Charles Abel • Diversity & Equality
“If you are in The Farmers Club, you are one of us, whoever you are…..anything else would not be within the spirit of The Farmers Club.” “It’s about respect for all, whatever their race, colour, religion, gender or sexual orientation.”
LGBTQ+ MATTERS THE Farmers Club has long taken pride in being a place of fellowship, respect and inclusivity. It is a welcoming homefrom-home that champions diversity, as highlighted in the ‘International Team’ article in the Winter Journal. Sexuality and gender identification are no different. But for those with an LGBTQ+ identity the challenges of living and working in the countryside can be huge: Will I be accepted or shunned? Will I suffer sexist/ derogatory jokes? Will my work prospects suffer? Those who they meet can be challenged too: What does LGBTQ+ actually mean? How can I avoid causing offence? Am I using the right words? Can I help? Fortunately, attitudes are changing, with mutual acceptance improving over the past 30-40 years, acknowledges Club member Matthew Naylor, who co-founded Agrespect in 2018. “Diversity, in all its forms, is now generally better understood, but prejudice, misunderstanding and oppression still exist– and this is especially so in the countryside,” explains Mr Naylor, Managing Director of supermarket cut flower supplier Naylor Flowers, Farmers Weekly columnist, Liveryman at the Worshipful Company of Farmers and former Director of the Oxford Farming Conference.
10 • The Farmers Club Summer 2022
Improving understanding and breaking down barriers is something The Farmers Club relishes. But what about LGBTQ+ in the countryside? Charles Abel reports
For over 30 years, until he came out as gay, he felt very isolated and limited in farming. He attributes slow progress in rural attitudes to a host of factors – including traditional thinking, resistance to change, close-knit communities and limited exposure to shifting social norms. How big is the rural LGBTQ+ issue? “Gaining the confidence to be ‘real’ in an industry as hidebound as agriculture is a challenge for lots of people, regardless of their sexuality,” he notes. “But being authentic about one’s sexuality or gender identity is especially challenging.” Too many LGBTQ+ people still live in fear of those who have a lack of understanding, a fear of the unknown and mindsets stuck in the past. Addressing such intolerance is now vital. “Respect is the key,” Mr Naylor stresses. “Everyone has had that feeling of not fitting in somewhere, or of feeling under attack, as some farmers might experience from vegans or extreme environmentalists. Yes, issues can be fast moving, and confusing, and sexual identity and discussion around it has accelerated a lot in the past 10 years. So, the best thing to do is not to judge, to be authentic and take a positive approach. I can be cack-handed with some of my language, but if the spirit is right…..it’s basic good manners really.”
