The waste of energy from yesterday, apparently got two replies already:

ONE

Thank you for your e-mail and getting in touch with us.

Describing people as black, white, asian is usually fine, when used as a description – never as an insult. Woman/Man/Person of Colour is a term which has gained popularity in recent times, as it is used often in America. Some people consider it more inclusive, some people do not like it.

If making complaints about people I would suggest not describing them physically, particularly if you already have their names. Send a complaint about your experiences and describe the unfair treatment you feel you have received. If there have been specific references to your weight / skin colour from any of the individuals concerned, make sure to include those. A supervising institution should then investigate.

TWO

Thank you for your email.

Language can be a confusing thing in that terminolgy to describe people constantly changes and evolves. What is commonly used at one point in time may go out of use and in some cases can become a term which can cause offence.

As guidance, and this is by no means prescriptive, if I don’t need to describe someone I just use their name. I see that you have used the term ‘overweight’ below. Is that necessary if you are using someone’s name or job role?

How people self-identify is a personal choice and people from the same group will often choose to describe themselves differently;

For example, some people choose to call themself a disabled person whilst others would prefer a person with a disability.

In terms of ethnicity, for many, terms such as White and Black can be used as descriptors without causing offence. Context and intent are important factors. Sometimes it is not what is said, it is how it is said. In terms of your complaint and I don’t know the detail, you would need to ask yourself whether you feel that the person’s ethnicity a relevant factor in the case.

Some people refer to being BME ( Black Minority Ethnic) and some BAME (Black, Asian Minority Ethnic). The terminology “of colour” is commonly used in USA and for some is a preferred term in UK. It is being used more widely, but not universally. I guess the message is that there is no one way of describing someone that will suit everyone. I often ask people what there preference is if the situation arises.

I hope this helps in some way.