- Conference
- 2008 National LGBT Conference
- Date
- 24 July 2008
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
This Conference, welcomes the Lesbian Advocacy Services Initiative (LASI) research into lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) mental, emotional & sexual health that highlights and acknowledges that homophobia and heterosexism are a primary cause of mental ill health for lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Conference acknowledges that transphobia is a primary cause of mental ill health for transgendered people.
Conference notes that the key recommendations of the LASI report are:
Non governmental organisations should, in conjunction with LGB organisations, consider undertaking needs analyses of LGB people
Counselling organisations and non-governmental organisations should be required as a condition of grant aid to devise strategies and action plans to address needs and concerns of LGB people
LGB communities should be grant aided to act as advocates for themselves in relation to health issues.
These recommendations could also apply to transgender organisations and people.
In light of these recommendations conference instructs the National LGBT Committee to:
1.Continue to tackle homophobia, heterosexism, biphobia and transphobia in the workplace and in society;
2.Work with organisations such as LASI and key mental health service providers where appropriate, to lobby for additional mental health resources for LGBT people;
3.Work to influence government, so that Equality Impact Assessments carried out by government departments and statutory agencies ensure that policies and budgets are shaped to include the needs of LGBT people;
4.Explore any relevant opportunities to work with government departments, statutory and voluntary agencies to support the gathering of data on the causes, effects and extent of mental ill health for LGBT people, so that funds can be targeted in areas of need.