Being Gay in Britain, tackling homophobia and transphobia in the workplace

Did you know that, despite significant progress in recent years to improve equality, lesbian, gay and bisexual people and transsexual people continue to expect to face discrimination in almost all walks of life? Are you aware that the TUC has launched a new guide for union reps on how to combat homophobia and transphobia in the workplace?

Published in 2013 by Stonewall, ‘Gay in Britain’ shows that many lesbian, gay and bisexual people continue to live in fear of prejudice, despite considerable progress in recent years to improve equality. YouGov surveyed 2,092 lesbian, gay and bisexual adults from across England, Scotland and Wales. 

To download the Stonewall’s report, click here

Stonewalls’ research is supported by the findings of other organisations. For example, ‘The Hate Crime Report. Homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in London’, published by Galop in August 2013, shows that although crime rates may be dropping, LGB and T people are still experiencing high levels of abuse.

For details of the Galop report, click here

The TUC has launched a new guide for union reps on how to combat homophobia and transphobia in the workplace. The guide, LGBT Equality at Work, provides practical advice on how unions can best represent their LGB and T members. 

The TUC hopes the guide will help unions to make workplaces more accepting places for LGB and T workers. It explores the use of right language, the law, workplace issues and good practice, and training. It also considers why and how we should monitor, a topic I have written about in a number of previous equality newsletters. 

To download the TUC guidance, click here

Many of you know that experiences of being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transsexual can be even worse abroad. In July 2013, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights launched a 12-month public information campaign to help raise awareness of homophobic and transphobic violence and discrimination and to promote respect for the rights of LGB and T people. Visit the website to see more information, and to view video clips of people sharing their experiences. For example, Oyama Mbopa talks about being a survivor in South Africa of ‘curative’ of ‘corrective’ rape, a brutal and heinous crime that perpetrators believe will change their victim's sexual orientation.

To visit the website, click here