- Conference
- 2025 National LGBT+ Conference
- Date
- 23 July 2025
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference notes the troubling trend of growing hostility toward LGBT+ people across the UK, including a documented increase in hate crimes, openly discriminatory political rhetoric, and the UK’s sharp fall in ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map – now ranking 22nd, its lowest ever.
This regression in LGBT+ rights is happening at the same time that some local authorities are being run by political forces such as Reform UK, posing increased threats to inclusive workplaces and community cohesion. Now, more than ever, it is essential that UNISON’s internal training equips all representatives, officers and secretaries to stand up for LGBT+ members – not only when we are present, but especially when we are not.
Conference recognises the success of the Trans Ally Training programme, which has already trained over 7,000 members. This demonstrates the appetite and ability within UNISON to lead from the front on LGBT+ inclusion and intersectional equality.
However, the lived experiences of LGBT+ people in 2025 demand a renewed focus. As the political and social environment shifts, so too must the training we provide. Allyship is not a one-off act; it must be embedded, refreshed, and continuously reinforced through high-quality, relevant and intersectional education.
Conference therefore calls on the National LGBT+ Committee to:
1)Work with relevant parts of the union to initiate a full review of all LGBT+ content within UNISON’s training, with a particular focus on training for branch representatives, officers and secretaries.
2)Ensure that revised training materials reflect up-to-date language, challenges and lived experiences of LGBT+ people in 2025, with particular emphasis on trans inclusion, intersectionality, and allyship.
3)Promote the rollout of updated LGBT+ training content in a phased and sustainable manner, in line with the union’s existing infrastructure and quality standards.
4)Encourage branches and regions to prioritise participation in LGBT+ and allyship-focused training for all elected representatives in branches, with the goal of building strong networks of informed and active allies across the union.