A gay trade union chief has claimed she was branded a “rug muncher” in a bitter contest to lead Scotland’s firefighters. Denise Christie said she was the victim of bullying and homophobia during an internal election that saw her lose to a male colleague.
She blasted: “If I was a straight man, I would not have suffered the treatment I have suffered.” As the first female Scottish Regional Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union ( FBU ), Christie has been a key figure in a male-dominated union.
She sought re-election this month but Ian Sim was declared the winner.In a Facebook post, Christie congratulated Sim but also lifted the lid on the nastiness she faced from elements inside the union.“During this election, I kept a dignified silence on the