- Conference
- 2018 National LGBT Conference
- Date
- 24 July 2018
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
At the Pride Parade held in London, on Saturday 7th July 2018, a transphobic protest took place at the front of the march and stole the limelight from Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, and NHS workers.
The ‘hi-jack’ of the front of parade was carried out by ten lesbians who held a banner that read “transactivists erase lesbians”
The protesters were at the front of the parade for 20 minutes, albeit with an enforced gap between the official start and their protest, but they were able to march out ahead and hand out leaflets that stated that the trans movement was coercing lesbians to have sex with trans women. One protestor shouted, “A man who says he is a lesbian is a rapist”.
There has been much condemnation of the ‘Pride in London’ committee for not taking action to remove the anti-trans protestors. A petition of over 2200 LGBT people called for a change in the board of the Pride in London committee and a promise from them not to platform transphobia again.
Overall, the anti-trans protest backfired as it exposed and brought wide attention to their bigotry and hatred. There was a significant response on social media in the days following the march from trans supportive lesbians, rebutting and ridiculing the transphobic claim that they were being ‘erased’ by trans women. Groups carrying trans and trans supportive banners such as “L with the T” led most of the Pride marches held in the following weeks.
It is encouraging to note that the Pride in London committee will be looking at what they can do to stop this ever happening again and that they are seeking advice from the Greater London Authority, the Metropolitan Police, Westminster City Council, TfL and consulting with the Community Advisory Board.
It is recognised that Black trans women played a prominent part in the Stonewall Riots of 1969, an event that is commonly thought of as the beginning of the LGBT rights movement and which Pride events throughout the world are a celebration of.
We request that the UNISON national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Committee:
1. Write to the Pride in London organisers asking them what steps will be taken to prevent anti-trans protestors disrupting future pride events, and that it is organised that trans people and ideally black trans women, lead the London Pride parade next year in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall fightback for equality
2. Make contact with UNISON’s national women’s committee asking for their support in this matter;
3. Also ask the national executive council to consider encouraging UNISON members to attend London Pride 2019 by advertising the event in appropriate UNISON communications.