Bisexuality – the hidden sexuality

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Conference
2014 National LGBT Conference
Date
30 July 2014
Decision
Carried

Conference notes the research ‘The Ups and Downs of lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB)s workplace experiences’, published in January 2014 by Manchester Business School.

Findings for bisexual workers were particularly marked, including:

1. Bisexual people reported the highest levels of bullying and discrimination at work within the last 12 months – higher than lesbians and gay men and considerably higher than heterosexual respondents;

2. Discrimination complaints by bisexual workers were less likely to be investigated formally than complaints from lesbians or gay men;

3. Bisexual people were much less likely to be open about their sexuality at work than lesbians or gay men;

4. Bisexuality was largely misunderstood by heterosexual colleagues.

This research confirms the experiences of our own members.

Conference also notes the findings of the NatCen research for UNISON into the effect of austerity on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, which showed how equality is being sidelined, specialist services disappearing and LGBT people increasingly isolated and marginalised, feeling guilty for asking that their needs are met.

Conference affirms the urgency of campaigning for a change of government at the next general election, in May 2015, to one committed to tackling growing inequality arising from austerity policies.

Conference calls on the national LGBT committee, working with the bisexual members caucus, to continue to challenge the invisibility of bisexuality and the sidelining of equality, and to work for the election of a government committed to equality.