ENGAGING BRANCHES IN THE COMMUNITY SECTOR IN LGBT+ RECRUITMENT AND ORGANISING

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Conference
2020 Community Conference and Seminar
Date
7 November 2019
Decision
Carried as Amended

Conference notes that at National Delegate Conference 2019 delegates unanimously agreed to change UNISON�s rule book so that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) self organised group is now the LGBT+ self organised group.

Conference recalls that the community conference unanimously passed policy last year supporting the group becoming LGBT+ and that many branches organising in the community sector supported the rule change. Conference is aware that we have LGBT+ community members and hold LGBT+ caucus meetings at our conference.

Conference is aware that UNISON works with inclusive, umbrella definitions of bisexual and transgender. Meetings that include bi members are for all members who feel attraction to more than one gender. Meetings that include trans members are for all types of self-identifying trans people; for people with trans backgrounds and members whose gender identity does not fit into the gender binary i.e. non-binary members. Despite these inclusive definitions some LGBT+ members have reported that they are put off from getting more active in their branches due to lack of awareness and not feeling that we are as inclusive as we should be. This is particularly the case for members who do not personally use the label LGBT about themselves, for example people who identify as queer or pansexual.

Conference notes that it was initially young members who suggested UNISON move to using the term LGBT+, with many identifying their sexual orientation and gender identity in different ways beyond a binary definition.

Conference welcomes the decision to change the name of the LGBT self organised group to LGBT+ and instructs the Community Service Group working with the National LGBT+ Committee to:

1)Raise awareness of the remit of the LGBT+ Self Organised Group amongst branches within the community sector in the light of new national rules

2)Continue to work towards making organising, events, policies, systems, language and good practice advice inclusive of LGBT+ members

3)Encourage branches within the community service group to build LGBT+ recruitment and bargaining into their work plans.