LGBT RMT members are organising for mutual support, against homophobia and for equality.
The following resolutions were passed by the recent RMT lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender conference. The first two will go forward to the union's Annual General Meeting. The other two will be discussed by the union's Council of Executives:
The 2011 RMT LGBT Conference was held in Plymouth following a successful Young Member’s Conference a few months previously. There was a good turn out of delegates which made for an enjoyable social event the evening before the conference - and the local gay scene was very welcoming. One local gay pub held a quiz. The winning team consisted of four of our very own LGBT conference delegates who kindly donated the £20 prize to St Luke’s Hospice in Plymouth.
Report to RMT stations representatives from Janine Booth
Summary:
Dear Colleague,
1. National LGBT Members’ Conference - 13th May 2011 (EO/32)
Brief account produced by Jo Parry (newly elected LTRC LGBT officer).
Present LTRC advisory members
Adrian Rowe, Neasden
Alan Bell, Hammersmith & City
Joanne Parry, TfL No.1
Apologies from LTRC advisory members
Peter Heyes, Stratford 1
EC Members Present
Janine Booth and Micky Thompson
Agenda items.
4. Equal Rights Sub Committee Report
Discussion about seeking RMT and TUC to push employers to provide paid release and formal recognition of LGBT reps and TUC equality reps
Stonewall is conducting a survey on the health needs of gay and bisexual men.
"This will be the largest ever survey of gay men’s health. We know quite a lot about gay men’s sexual health, but very little is known about the wider health needs of gay and bisexual men." Say Stonewall.
If you'd like to take part in the survey, click this link to go to Stonewall's website.
As a public body, London Underground has to carry out an assessment of the impact of any new policy on various equality issues. The attached file is LU's Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) for its current OSP (policy of cutting 800 mainly-stations jobs). Below is the response to this document that I have written on behalf of RMT. You will see from this that LU's EQIA falls woefully short, and ignores key equality issues.
Stonewall have commissioned YouGov to conduct research into how gay people feel about and experience getting older. The survey is open to lesbian, gay and bisexual people living in Britain who are aged 55 or over. If you would like to participate in the research, please follow this link to take the survey.
Research by several organisations across London has found that LGBT people fear for their safety on public transport including the tube and that there is a higher incident of assault - both verbal and physical - on public transport than there is in other public areas.
The British Transport Police state ‘For passengers, feeling safe is as important as being safe. The visible presence of rail staff, PCSOs and police officers can reduce the fear of crime dramatically.’
With these figures showing how LGBT people feel about travel on the underground, it should be considered that many LGBT people will feel more at risk of assault on the underground as staff cuts will inevitably mean the reduction of staff visibility.
RMT activists joined the London Pride parade to show their solidarity with the unions LGBT members and to promote the unions pride in its own diversity.
Click 'read more' to see more photos from the day.