movingly about spending years carefully judging whether it was safe to be herself. 

“Like many LGBT people, I spent years assessing situations before revealing who I was… we scan rooms, judge reactions. We tell partial truths. We make ourselves smaller to fit in.” 

Many LGBTQ+ colleagues, including those in senior leadership positions, will recognise those experiences. For many of us, policing has changed profoundly over the last two decades. It has become a place where increasing numbers of people have felt able to bring their whole selves to work. That has not been about seeking special treatment. It has been about creating an environment where people can focus entirely on serving the public, rather than constantly assessing whether they are accepted. 

Nicola describes reaching the point where she could simply be “Nicola. A police officer. A colleague. A woman who happens to love another woman.” 

That is exactly what inclusion should achieve. Identity becomes neither hidden nor defining. It simply becomes part of who someone is. 

One passage particularly resonated with me. 

“When LGBT people stop being visible, it is because they no longer feel safe.” 

Whether every leader agrees with that conclusion is not really the point. 

As superintendents, we have spent much of our careers listening to the experiences of victims, witnesses, communities and colleagues. We know that understanding people’s lived experience is fundamental to effective leadership. If colleagues are telling us they feel more anxious, less visible or less certain that they belong, we should not dismiss those concerns simply because they were not our intention. Leadership is judged by how our decisions are experienced by the workforce, and our communities. 

Recent legal judgments have prompted important discussions across policing about policy, practice and compliance. Reasonable people will hold different views about how those judgments should be interpreted and implemented. Those conversations are legitimate. Alongside our legal responsibilities sit equally important leadership responsibilities. As senior leaders we are expected to uphold the Code of Ethics, creating workplaces characterised by fairness, respect and integrity. We also have responsibilities under the Public Sector Equality Duty to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people with protected characteristics. 

Those duties are not competing priorities, and they remind us that lawful decision-making and inclusive leadership should go hand in hand. Whatever operational or organisational decisions are made, we should continually ask ourselves another question: 

Nicola puts it powerfully: 

“You may see a flag. LGBTQ+ colleagues see reassurance. You may see neutrality. LGBTQ+ colleagues experience abandonment. Whether that is the intention or not, that is the impact.” 

Effective leaders do not dismiss impact simply because intention was different. Instead, they seek to understand it. 

It would be easy to assume this conversation is only relevant to LGBTQ+ colleagues. However every superintendent leads teams made up of people with different backgrounds, identities and lived experiences. Many will have LGBTQ+ children, siblings, parents, partners or close friends. Many will simply believe, as policing has long aspired to demonstrate, that everyone deserves dignity and respect at work. 

Creating psychologically safe teams is not an “LGBTQ+ issue”. It is a leadership issue. Teams perform better when people trust one another, and innovation improves when people feel able to contribute honestly. Wellbeing improves when colleagues are not spending emotional energy deciding whether they can safely be themselves. Ultimately, public service improves when our people are able to bring their full energy and commitment to the communities they serve. 

Towards the end of her speech Nicola said something that I believe deserves reflection across policing. 

“What I need from policing is courage. Not operational courage… Moral courage.” 

Operational courage has always been one of policing’s defining strengths, however moral courage is different. It is demonstrated when we have difficult conversations respectfully, and when we listen before we judge. We must also show support colleagues who feel vulnerable, and create environments where disagreement remains respectful and dignity is never negotiable. Courage is recognising that inclusion is not about avoiding difficult conversations. It is about ensuring those conversations never diminish the humanity of the people involved. 

Nicola closes with three simple questions: 

“Do you still see me? Do I still matter? Do I still belong?” 

Those are profoundly human questions, and they extend well beyond the LGBTQ+ community. Every person who joins policing wants to know that they are valued, respected and able to contribute fully. As superintendents, we have a unique responsibility to shape that culture. As Nicola reminded us so powerfully, this was never really about flags. It has always been about people.