- Conference
- 2019 National LGBT+ Conference
- Date
- 19 September 2019
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes:
a)2019 commemorates the 52nd anniversary of the occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza
b) In 2017 research by War on Want showed that HSBC had invested over £800 million in, and provided syndicated loans worth up to £19 billion for, companies providing weapons and equipment to the Israeli military. These investments include approximately £100 million worth of shares in the company Caterpillar, which supplies the Israeli army with bulldozers.
c) HSBC is a target for ‘Stop Arming Israel’, a campaign run by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and War on Want
d) HSBC sponsors and funds Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Plus (LGBT+) pride events worldwide.
Conference further notes that HSBC is the main sponsor of Birmingham Pride, an event that seeks to promote equality for all, and that Aswat, a Palestinian LBT+ women’s group, have made a call for Birmingham Pride to drop HSBC as a sponsor until it ends its complicity with Israel’s arms trade. PSC has launched a campaign, in partnership with UK LGBT+ groups, which will continue until Birmingham Pride adheres to Aswat’s call.
Conference welcomes the decision by the 2019 Trades Union Congress (TUC) LGBT+ Conference to adopt the ‘Palestine’ motion submitted by UNISON, which called on the TUC and affiliates to:
i)Support this campaign, and write to Birmingham Pride calling on them to drop HSBC as a sponsor
ii) Urge LGBT+ trade unionists to support the campaign and to endorse the call from ASWAT.
Conference instructs the National LGBT+ Committee, working with the National Executive Council and International Department as appropriate, to:
1)Seek to work with the TUC LGBT+ Committee to gain the support of LGBT+ trade unionists and other trade unions for the campaign
2) Explore with PSC and LGBT+ groups in selected trade unions the potential for using the campaign as a focus for setting up a new LGBT+ Palestine network to maintain a consistent focus on LGBT+ solidarity with the Palestinian people and engage LGBT+ trade unionists in its work, in line with the decision of 2018 LGBT Conference
3) Continue to encourage LGBT+ members, branch and regional groups to take up appropriate actions in support of Palestinian rights
4) Continue campaigning to raise LGBT+ people’s awareness why not to go on holiday or make cultural or sporting visits to Israel
5) Continue to publicise the work of PSC, and urge LGBT+ members to join and to get their branches and regions to affiliate.