The first day of the UNISON LGBT+ Conference began with a welcome to all those who attended the conference, the standing orders committee reports 1 & 2 were brought to conference to start the business of the day. there was then a minutes silence to reflect on all those that we lost over the last year, and also to think forward to Transgender Day of Remembrance on 20 November 2019. Click on the image to learn more about this day.
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.
Following this the debate of motions began these motions were. (Click on the image on the right to read more about the motions)
- Mental Health and Suicide Awareness to support Young LGBT+ Members – Supported with Qualifications
- LGBT+ Hate Crime – Supported
- Promoting and Expanding LGBT+ Education in Schools – Supported
Following discussions of the above motions, we now hear a Keynote speech from Christina McAnea – Assistant General Secretary of UNISON. Christina talks about the change at National Delegate Conference from LGBT to LGBT+ to keep the unison inclusive of all members. Christina talked about Trans issues that UNISON are committed to campaigning stating.
about, the up coming General Elections, Universal Credit, bedroom Tax, homelessness, zero hours contracts and other issues that affect all members. and she went on to remind everyone to vote in the general election on 12 December, to make sure you are voting please click on the link below, the deadline is 26th November.
https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
Following this Keynote speech the
- Sexual Harrasment of the LGBT+ Workforce – Supported
The next section of the annual report to be discussed was the International Work Section which then followed with debate on the following motions
- Ethical Procurement – Supported
- Palestine – Supported
- Forced Sterilisation in exchange for Gender Recognition – Supported With Qualifications
- LGBT+ Disability Activism in ILGA Europe – Supported
- Working to Protect the Human Rights of LGBT+ People Around the World – Supported
Now conference business moves onto the next section of the Annual Report – Campaigning this then started discussion of the motions for this section… (All of these motions can be read in the conference guide above)
- Brexit – Supported
Standing orders Report three is being given verbally – this included the bucket collection which has been chosen as No Outsiders Campaign more details can be seen here. £406 was raised from
now motions begin discussing on the following
- Gender Recognition act Reform – A lack of progress – Supported
- Putting Politics Back in Pride and Wider LGBT+ Community – Supported as amended – this included discussion as below…
Special mention was given to Octavia St Laurent who famously has been quoted saying “Gays have rights, lesbians have rights, men have rights, women have rights, even animals have rights. How many of us have to die before the community recognizes that we are not expendable.” Octavia was an LGBT icon, trans woman, and AIDS educator who was active in New York City’s Black and Latinx drag society and Harlem’s drag balls. She came to public attention after being featured in the 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning. Octavia can be seen perfoming in a Harlem Drag Ball Below…
Following the discussion of this motion we now see a short video message from Angela Rayner Labour Shadow Secretary for Education.
- Domestic Abuse in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans + Relationships – Supported as amended – this generated accounts of personal experiences that members have been through in their own lives that have affected all aspects of their life.
- Decriminalisation For Safety – Supported
- No Outsiders – Supported
The second day started with the election of delegates to National Delegate Conference 2020. Following this the following motions to take to next years National Delegate Conference were discussed.
- Pension Equality
- Decriminalisation for Safety
- Defending and Progressing LGBT+ inclusive Education
- The Vatican Educational Paper on Gender Theory – A Confused Concept – Supported
- Access to Abortion – Supported
- Promoting Inclusion and diversity in sports – Supported
- Supporting Older LGBT+ People – Fallen due to not
Conference now hears from Josie Bird
Nomadesc
Organising Awards
The final section of the Annual Report is being discussed and subsequent motions. These were the following.
- Making the BI Network More Inclusive – Supported
- Engaging Branches in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Plus Recruitment and Organisation – Supported
- BI Young Members – Supported
- Inclusive Language – Supported
- Celebrating our LGBT+ Disabled Members Self-Organisation and Diversity – Supported
- Ensuring LGBT+ Representation in Apprenticeships – Supported
- Equal Marriage in Northern Ireland – Fallen due to no representative to move the motion
- Celebrating and Supporting Regional Diversity – defer (this was following a card vote of 68 for 77 against)
- Beware that Share! – Supported
- Back to Basics – the Decline of LGBT+ Rights – Supported
- Why are we still missing? – Fallen
- Including Retired Members more Effectively at Self Organised Group Conference – Supported
- Perfectly Good Motions Ruled out of order –
Motions passed to National Delegate Conference
NDC2 – Decriminilaiisnation
NDC3 – Defending and Progressing LGBT+ Education