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Proud to lead the way

29 June 2009

Chair of PCS Proud Jeff Grist outlines how LGBT activists plan to build on the successes we have achieved in recent years.

In the last few years the fight for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people has come a long way.

PCS Proud, our forum for LGBT members, has always been at the forefront of this struggle, making its voice heard not just in our union, but the civil service and the wider union movement.

In July we are sending a delegation of 10 members, as well as representatives from our national executive and our equality team, to the annual TUC LGBT conference.

We will be asking the TUC to spearhead a campaign to ensure the equality bill currently before parliament gives equal priority to LGBT issues as it does to other equality strands.

There is already concern that public bodies that have a statutory duty to promote disability, gender and race equality have treated the duty as a box-ticking exercise.

We want the TUC to demand that public bodies do not prioritise resources as this could make it harder for LGBT issues to be heard.

The TUC should then be able to lobby government, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and I hope all our sister unions will support the campaign.

Following a motion passed at this year’s annual PCS conference Proud will be working with the national union over the summer to develop better communications with branches, groups and regions.

This is a chance for activists to support Proud and we will be asking for your views on the best ways to make this happen.

Pride on the streets of London

The London Pride festival follows the TUC LGBT conference and again this year we will be marching – watch out for the PCS Proud T-shirts.

Pride is a great celebration of the diversity of LGBT people and everyone is welcome.

We will then spend of the rest of the day in Trafalgar Square at the Proud stall.

For more about PCS Proud including contacts for regional and national reps visit the Proud website. 

For more information check out our LGBT equality toolkit.

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