UNISON Celtic Connections LGBT
Learning and Organising Training Weekend Belfast
2007
- Introduction
The Celtic Connections Learning and Organising
Training weekend is an annual event where the Northern Ireland
LGBT Committee and the Scottish LGBT Committee work together on
joint areas of concern and share best practice. The host region
pays for all the accommodation on an alternating basis. The Scottish
delegation included two new transgender members of the committee
and three newly active members on the committee.
The focus of the weekend was on updating how
we tackle homophobia in the workplace, sharing good practice in
Northern Ireland, supporting and engaging Bi and Trans members
in UNISON and Joint Work between Scotland and Northern Ireland.
- Reducing Homophobia in Communities: best practice from Foyle
– Sean Morrin
Sean gave a very interesting talk about Derry,
which has in the past been called the ‘homophobic capital’ of Britain.
Sean is founder of the Rainbow Project, ostensibly a gay & bisexual
men’s health and community organisation, but in practice used by
the wider LGBT community due to a lack of services for lesbian and
Trans people.
2˝-3 years ago, violence such as attempted murder
and face slashings were not unusual in Derry. An increase in such
incidents was accompanied by an increase in reports to the police
(Police Service in Northern Ireland, PSNI) due to the project encouraging
people and helping to build confidence. However, this approach could
not stop homophobic crime and a different way to tackle it had to
be found.
Hate crime legislation came into force, making
the criminality of these acts real; and Section 75 of the Good Friday
Agreement states that equality must be shown (including sexual orientation).
Rainbow approached the police and asked what they were planning
to do in order to tackle homophobic hate crime. A good relationship
was formed, leading to the development of a Protocol in conjunction
with over 40 Partner Organisations including social services, councils
and housing associations and UNISON etc. The Protocol looked at
issues surrounding hate crime such as homophobia, domestic violence
and suicide.
Putting homophobia into the context of hate crime
allowed communities to see it as part of a wider issue and made
it less acceptable. An action plan was drafted, in which the Rainbow
Project took a back seat, ensuring that other organisations played
their part in implementation. Quarterly meetings review the action
plan and ensure that needs are met; for example, a training refresher
for all ranks of the PSNI is planned.
Lots of publicity of the new initiative led to
an increase in the number of incidents reported to the police or
Rainbow because people could see that things were being done. The
publicity humanised situations, using photographs of real people
and telling their stories rather than using statistics.
Prosecutions through the hate crime legislation
were slow in coming, but the Rainbow Project questioned the police
on this and progress has been achieved, (although with a reduced
incidence rate, the need to prosecute is less). 3 years on, although
homophobia is still a daily occurrence in Derry, the LGBT community
is now more visible within the community and while the rate of homophobic
crime in Northern Ireland has risen by 175%, it has fallen in Derry
by 87%.
- The previous 25 police forces in Northern Ireland have been
amalgamated into seven and RP has a good relationship with two
of the seven chief police officers. Through these positive contacts,
it is hoped that the protocol can be rolled-out to the rest of
Northern Ireland. In addition, Strathclyde Police have contacted
the Rainbow Project and expressed an interest in the protocol.
- Supporting and engaging Bi and Trans members in UNISON:
The session on "Supporting and engaging Bi
and Trans members in UNISON" was much needed and the Northern
Ireland Committee had arranged an excellent choice of trans
speaker who emphasised the need for non-trans members to be
careful not to forget that transsexual people who undertake
a hormonal and surgical transition process often have different
issues and concerns from various other types of transgender
people who do not undertake a permanent transition process.
The session also highlighted a variety of tensions around the
use of labels within the Trans communities and the need to allow
people to self-define rather than making assumptions.
Unfortunately, there was insufficient time
within the session to explore the extensive and important differences
between the experiences and concerns of Tran’s men and Trans
women. There is a real danger of non-trans members assuming
that Trans women can automatically speak for the issues and
concerns of Trans men when actually most Trans women have only
a very limited knowledge of Trans men. It was reassuring
to note that the session was able to act as a catalyst for further
informal discussion regarding this later in the weekend.
It was noted that dialogue regarding supporting
and engaging Bi members is currently trailing even the Trans
inclusion attempts. Therefore, it is very important that
specific effort be taken to build links with external Bi activist
networks and events such as Bi-Con. It was generally agreed
that further training and discussion regarding both Bi and Trans
issues is required if Bi and Trans members in UNISON are to
feel adequately supported and engaged at Regional Committee
level.
- Homophobia in the Workplace and recruiting within UNISON:
Discussion took place to raise awareness that homophobia
impacts on us all including family and colleagues. Society is structured
on the assumptions that everyone is heterosexual in society. This
heterosexism affects attitudes in schools, public services and media.
The impact on LGBT members can be indirect and may mean that our
members are reluctant to talk about themselves and family, while
other heterosexual colleagues openly talk about partners and relationships
without fear of prejudice or impact on promotion or the workplace.
It was felt that we should focus on how attitudes are shaped within
society and build on a campaign of awareness raising. Achieving
a steep change in attitudes to LGBT members rather than looking
at LGBT as victims or being seen to be politically correct would
be the best way forward.
Our discussions focused on the need to move beyond
labels. Points that are seen as key to the success of any campaign
include:
- humanise and use real stories (with permission) rather than
dry statistics
- there should be community involvement within and outwith UNSION
- incorporate homophobia and LGBT rights into the wider issues
of hate crime and civil rights.
- Follow up action from the Celtic Connections Learning and
Organising Training Weekend
The facilitated discussion as always produced lots
of ideas on what we would like to see happen. The following actions
from the Celtic Connection weekend were collectively agreed upon
by both LGBT delegations:
- To check the technical steps to engage with the UNISON structures
in order to disseminate the Foyle experience.
- To organise a presentation and discussion on extending the use
of the Protocol at National LGBT conference to be held in Glasgow
in November 2007
- To arrange for a Rainbow Project UNISON member to visit Strathclyde
Police Branch to obtain their buy-in to the protocol and tie it
in to UNISON Scotland.
- Ideas from weekend to be written up and distributed for comments
to focus on key message and methods for joint campaign.
- A sub group to be formed and initial report back by end of May
2007 on a remit for a joint Scotland and Northern Ireland campaign.
The Campaign should be inclusive and focus on updating how we
tackle Homophobia, not as victims but on how we change attitudes.
- Investigate use of Equality Network website to host more regular
discussions about campaigning with Northern Ireland LGBT Committee.
- Sub Group to prepare an action plan and circulate to gain commitment
at branch level.
- Scottish LGBT Committee to use the UK Government Hate Crime
Tool Kit to work with Partners including the Scottish Parliament
to promote good practice on behalf of UNISON members.
Scottish LGBT Committee will address these action
points and begin make arrangements for hosting Celtic Connections
Learning and Organising Training 2008 at next committee meeting.
SCOTTISH LGBT DELEGATION, CELTIC CONNECTIONS
LEARNING AND ORGANISING TRAINING, BELFAST 2007
|
Scotland's
public service union
|
