UNISON’s LGBT conference got under way in Liverpool this morning, with a rallying call from the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA(.
Noting that the “outrageous calls for ‘permanent austerity’ add insult to the injuries suffered by a growing number of people”, it warned against seeking too great consolation in successes around civil progress.
“Civil equality has no meaning when economic inequality becomes the dominating feature of a society or indeed, of a civilisation,” said ILGA.
“For equality must be genuine, all-encompassing and shared by everyone, or the poisonous seeds of patriarchy, capitalism and white supremacism will continue to grow into exploitation, racism, misogyny, transphobia and homophobia.”
And the message continued: “The fight against economic inequality does not and must not – either for us or our allies in the social movements – divert energy from the fight against trans phobia and homophobia – it is the same fight, it is the same struggle for a world where equality and social justice mean what we expect them to mean, a world where everyone has enough to live by, but also to live for.”
