A volunteer has been banned from a railway charity scheme in the UK after he asked a basic question regarding a train that had been wrapped in ‘Pride’ colours.
The Telegraph reports, “Matthew Toomer, 48, was thrown out of West Midlands Railway’s ‘Adopt a Station’ scheme after he privately contacted company bosses to express concern about its ‘Progress Pride’ train.”
What awful hateful thing did Mr. Toomer say?
He commented on a social media post about the rebranded train, asking if it would “return to its natural state once the event is over.”
Oh the horror.
He was then “summoned” to attend a meeting with railway officials and informed that he views (he didn’t express any views) “do not align with [WMR’s] values and mission.”
He was then banned from the station volunteer group altogether as punishment for merely hinting at not being fully onboard with the trans train.
Mr Toomer told reporters “As a gay man myself, I want to stress that this wasn’t about objecting to visibility.”
Yes, even the gays can’t ask questions about the relentless ‘progress’ of THE MESSAGE.
“My concern was the increasing tendency of public transport organisations to take visible positions on divisive issues,” Toomer further outlines, adding “The Progress Pride flag has become associated with particular ideological stances – particularly around gender – which not everyone, including many within the LGB community, fully endorse.”
“My position was simply that public services should remain neutral and welcoming to everyone,” he emphasised.
Noooooo. That opinion won’t do.
While the Free Speech Union has demanded that the train company “apologise for this vindictive decision and reinstate him,” the Telegraph gleaned that the company had basically scoured Mr. Toomer’s social media activity and discerned that it was “problematic”.
A WMR spokesman said “Our company has a proud culture of inclusion and allyship,” adding “We believe the views Mr Toomer has expressed on social media on a range of subjects are at odds with these values and could be harmful or offensive to our colleagues, customers or other volunteers.”
Wrongthink then, essentially.
Hellbound and Down 