- Conference
- 2024 National LGBT+ Conference
- Date
- 17 July 2024
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference welcomes the new ace (asexual) and aro (aromantic) network that the national LGBT+ committee has established, called ‘The A-Spec Network’. This is believed to be the first trade union network for all those who identify under the asexuality umbrella in the United Kingdom’s (UK) trade union movement.
Conference also welcomes the factsheet and awareness training that the A-spec network has produced to demystify the complexity of the asexuality umbrella.
Conference also acknowledges the excellent report by Stonewall in October 2023 – ‘Ace in the UK Report’ produced in conjunction with Yasmin Benoit Ace Project. This report highlights many worrying aspects for our ace and aro members in the workplace. This includes not being covered by the Equality Act 2010, being left out of the proposed UK-wide ban on conversion therapy and the evidence that in 2018 only 9% of asexual people feel safe to be out at work with colleagues at a similar or lower level than them. The report highlights the need for workplaces to improve and we need to ensure we help our ace and aro members in the workplace.
However, even within UNISON’s LGBT+ self-organised group, ace-phobia is all too often present and visible. This can take the form of microaggressions where members continually refer to groups as ‘LGBT’ instead of ‘LGBT+’ to full on phobic statements that seek to medicalise the sexual orientation and worse. Inappropriate curiosity is also prevalent and should not be tolerated especially within our own LGBT+ communities.
Conference, our ace and aro members are seeking to be treated with the same dignity and respect as any other UNISON member. We must be allies and call out inappropriate remarks and questions when they arise in all parts of our union including LGBT+ self-organised spaces.
Conference therefore calls on the national LGBT+ committee to;
1)Promote the ace/aro factsheet to regions and branches
2)Encourage all regional LGBT+ self organised groups (SOGs) and service groups to take part in the ace/aro awareness training and to monitor how many members take part in that training
3)Seek to work with organisations such as ILGA Europe to promote safe spaces for ace and aro people.