News from UNISON East Midlands Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender + (LGBT+) Self Organised Group (SOG)
Hi
My name is Louisa Wass Griffiths, and I have recently taken over supporting the Regional LGBT+ SOG. Have you heard of us?
Anybody who identifies as LGBT+, may come to the meeting. We have fun. We discuss issues which affect us in the workplace and in life. We campaign about important stuff. We make LGBT+ folk as a whole more visible. But we take your privacy seriously, if you are not out to your workplace or your Branch.
We particularly welcome folks who also multiple discrimination in society so if you are LGBT+ and also older, younger, black or minority ethnic, disabled, religious, or women, we would love you to join.
If you would like to join in, or just to have a chat about us, please ring me on 0115 8475480, or email l.wassgriffiths@unison.co.uk.
Meetings
Next meeting: Thursday, 26 September 2019 18.30 pm UNISON Regional Centre, Nottingham.
Saturday, 7 December 2019 10.30 a.m. Venue to be confirmed
Pride 19
Why don’t you and some folks from your branch support your local Pride?
Bourne 13 July
Chesterfield 21 July
Derbyshire 17 Sept
Leicester 31 Aug
Lincoln Pride 28 Sept
Nottingham 27 July
Worksop 13 July
News from Northampton Pride: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-northamptonshire-48296947
And if you would like to go further afield please check out this website for other Prides in the UK and beyond:
https://pinkuk.com/events/gay-pride-2019.
It’s especially great that there is a national Bi Pride event in London on 7 Sept. The indoor venue is yet to be confirmed. Save the date!
Bi Pride
The first ever UK Bi Pride will be held in London on 7 September 2019. Here is the link if you would like to book tickets. https://www.biprideuk.org/
Stuff
Branches can buy LGBT+ materials such as lanyards, flags, condoms, pencils, tee shirts etc from this UNISON approved website:
www.tc-unison.co.uk. You can email them to register then order online. The email address is unison@tc-group.co.uk.
Why not ask for some Branch money to be spent on it. You can do this by an agenda item for Branch Committee. Contact your branch.
Where are our Portable Flags?
East Mids LGBT+ SOG purchased some lovely portable flags of various kinds, e.g. rainbow, bi, trans etc. People have borrowed them but not returned them. If you have a flag knocking about at home or at the Branch, please contact Louisa to arrange collection or return. Thanks.
Flags on Buildings
Why not campaign for your council or other public buildings to fly a fixed flag on special LGBT+ occasions. You may need to check which sort of flag to buy so it works with their pole. A list of LGBT+ occasions is available here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LGBT_events
Photos
Send us your pictures at pride, Idahobit, training events, stalls etc to promote LGBT+ equality and inclusion. We can use them on the UNISON website and in newsletters. l.wassgriffiths@unison.co.uk
UNISON LGBT+ Conference
Will be held in Bournemouth from 15 – 17 November 2019. We will be sending two delegates from the Region and will feed back to you afterwards. If you want to go as a branch delegate yourself, please approach your Branch LGBT+ Officer or Branch Secretary. The Closing date for submission of delegates is 20 September 2019. If you are not out to your Branch you can contact me and I will arrange for you to be registered anonymously.
A motion was submitted by our Regional SOG to have a yearly report on what was done to action the successful motions from the year before. This has been ruled out of order; as such a list of actions is already produced and attached as an appendix to the Annual Report to the LGBT+ Conference. This is available on the UNISON website at https://www.unison.org.uk/content/uploads/2018/10/25347.pdf
UNISON will pay for your accommodation, your travel and your meals. All we ask in return is that you attend all of the sessions, and provide a report back afterwards. In case of illness or emergency we have a Regional Representative at Conference on hand to help.
UNISON LGBT+ Nationally
Check out the Website:
https://www.unison.org.uk/about/what-we-do/fairness-equality/lgbt/
Join our Email mailing list
Then we can invite you to meetings and events.
Current Concerns
- We are looking into LGBT+ equality and support in residential care.
- Campaigning to add + to our LGBT+ title, to be more inclusive of gender fluid folk, and those who prefer the title queer, and others.
- We are interested in promoting HPV vaccines for people of all genders.
What do you think?
What issues matter to you?
Where would you like us to hold the Regional LGBT+ SOG meetings?
Would you like to join our group, or promote us to other members who might be interested?
Does your Branch have an LGBT+ Officer? Can you meet up with them to encourage a local meeting for others in your Branch. If not can you consider becoming the LGBT+ Officer for your Branch.
Recommended cafes, clubs, places of worship
Where have you been in the Region that was a safe place for LGBT+s? Let us know so we can publicise it.
For starters, here’s a lovely Anglican Inclusive Church in Spondon, Derby. See their website: https://www.stwerburgh.com/
You can go to any of their services and be welcomed but they have a special Open Table service for LGBTQIA on the third Sunday of the Month. I went to the last one and enjoyed the inclusive liturgy which didn’t describe God in just one gender.
Stay in Touch
Please do contact Louisa if you want to join our mailing list, or attend a meeting. Let her know if you have questions, a safe place to recommend, or something you want to start a campaign about.
It will be lovely to have you join in.