Throughout February we are celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender + (LGBT+) history month, a time to remember the struggles, key figures and events in the fight for rights and against discrimination, a fight that continues to this day in society and the workplace.
The theme for this year is politics in art: ‘the arc is long’, taken from Martin Luther King’s quote “the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice”.
Visit the LGBT+ history month site for resources and events, including an event on 9 February hosted by the University of Edinburgh—’From the 1969 Stonewall Riots to Lesbian & Gays Support the Miners Group: a history or revolt, defiance and solidarity.’
Read how the Council are marking LGBT+ history month on Newsbeat.
Fight for LGBT+ rights and equality in the Council
Get involved in your unite branch
We are committed to the fight for LGBT+ rights and tackling all forms of discrimination based on sexuality and gender identity.
Unite provides equality rep training, covering the rights and responsibilities created by the Equality Act 2010 and how to address equality-related issues in the workplace.
There are several ways to get involved with your branch
Raise your issues and share your experiences
We regularly meet with management and councillors. If there are LGBT+ issues that need addressed, we need to know about them to raise them, so please contact a branch official if you have anything to discuss.
Become an activist member
Be part of our growing network of activist members. These are members that are in regular contact with branch reps and officials that help by providing eyes and ears on the shop floor and promoting messages coming from the branch. We run regular sessions for those that are interested in getting more involved with the branch, so contact Brian or Graeme to find out more.
Become a rep
Workplace reps are at the frontline of the fight for rights in the workplace. As a rep you will give advice and support to members when they need it most and represent the views of members to council meetings and committees. Learn about becoming a Unite workplace rep.
Become our equalities officer
The branch elections are on 24 March. Here we will appoint all branch officers and reps for the next three year term. The Branch Equalities Officer leads on the branch’s approach to equalities, sits on the Council’s Diversity and Inclusion Focus Group and advises reps on equalities matters.
If you or someone you know is up to the job, submit your nomination!
JOIN STRIDE: the council’s lgbt+ colleague network
STRIDE is the Council’s LGBT+ colleague network, open to staff that identify as LGBT+ and their allies. STRIDE has been instrumental in promoting LGBT+ causes in the Council and provides a forum for peer support and discussion of workplace issues.
Read the Newsbeat article above for more details and contact STRIDENetwork@edinburgh.gov.uk to join.
Update your personal data on myHR
The Council suffers from a lack of equalities data, without which it cannot have an accurate picture of the demographics of its workfoce. You can help this, by updating your personal data in myHR.
Remember, that information related to your
- sexuality
- health
- trade union membership
- political beliefs
is ‘special category data’ under GDPR, with very specific legal rules around how it is collected and handled.
Updating myHR is confidential and secure. However you should be cautious if disclosing this information in any other situation—you never need to disclose the above, it cannot be collected without your explicit consent.