- Conference
- 2024 National LGBT+ Conference
- Date
- 17 July 2024
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference notes that the rulebook, as amended at the 2023 national delegate conference contains aims and objectives, sections on union democracy and antidiscrimination policies and yet in Rule Q definitions there are no clear definitions of transphobia, biphobia, homophobia or acephobia. ILGA-Europe (The European region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association) defines transphobia as negative cultural and personal beliefs, opinions, attitudes and behaviours based on prejudice, disgust, fear and/or hatred of trans people or against variations of gender identity and gender expression.
Queen Mary University London defines acephobia as terms used to describe the fear or dislike of someone, based on prejudice or negative attitudes, beliefs or views about people who are or are perceived to be lesbian, gay, queer, trans, bi, nonbinary or asexual (ace)+.
When LGBT+ workers face harassment and discrimination. It’s hard to deal with if they are alone, but as LGBT+ UNISON members, we have a voice in the United Kingdom’s (UK) largest public service union, committed to working for LGBT+ rights. We want to be heard and we want to feel safe. Conference has consistently shown how deeply disturbed it is by the rise in transphobia and the negative rhetoric directed towards trans women in particular; during and following the various consultations linked to the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) and yet no definition against it exists in our own rule book. Transphobia and bullying of trans people may still be a growing negative trend in our workplaces and society at large and yet this small change may provide some respite and truly support our transgender and gender non-conforming allies and members from internalised hate.
We should all be able to identify and call out if we witness any LGBT+ phobia and be encouraged to report it. The harm caused by manifestations of intolerance, prejudice and discrimination, including intolerant speech and negative stereotyping of LGBT+ people, especially when it comes from within cannot be understated. Conference, we currently do not explicitly accept intolerant speech and provide guidelines to prevent it from happening to members at work and we publicly and formally disavow it whenever it occurs and yet no definition exists to support this. Conference feels that this new definition should re-enforce current rules and help address all manifestations of intolerance and prejudice targeting LGBT+ people and other communities. It diminishes us all if we can no longer be advocates of tolerance nor acceptance. If we allow this to happen or we do not have clear definitions supporting the rules governing these negative and damaging behaviours and comments.
Conference calls on the national LGBT+ committee to:
Work with the equality liaison committee of the national executive council (NEC) to agree a clear definition of LGBT+phobia to include both transphobia and acephobia and bring that definition to the next national delegates conference as a motion to amend the rules.