The row between Sir Elton John and Dolce and Gabbanna - don’t people have the right to express their views?

A report published this month by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) finds widespread public confusion and misunderstanding about the laws protecting freedom of religion or belief. Are your staff clear? 

Sir Elton John, who married his long-term civil partner David Furnish in December and is a father-of-two, has publicly criticised Stefano Gabbana and his business partner Domenico Dolce, after they gave an interview in an Italian news magazine saying ‘We oppose gay adoptions…The only family is the traditional one.’ 

A large public consultation carried out by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has found widespread confusion and misunderstanding about the laws protecting freedom of religion or belief. The EHRC wanted to find out what people experience in their day to day lives following extensive media and public debate about how people are able to express their religious and other beliefs. This often included how to deal with the right to express beliefs that others might view as offensive.  

While some staff and students described positive experiences, for example inclusive work environments where staff were able to openly discuss their religion and easily able to take time off work to celebrate religious holidays, many did not have such experiences. 

Some said that they had encountered hostile or unwelcome environments in relation to their holding of a faith. A recurring theme among some employees was the pressure they felt to keep their religion hidden at work and feeling discriminated against when it came to wearing religious symbols or expressing their beliefs.

Students encountered incidents where they were ridiculed for their beliefs in the classroom. 

Staff also reported being mocked for their beliefs, including Christians, who said their colleagues assumed they were bigoted. Jewish and Muslim participants said they found it hard to get time off work, even as part of their normal annual leave, for religious observance. 

Many participants in the survey were concerned about how to find the right balance between freedom to express religious views and the rights of others to be free from discrimination or harassment. 

The EHRC will use these findings to inform guidance planned for publication later this year. You can read the press release here, the executive summary of the report here and the full report findings here