- Conference
- 2018 National LGBT Conference
- Date
- 27 July 2018
- Decision
- Carried
Non-Binary Inclusion
Conference welcomes the work initiated by our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) group to make UNISON’s organisation, events, policies, systems and good practice advice inclusive of non-binary members.
Conference notes that the steps taken at national level towards the inclusion of non-binary members in UNISON have included:
1)A factsheet, ‘Gender equality: non-binary inclusion’, which has been well received across the union;
2. A first UNISON survey of non-binary members;
3. Changes to a number of UNISON forms, including the national conference monitoring form, and systems;
4. An initial review of language in UNISON communications of all forms and a start on addressing non-inclusive language;
5. Advice to UNISON service providers.
Conference welcomes the adoption of a motion by the Greater London Regional Council in February 2018 that recognised the need for similar steps to be taken within the region towards the inclusion of non-binary members, and the beginning of this work, including reviewing the forms used within the region and the start of a review of language in regional communications.
Conference notes, however, that a rule amendment proposed by the National Women’s Committee to 2018 National Delegate Conference to create “general” seats rather than “male” seats on the national executive council (NEC) was lost. This means that non-binary members are still excluded from standing for election to the great majority of seats on our union’s national executive.
Conference further notes that there are also a significant number of non-inclusive references in UNISON’s rule book, such as the terminology ‘she/he’, which could easily be replaced without changing the meaning.
Conference therefore calls on the national LGBT committee to:
A)Call on the NEC to address the exclusion of non-binary members from standing for election to seats on the NEC and other UNISON structures
B. Call on the NEC to identify unnecessary non-inclusive gender references in UNISON rules and submit rule amendments to make them inclusive
C. Urge regional LGBT groups to submit motions to regional councils calling for steps towards the inclusion of non-binary members to be undertaken within their region
D. Continue its work towards making UNISON, our recruitment and organising, advice, negotiations, campaigns and services, fully inclusive of non-binary members.