- Conference
- 2011 National LGBT Conference
- Date
- 8 August 2011
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that WorldPride 2012 is being held in London from 23 June – 8 July 2012
Conference recalls that the resolution on Palestine adopted by the 2010 Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) conference highlighted that, as the level of international condemnation and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign has grown, the Israeli government and pro-Israeli lobbyists have increased their efforts to promote an image of Israel as ‘the only democracy in the Middle East’ where human rights in general, and LGBT rights in particular, are respected and upheld. These seek to use LGBT rights arguments to ‘pinkwash’ the image of Israel’s oppression of the Palestinians and to criticise support from within the LGBT communities for the rights of the Palestinian people. Events such as Prides and LGBT conferences have been a major focus for these efforts.
Conference welcomes the adoption by the 2011 Annual General Meeting of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) of the resolution ‘No to Pinkwashing’ which drew attention to this and recognised the need for PSC to seek to work with LGBT groups, trade unions and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) LGBT Committee to raise awareness amongst LGBT communities and encourage LGBT people to join PSC. The resolution asked the PSC Executive to consider steps to assist in this work, including developing links with Palestinian LGBT organisations, producing a factsheet of accurate information on the situation of Palestinian LGBT people, and exploring possible initiatives relating to Palestine at 2012 WorldPride.
It therefore instructs the National Committee to continue to work with the NEC and International Department to raise LGBT human rights issues as part of UNISON’s work on Palestine and to:
1.Continue to publicise the work of PSC, and encourage LGBT members to join PSC;
2.Work with PSC to develop links with Palestinian LGBT organisations and assist PSC in raising awareness amongst LGBT communities and to develop its LGBT network;
3.Work with PSC, the TUC LGBT Committee and other appropriate organisations to explore possible initiatives relating to Palestine during 2012 WorldPride.