- Conference
- 2012 National LGBT Conference
- Date
- 1 January 2012
- Decision
- Carried
Three in five people of faith in Britain support equal marriage!
Stonewall’s five yearly polling of public attitudes shows that more that 80% of British adults under fifty now support the proposal.
Civil partnerships are not enough, and as such treat us differently from everyone else. This is discrimination. You should not have to tick a separate box on forms, which identifies you as different from everyone else. You should also be able to file for divorce.
Conference applauds the Equal Marriage Campaign taking place throughout the country at the moment. In Scotland, UNISON have been proud to support and work alongside the Equality Network in their noteworthy attempts to put the argument for equal marriage out on the streets.
Conference also notes the vitriolic attacks on this campaign and the double standards displayed by certain religious groups which only help to spread prejudice and hate.
As lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) members of a union which believes in equality, diversity and real human rights, we need to keep up the campaign for the right to have equal marriage so that we are equal to the rest of the population.
We need to ensure that the Government keep to their word and make it happen.
Conference recalls that UNISON LGBT Conference 2010 and National Delegate Conference 2011 voted in favour of both equal marriage and civil partnerships, with different and same sex couples being able to avail of either institution.
Therefore conference instructs the National LGBT Committee to step up the awareness of the Equal Marriage Campaign throughout the wider Union, and:
1. Write to regions highlighting the campaign and ask all LGBT members to get behind the campaign and to write to their Member of Parliament to ensure they do all they can to progress this and help make it happen;
2. Use all means of communication at their disposal, including Out in UNISON, Focus, and the national email list (being mindful of confidentiality!) to raise awareness of the campaign and revitalise it;
3. Support appropriate campaigns to open up civil partnership to different sex couples and to allow faith groups to offer marriage to same sex couples where that faith group so wishes.