LGBT EXECUTIVE MEMBER
ANNETTE PRYCE
Education - Campaigning - Advocacy - Empowerment - Promotion - Presence- Visibility – Awareness
AUTUMN 2013 REPORT
SEAT HOLDER ROLE DEVELOPMENT
During the past year the role of the equality seat holder has needed to be developed further due to the ‘new’ nature of the role. Change is often a good thing, and the executive is moving slowly towards a representative group which reflects the membership. Normally recruitment panels only have ‘District’ seat holders, but thanks to us they now have at least one equality seat holder as well. The annual conference stage presence will now reflect the membership as the seat holders will be on stage during the equality sections of conference. The equalities sub-committee will be discussing the demographics of the constituencies across the country at its next meeting to see where the gaps are in the various regions.
In the role as LGBT seat holder I’ve attended/participated in:
The North West NUT LGBT Teachers conferences,
TUC Congress twice,
TUC LGBT Conference,
TUC Women’s Conference,
The Black Teachers Conference (observer),
The Women’s Roundtable event,
The Young Teachers conferences and
The National Education Conferences, as well as
The LGBT History Month Pre-Launch 2012.
I’ll be attending the 2014 Schools OUT AGM.
I have also visited the London, South East, South West and Yorkshire-Midlands Regional councils.
I have also been elected to the TUC LGBT committee.
And I have been elected as Vice-chair of the Equalities Sub-committee and a member of the Strategy and Finance Committee.
PREVALENCE OF HOMOPHOBIA SURVEYS
After a long time waiting, we finally have a dedicated page for the prevalence of homophobia surveys. I’ve collated and averaged out the data from the surveys I’m in possession of, which are mainly from the Eastern, Yorkshire Midlands and North West regions, andas we gain more date this will be updated.
EQUALITIES LEGISLATION
We campaigned for the retention of third party harassment laws, though despite best efforts they were repealed.The TUC seems confident that it won’t mean that we can’t bring claims. European legislation for public sector employees makes it easier, than for those in the private sector, as we can rely directly on the EU law.
So while we obviously opposed the repeal and the protection was explicit before, it doesn't mean that we can't still try use the law to seek the same protection in practice.
And according to the TUC the EU law isn’t subject to the ‘3 strikes’ test that the UK law had.
CONFERENCES AND TRAINING
The decision last year to cancel the NUT LGBT Teachers conference was very disappointing, and perhaps in hindsight the union could have made a different decision, but the resultant fringe event that came out of that at annual conference was hugely successful. Myself and Debs Gwynn of the North West went head to head in a real debate on whether it is a ‘teacher’s responsibility to come out at school.’ This was described as a brilliant event with much collegiate discussion and thoughtful debate, the buzz in the room was the most intense ever experienced and colleagues from delegations both LGBT and non-LGBT crammed into the room to hear.
Even better news is that next year’s conference in 2014 is to be a 2 day conference, and it will be mid country rather than in London.
There was a London education conference in October that included a seminar/workshop on successes in tackling- homophobic bullying run by Shaun Dellenty.
We’re constantly developing the training programme and we are working with Schools Out and Elly Barnes to deliver her Educate and Celebrate programme , there was however disappointingly a lack of uptake this, I feel it was due to lack of publicity, and since then the CPD staff have been trying very hard to look at this again, so we hope to repeat this, it can’t happen immediately because of the way in which training events are planned, but this will be re-attempted at another point in the calendar.
The NUT is the main Sponsor of LGBT History Month pre-launch events.
LUCY MEADOWS
The sudden loss of one of our Trans members was felt deeply by all members, especially those who knew her and our LGBT members conveyed their respects in various ways at annual conference.
We submitted an emergency motionon Transgender workers rights to the TUC LGBT conference which was passed unanimously.
There was a March in Accrington organised by the local trade’s council, and the Northwest LGBT representative on the advisory committee, Debs Gwynn, did an excellent job of bringing that together. The executive was represented by Simon Jones, the district executive member for that area.
There was the inquest verdict which slated the press for their behaviour. A coroner told the press "shame on all of you" as he ruled that a primary school teacher had killed herself after her gender reassignment became national news. Michael Singleton, coroner for Blackburn, Hyndburn and Rossendale accused [the paper] of "ridicule and humiliation" and a "character assassination" of Lucy Meadows, 32, who took her own life in March." (Quote from the Guardian)
Press harassment and intrusion has been affecting the Trans community since the stonewall riots.
The [paper in question] will have their reckoning eventually, but in the meantime let’s raise awareness amongst our own community that this goes on without us realising, and continue to do all that we can to support our Transgender colleagues.
A human being's precious life ended for some in all our communities to realise that this went on; this is an opportunity yes... but an opportunity to for us all now to show our Trans colleagues that we stand with them, beside them, behind them, we are one Union for all Teachers, we are the National Union of Teachers.
ORGANISING LGBT MEMBERS
We need to now move beyond just building the LGBT members section from the central Headquarters. There is still much that needs to be done in that respect but if we are to build sustainable and on-going LGBT member involvement we need firstly much more member facing activities to bring the NUT to them. Organising regional networks is the wayof building LGBT members involvement.Online networks are the first step , but building regional events, and then following up on them is key to this, and I know that Wakefield have put on excellent regional equality events.
The North West LGBT teacher’sconferencewas a very good example of an event that regions can put on. It shouldn't just be up to individual associations to bear the burden of all the work though, associations being involved is a very good thing, but at the very least the regional organisers can make sure that local associations have the appropriate support for these events, and the access to a level of funding to make it successful, via grants and levies. Please don't hesitate to apply for grants for these events, and let me know if you come across barriers to that and I'll follow this up for you.
There is a next step to this process to be thought through,the way I see it at the moment is that we have a group of LGBT members spread out across the country with no real focus or collective sense of self. If LGBT members do want to get involved we’ve got nowhere to send them.
The advisory committee is an elected committee and not entirely appropriate for newer members who just want to work with LGBT activism within the union, and from that, local activism in their own association.
We need to now move beyond just building the LGBT members section or network via a mailing list from the central Headquarters.
Lots of unions have their own internal national LGBT group, which has a committee and a network, with links to regional branches, even political parties have their own pressure groups within them. E.g.Unite LGBT, Pcs Proud, Out in Unison, NUJ Pride, LAGIP for the Prison officer service.
So why shouldn’t we? It’s a simple idea, but will take effort to build, so it’s worth doing it with care, building a caucus is not an overnight task. We’d need to build it from its strongest base and spread out, and set up links with other organisations such as Schools OUT. Now it’s not intended to be competition for Schools OUT as their members pay a fee, this group will be an internal group for members who already pay their subs.
It won’t be an easy task, and it may have to be unofficial for a while, as there are too many expectations attached to an ‘official’ group. It will be open to anyone who identifies as LGBT within the union.
I’ll be promoting this idea more widely, starting with the London Teachers group in January, as well as the executive in due course, if anyone wants to help me out, just let me know.
PRIDE EVENTS
The main centrally funded event will of course be London. We had a joint float with GMB (though it wasn’t as successful as we’d hoped). Various different events went on around the country, Brighton had a float paid for by the local associations, and this must be the model that goes forward around the country, there was for the first time ever a circular asking for associations to support their local pride events and we would urge this to happen where the pride events are in your area. To ensure that it gets promoted and our name is seen at those events, we would encourage you to put it on your committee meeting agendas in the summer term. This is another activity you could get a union grant for, but mat materials can be provided for you by Hamilton house for free.
Bisexual and Transgender Visibility
We’ve raised awareness of Bi Visibility Day and Trans-memorial Day, amongst other things via Twitter.
Bisexual workers face countless hurdles when dealing with attitudes of not only straight, but lesbian and gay people; a community that they should feel safe in can sometimes feels hostile, and this is completely unacceptable. An amendment at this year’s conference brought Bisexuality out of the closet.
Our Trans colleagues also need our support and their caseworkers need the training and knowledge to support them in their employment.
INTERNATIONAL
The German Education Union (GEW)
A delegation of German teachers from the GEW visited the NUT in February 2012. They had a day to visit my school as well as other school groups and advisers and educators in London throughout the week.
Russia
As the Russian government ploughs on into its own dystopic future, where everything remotely LGBT is wiped from the face of the country, we can only watch in horror as it implodes into its own mire of hatred and homophobia.
I submitted a general motion to the executive on international LGBT policy and how we respond to issues that arise, as they have in Russia, this will now being dealt with by the International sub-committee and I’ll keep you updated on the progress.
SAME SEX MARRIAGE
Now over a year ago, as the same sex marriage campaign was ramping up, we responded in the Guardian to the Catholic education services’ petition against gay marriage in schools.
I submitted a video of my little face to the OUT4Marriage media campaign and the union contributed positively to Government’sSame Sex Marriage consultation.
THE CONSTITUENCY REGISTER
We’ve grown the constituency register by 80% in two years.
We’re on a definite upward trend with well over 2100 members, there was a slight dip in June, but this is due to the lapsed memberships and that affected the entire membership across the board.
So how can we improve on this number? There isn’t one answer, but I think as local associations become less nervous about the register and there is greater flexibility with the online joining and member self amend, then we will no doubt see this rise still.
A NEW LGBT EDUCATIONPROJECT
We’ve teamed up recently with a PHD student from Lancaster University, Stonewall, Ofsted’s PSHE group, Books trust and various others to collaborate on a new exciting project for Key Stage 1.
Mark Mcglashan, who recently produced a report on challenging homophobia through literature, has ten thousand pounds in funding and the working group are aiming to commission a key stage 1 story book, an original text that is inclusive of diverse family structures such as LGBT families, in addition have the teaching resources to accompany it. So it’s very exciting.
It’s only been a year and there is still a massive amount of work to do. ThoughI am committed to ensuring that we continue to build LGBT members’ confidence by retaining a highly visible presence at all events and encourage at every opportunity their involvement in the union.
We Protect and Defend LGBT Teachers!
We Are The National Union of Teachers!