UNISON branches and regional LGBT groups will be marking the international day against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in creative ways on Sunday 17 May.
The day – known as IDAHOT for short – is marked every year, and this year’s global focus is on young LGBT people.
UNISON members and activists will be flying the rainbow flag, hosting lunch and learn sessions, recruitment stalls and socials – and conducting walk-abouts at work.
The union’s national LGBT officer Carola Towle notes that the UK scores highly in the Rainbow Europe index of LGBT human rights, published to mark the day by ILGA-Europe, the European region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.
“We celebrate this,” says Ms Towle: “but there’s so much still to do.
“As the commentary for the UK on the Rainbow Europe map says: ‘Regrettably, LGBT people continued to experience hate crime, below-average access to public services (including healthcare) and suffered from government cuts to public services and civil society more than the general public’.”
ILGA-Europe has also worked with TransGender Europe to produce a detailed map and index of trans rights: tgeu.org – map of trans rights in Europe.
And UNISON has updated our LGBT bargaining factsheets – you can find them in the resources section at unison.org.uk/out.
And if you, your branch or your UNISON LGBT group is planning something for Sunday, let us know what you are doing and share it with the rest of the union by emailing out@unison.co.uk.
