TRANSGENDER EQUALITY AND PRESSURE TO DIVORCE

Conference notes that transgender members can experience disproportionate pressures when they develop their transition if they are married people. For members to be able to obtain a full Gender Recognition Certificate and consequently a birth certificate that recognises them in their chosen gender, they are placed under considerable pressure in the requirement to take part […]

ONGOING CAMPAIGN FOR BLOOD DONATION AND A WIDER CAMPAIGN ON ORGAN DONATION

Conference congratulates the National Delegate Conference in its determination to enable LGBT members in UNISON to be organised in the union in regional LGBT groups. Conference notes the work undertaken by the National LGBT Committee, so far in relation to how blood donation operates and its impact upon mainly gay potential donors who are unable […]

CHARTER FOR CHANGE FOR LGBT EQUALITY – IN EMPLOYMENT, IN HEALTH, IN PROVISION OF GOODS AND SERVICES

Conference notes that gender identity and sexuality are core issues for the individual person. The invalidation by society of LGBT peoples’ core identities can be traumatising. LGBT people can experience layers of discrimination – with a higher incidents rate of anxiety, stress or depressive disorders. Conference notes that LGBT people experience discrimination as service users […]

London Bombings

We condemn the horrific attacks on London on 7 July, 2005, and extend our deepest sympathies to the bereaved families and friends of the 55 who died, and to the hundreds of others who have endured terrible physical and psychological injuries. We applaud the commitment and courage displayed by fire fighters, health workers, council workers […]

SCREENING OF BLOOD DONORS

This conference notes that the purpose of the blood services in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is to provide a safe and adequate supply of blood. Screening of blood donors for HIV is necessary for the safety of the blood supply because the available tests for screening donated blood for HIV are not infallible, […]

RULE D4.5.2 SELF-ORGANISED GROUPS

In Rule D4.5.2 After “other initiatives to the Regional Council”, delete: “or Regional Committee.” And replace with: “and Regional Committee.”

AMENDMENT TO STANDING ORDER 7.1

In Standing Order 7.1: After ‘delegates to Conference’: Replace the comma with a full stop; and, Delete ‘or who are members’ and substitute ‘Members’; and, After ‘Lesbian’: Put a comma; and, Delete ‘and Gay Committee. Members’ and substitute ‘Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Committee and’.

WORKFORCE MONITORING

Conference notes with extreme concern the increasing push from employers to undertake workforce monitoring in relation to sexual orientation. This monitoring by some employers is ‘outing’ staff as this is not an anonymous process. It would appear the reason behind this is to obtain figures on how many LGBT employees they have; we would seriously […]

ACCESS TO IN VITRO FERTILISATION (IVF)

Conference notes that the Government is reviewing the provisions of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act [HFEA] and that the general public has been invited to respond to a consultation which ends on the 25th November 2005. Conference notes that our families are being recognised under the auspices of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 [CPA] […]

WORKING TO STOP HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES WORLDWIDE

Conference condemns the actions of countries all over the world, including in Iran, where 2 gay men were recently hanged for being gay, and in Saudi Arabia where, in March 2005, 35 men were publicly flogged for attending a ‘gay wedding’, as well as the Ugandan government for criminalizing gay marriage, and Colombia, where “individuals […]

THE WORKERS UNITED WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED

Conference welcomes the growth in awareness of the international dimension in LGBT trade union work. In particular we note: 1.An increase in regional group affiliations to the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) and active participation by regional groups in ILGA’s work; 2.The profile of international issues at this year’s TUC LGBT conference, including the […]

CRADLEY HEATH WORKERS’ INSTITUTE

Conference notes that: 1.Early last century the National Federation of Women Workers (NFWW) was at the forefront of a campaign to abolish sweated labour; in 1909 the Trade Board Act fixed wages in some sweated trades, including chain making; 2.The employers at Cradley Heath in the Black Country exploited a loophole in the law; they […]

PRIDE EVENTS

This Conference welcomes the decision of the Northern Ireland Parades Commission to allow Belfast Pride to take place, after local opposition to the event. Conference also notes that several Pride events (in Riga, Latvia, Warsaw, Poland and Jerusalem) have met with local opposition and in the end have taken place either after a Court has […]

ORGANISING AGAINST FASCISM

Conference notes with concern that: 1.In the 2005 general election, the British National Party (BNP) received the highest vote ever received by a far right party in a British general election; 2.The total BNP vote more than quadrupled compared to 2001 and the BNP saved a record 34 deposits; 3.Hostility and prejudice towards asylum seekers […]

COUNTERACTING FAITH-BASED ANTI-LGBT AND ANTI-FEMALE ATTITUDES

Conference is painfully aware of the generally negative and sometimes extremely hostile views of the world’s major religions towards Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people, and that when our rights clash with faith-based rights ours seem to be regarded as somehow lesser. Because of: 1.Conflicts between LGBT rights and rights based on faith and […]