Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender +

From RMT General Secretary Bob Crow

Members of our LGBT Advisory Committee will be attending the following events:

Newcastle Pride – 20th July

Tolpuddle – 21st July

Brighton Pride – 3rd August

Sunderland Pride – 1st September

These family events are great fun and everyone is invited to join them to show support.

For any queries or just to say you wish to take part, please contact our Equal Opportunities Officer (j.webb [at]rmt.org.uk).

Delegates to this year’s 2-day TUC lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Conference 2013 (27th/28th June) discussed a wide range of issues including homophobic hate crime, International LGBT rights, resisting the government’s austerity policy, solidarity for transgender workers, homophobia in sport, and young homeless LGBT people. The conference was well attended, with over 200 delegates. 4 RMT delegates attended the conference, plus a retired RMT member observer.

Both RMT motions sent to this year’s conference carried unanimous.

From RMT General Secretary Bob Crow

LGBT PRIDE 2013 – LONDON 29 JUNE

Our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Advisory Committee are taking part in the annual Pride march in London on Saturday 29 June. An invitation is extended to all RMT members, friends and family, whatever sexuality, to join them and show solidarity for LGBT rights across the world.

In this edition of RMT London Calling are stories on:

• We Will Resist Job Cuts - Fight For A Fully Funded Publicly Owned Underground
• Defend Clara Osagiede
• Mobile Supervisors and ICSAs Signal the Start of Post-Olympic Cuts - We Can and Will Defend Pay, Conditions & Job Security
• APPEAL: FIGHT FOR BRIAN MUNRO’S LIFE!
• Statement from RMT LT Region on Arson Attack against Islamic centre.
• Lobby Against Taxi Deregulation
• Tubelines Pension Dispute Continues
• Save Whitechapel Ticket Office
• Pride 2013
• NSSN Conference

In a show of solidarity with Uganda’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, delegates to this year’s RMT LGBT Member’s Conference (Blackpool, May 18th) linked up via Skype video with one of the most prominent and courageous advocates for LGBT rights in Uganda, Frank Mugisha.

The RMT took a motion on the tragic death of Steven Simpson to the TUC Disability conference. The motion details how Steven, a young gay man who was autistic, was brutally killed. On his 18th birthday, he was doused in tanning oil and set alight - he died the next day.

The judge in the case Roger Keen dismissed the crime as ‘good-natured horseplay’ that had gone too far, and sentenced Sheard to a unusually short sentence of just three and a half years in prison.

This resolution was passed at LGBT Conference:

Conference calls on the RMT to look at options and practicalities of electing Equality Representatives within companies for whom we have recognition agreements, and further outline and collate a programme for their training needs and requirements for review and acceptance by the RMT Council of Executives.

At this month's London Transport Regional Council Meeting, reports were given by our Executive member Janine Booth and Regional Organiser John Leach.

These are just notes of the areas discussed - to find out more, have a look through this site, speak to your local rep and do your best to attend branch meetings and the LTRC meeting which is held on the last Thursday of each month except June and December.

Meeting Agenda

London Transport branch 'Jubilee South' passed the following resolutions at today's meeting. All three will now go the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender conference which is being held in Blackpool next month.

In addition to passing the motion on the charity 'Gay Men Fighting Aids' the branch also decided that a donation will be made to the group and further ways of supporting GMFA - such as affiliation - be investigated.

You can read more LGBT news here

Thatcher's Legacy of homophobia