bi people in Unison
Oct. 9th, 2004 04:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
memevectorI've been keeping in touch via email with Craig Nelson who's on the UNISON National Lesbian and Gay Committee, whom I met when I was doing that government stuff a while ago.
Below is the latest info from Craig, which we have permission to pass around. Please do spread the word - the conference deadline is coming up soon.
The closing date for visitors' places at the UNISON Lesbian and Gay Conference is the 15th October. The Conference itself takes place 19th-21st November in Cardiff.
Visitors' places are open to any UNISON member who self defines as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender.
It is really important for as many Bisexual UNISON members as possible to try to attend this event.
Although we were not successful in getting the union to change the rules to allow us to become a fully inclusive LGBT group at this year's union Conference we are still working towards the goal of becoming an LGBT group.
And if we are successful in getting the rule change we need as many Bisexual UNISON members as possible to become involved in the new LGBT group, and this year's Conference will be a great way to start that process.
For more information please see [below] and the relevant links on the UNISON web pages.
If anyone wants to contact me about these issues please feel free to email me (craig dot nelson at nottshc dot nhs dot uk).
Towards an inclusive UNISON LGBT group
UNISON has a tradition of having a self organised group restricted to lesbian and gay members only - a point which has often been hotly debated amongst the lesbian and gay membership as well as the broader LGBT community.
Some history
At the 2002 Lesbian and Gay Conference a branch motion put forward a rule change to extend the self organised group to be LGBT. The National Committee gave an undertaking to consult widely amongst regional and branch lesbian and gay groups to determine the way forward. Overall the response was largely positive and on that basis the National Lesbian and Gay Committee put forward a motion endorsing the position as well as a proposal for a rule change to go to the National Delegate Conference to bring the change about. Both motions were endorsed and the rule change was selected as one of the two motions to out to National Delegate Conference.
We then set about putting motions supporting the rule change to our Regional Councils and consulted on interim arrangements for a National LGBT committee - agreeing reserved seats for bi and trans members to ensure that these groups which had historically been excluded from our group had their own voice as well as to encourage involvement in the group at all levels. (The NEC has agreed a structure of 3 bisexual seats and 2 trans seats, whilst ensuring that all of the other seats on the committee were open to all LGBT UNISON members).
In spite of a lot of planning and work, disaster struck at the National Delegate Conference. A transgender delegate spoke with considerable passion against the rule change, as well as several other delegates. The rule change failed to get a 2/3 majority and was therefore lost, despite our best efforts. We did however get unanimous approval for a rule change that incorporated bisexuality and gender identity in the union's rule book policy on discrimination.
Where we are now
The National Lesbian and Gay Committee are still committed to working towards becoming an LGBT group and have issued a paper on the way ahead. This has included a decision that bisexual and straight transgender members be invited as visitors to the Conference, and a recommendation that regional Lesbian and Gay groups include bisexual and transgender members in their meetings. At the same time there are several motions up at the Lesbian and Gay Conference this year supporting the rule change to extend the group to include bi and trans members.
The closing date for applications to attend the Lesbian and Gay Conference is the 15th October - which is fairly close. The Conference takes place between Friday 19th and Sunday 21st November in Cardiff.
The reason why we need bisexual and straight trans visitors at the Conference is that we need to start to work together and build links between our different groups. We need to work together to try to get the rule change passed at next year's National Delegate Conference and we need to be clearly and visibly including bi and trans members as soon as any rule change is passed.
If you are a UNISON member and would like to be a visitor at the Conference you should ask your branch secretary to support your application. The branch will have arrangements for meeting travel and hotel costs.
If you have any problems contact Carola Towle (UNISON LGBT Officer) or Gary Williams (Membership Participation Unit) by ringing 0845 355 0845 (UNISON Direct).
Further information
http://www.unison.org.uk/out/pages_view.asp?did=1288
http://www.unison.org.uk/out/conference.asp
Below is the latest info from Craig, which we have permission to pass around. Please do spread the word - the conference deadline is coming up soon.
The closing date for visitors' places at the UNISON Lesbian and Gay Conference is the 15th October. The Conference itself takes place 19th-21st November in Cardiff.
Visitors' places are open to any UNISON member who self defines as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender.
It is really important for as many Bisexual UNISON members as possible to try to attend this event.
Although we were not successful in getting the union to change the rules to allow us to become a fully inclusive LGBT group at this year's union Conference we are still working towards the goal of becoming an LGBT group.
And if we are successful in getting the rule change we need as many Bisexual UNISON members as possible to become involved in the new LGBT group, and this year's Conference will be a great way to start that process.
For more information please see [below] and the relevant links on the UNISON web pages.
If anyone wants to contact me about these issues please feel free to email me (craig dot nelson at nottshc dot nhs dot uk).
Towards an inclusive UNISON LGBT group
UNISON has a tradition of having a self organised group restricted to lesbian and gay members only - a point which has often been hotly debated amongst the lesbian and gay membership as well as the broader LGBT community.
Some history
At the 2002 Lesbian and Gay Conference a branch motion put forward a rule change to extend the self organised group to be LGBT. The National Committee gave an undertaking to consult widely amongst regional and branch lesbian and gay groups to determine the way forward. Overall the response was largely positive and on that basis the National Lesbian and Gay Committee put forward a motion endorsing the position as well as a proposal for a rule change to go to the National Delegate Conference to bring the change about. Both motions were endorsed and the rule change was selected as one of the two motions to out to National Delegate Conference.
We then set about putting motions supporting the rule change to our Regional Councils and consulted on interim arrangements for a National LGBT committee - agreeing reserved seats for bi and trans members to ensure that these groups which had historically been excluded from our group had their own voice as well as to encourage involvement in the group at all levels. (The NEC has agreed a structure of 3 bisexual seats and 2 trans seats, whilst ensuring that all of the other seats on the committee were open to all LGBT UNISON members).
In spite of a lot of planning and work, disaster struck at the National Delegate Conference. A transgender delegate spoke with considerable passion against the rule change, as well as several other delegates. The rule change failed to get a 2/3 majority and was therefore lost, despite our best efforts. We did however get unanimous approval for a rule change that incorporated bisexuality and gender identity in the union's rule book policy on discrimination.
Where we are now
The National Lesbian and Gay Committee are still committed to working towards becoming an LGBT group and have issued a paper on the way ahead. This has included a decision that bisexual and straight transgender members be invited as visitors to the Conference, and a recommendation that regional Lesbian and Gay groups include bisexual and transgender members in their meetings. At the same time there are several motions up at the Lesbian and Gay Conference this year supporting the rule change to extend the group to include bi and trans members.
The closing date for applications to attend the Lesbian and Gay Conference is the 15th October - which is fairly close. The Conference takes place between Friday 19th and Sunday 21st November in Cardiff.
The reason why we need bisexual and straight trans visitors at the Conference is that we need to start to work together and build links between our different groups. We need to work together to try to get the rule change passed at next year's National Delegate Conference and we need to be clearly and visibly including bi and trans members as soon as any rule change is passed.
If you are a UNISON member and would like to be a visitor at the Conference you should ask your branch secretary to support your application. The branch will have arrangements for meeting travel and hotel costs.
If you have any problems contact Carola Towle (UNISON LGBT Officer) or Gary Williams (Membership Participation Unit) by ringing 0845 355 0845 (UNISON Direct).
Further information
http://www.unison.org.uk/out/pages_view.asp?did=1288
http://www.unison.org.uk/out/conference.asp
