- Conference
- 2008 National LGBT Conference
- Date
- 24 July 2008
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference notes that by their very nature, sexual matters are private and confidential. Conference further notes that some people are comfortable talking about their partner but that many people do not share such information with their managers or colleagues.
Conference supports organisations that make strenuous efforts to ensure confidentiality of procedures and information management systems that reassure staff that policies are in place to ensure confidentiality is in place.
Conference maintains that it is up to the individual if they want to ‘out’ themselves and that it is not for others to take that personal right away with no empathy or understanding for the consequences of their actions.
Conference further notes that ‘outing’ is when, against their wishes, a person’s sexual orientation is revealed by another person. Conference believes that ‘outing’ someone without their clear permission is inappropriate and breach of that persons privacy that may constitute harassment and/or a breach of the Data Protection Act.
Conference deplores that fact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and yransgendered (LGBT) members are sometimes ‘outed’ for malicious reasons and consequently suffer harassment by colleagues or service users/customers.
Conference requires the National LGBT Committee to actively encourage branch officers and negotiators to utilize existing employers’ policies for example Harassment and Unacceptable Behaviour, to specifically outline that personal information will be maintained in the strictest confidence and that staff should not forget that even basic information such as a partner’s name is confidential nor assume that this information is common knowledge.