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UNISON L&G News for the West
Midlands
Jan 2003 – Volume 4, Issue 1
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(click on the links below for the article you'd like to read) Time for New Year's Resolutions? Domestic Violence – the shameful face of our community The case to end the pensions exemption
The Birmingham Police Forum for the Gay Community has both police and members from our community working together. This joint working led to Home Office funding for research to identify and address crime and safety issues in Birmingham’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities. The recommendations from this research were launched in November in the document “A Matter of Trust” - recommendations from the Pink Shield Project. Although the research particularly looks at Birmingham the findings are relevant to our whole community wherever we live as many of the views expressed are commonly held beliefs in our community. What is clear is that we don’t think that the police will respond to homophobic crime or if they do, we believe we risk also experiencing homophobia by their officers. We also do not necessarily believe that our experience is serious enough to report it. In order for this to change we need to be reporting crime with an expectation that it is investigated thoroughly and complain if we don’t believe this to be the case. Nothing will change otherwise. My perception of the police’s attitude from the launch evening and a similar evening two years ago, is that their attitude has changed greatly and they are eager to support us and will take offences committed against us seriously. Maybe there are still individual officers who are homophobic but these attitudes won’t change if we don’t highlight them. There has definitely been a changed management culture which won’t tolerate homophobia, or other oppressive attitudes and behaviours from its officers in the West Midlands. So you are still feeling sceptical? Well, it's not just changing attitudes of course, but government legislation, that led to this change in the form of the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act. This set up the Crime Reduction Partnership so that the Police and the Local Authority both have responsibilities for reducing crime and disorder. It also stated the following: "2.44 - It is absolutely central to the success of the partnerships that they should be seen as credible and inclusive by all sections of the community. It is likely that the Home Secretary will use his powers under section 5(3) of the Crime & Disorder Act to require police and local authorities to invite the full participation of gay and lesbian groups in the work of the new partnerships. This should do much to ensure that issues of concern to these groups are not overlooked when the audit is conducted and the strategy developed. Seeking the involvement of the gay and lesbian community must be an active process, not a passive one. This community is not always visible, and may, for historical reasons, not find it easy to engage in a dialogue with some of the groups involved in the partnerships; it will not be enough just to write to the local pressure group inviting it to send a representative to a meeting and then thinking that your obligation to this sector of the community is discharged. You must develop creative and flexible ways to break down any barriers which may exist locally, and to encourage full active engagement in the work by local gay and lesbian people" Home Office Guidance to 1998 Crime & Disorder Act Audit Process.
Vulnerable Persons UnitsThese units were set up specifically to look at hate crimes, a hate crime being any criminal act committed against a person or property that is motivated by the offender’s hatred of people because of their sex, race, religion, disability or sexual orientation. The police force has established a network of Vulnerable Persons Officers in all police divisions. These officers are appointed to deal sensitively with any Hate Crime such as racial or homophobic harassment, and can be contacted directly. They will advise you of your rights. They will discuss options with you. They will work with you to reach a solution that is acceptable to you. Some of these officers are lesbian or gay themselves - all of them will treat you with respect. You can even contact them anonymously if you wish. What can you do? · Go to the police or in an emergency dial 999 for help. · Join one of the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender and transsexual police consultative groups. They meet in Birmingham, Coventry, Sandwell, and Wolverhampton. For further details call 0121 626 5264. · Complete a Homophobic Incident Form, which can be done anonymously on-line if you wish, via www.birminghampoliceforum.org.uk · Phone Birmingham Police Forum Gayphone on 07903 059469 for confidential and impartial advice on specific crime and safety issues or if you are in Warwickshire – Warwickshire Police Homophobic Attack Line on 01926 415602. I hope that we can get enough copies of the recommendations to be included with this newsletter, if not then you can get a copy from the Birmingham Police Forum for the Gay Community, PO Box 9912, Birmingham, B14 7WA or visit their website as noted above. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Angela Gilraine, a union activist and Chair of the Birmingham Police Forum, for her hard work and commitment to the LGBT community.
Sue Turner
Time for New Year's Resolutions? Having survived or enjoyed Christmas and New Year, maybe it's time to put into action some of those things that you just keep meaning to get around to? Perhaps you’ve thought about making a will and never got around to it or had the money. Well, now’s your chance to benefit from UNISON’s free will service. All you need to do is phone UNISON Direct on 0845 355 0845. They will send you a form which you need to complete and return to the solicitor. They will send you a draft version to approve or amend and it's all sorted. No need to make an appointment and see a solicitor as you can do all of this from the comfort of your own home. The bonus of course is that your partner and/or dependents will be looked after should you die.
Happy New Year! Perhaps your new year celebrations feel a long way behind you, and you have forgotten the sore throat you got from barking at all the fireworks, and your nose has healed from all the scratchy sweet wrappers you nuzzled into in search of chocolate remnants. Don’t forget your resolutions, you humans seem to offer yourselves one “new year” a year, but as dogs we feel the same about every new day. So if you have not stuck with your resolutions... start again. Today is a new day! Happy Wednesday! (or whatever day it is when you read this).
The Shameful Face of our Community Although domestic violence isn’t discussed much in our community and once was definitely a taboo subject, The Pink Shield Project research shows sadly that it’s very much present in our community. 35% of female respondents and 30% of male respondents said they had experienced domestic violence from a current or past partner. A British Crime Survey carried out in 1996 showed lifetime experience of domestic violence in the general population to be 26% in women and 17% in men. I find it alarming that there should be a higher rate of violence in our community and am surprised by this figure, nor am I sure why this should be. Could it be about the pressure on relationships where people are unable to be “out” combined with our own internalised homophobia? Clearly this is an area that needs further research. Of the lesbians that responded, 42% experienced repeated incidents from one partner, while with gay men it was 47%. Only 9% of women and 17% of men reported it to the police which is, surprisingly, slightly higher than in the general population, although pitifully low. As a community we may not feel able to access mainstream services for fear of homophobia, or that it won’t be taken seriously. Lesbians may not feel believed, because women aren’t violent, are they! Where would gay men go, when most services are specifically aimed at heterosexual women and, as I understand it, there are only places for 18 men, across the whole country who are threatened by their partners? If you are reading this and are still abusing your partner now, or have abused previous partners then don’t continue the pattern. See your GP about a referral to a specialist. If you are the recipient of the violence then it's important you speak to someone about it. Perhaps start with a friend. Although this might be easier said than done, as part of the pattern of abuse is to isolate you from your friends. At work I have had to speak to staff or volunteers of Women’s Aid, and always found them to be non-stigmatising around sexuality, and they offer counselling support whether you feel you are in a position to end the relationship with your partner or not. Don’t forget, if you are in physical danger, phone 999, or if the abuse is on-going, phone your local police station and ask to speak to a Domestic Violence Liaison Officer for advice and support around the issue. The research showed that 86% of those who had experienced domestic violence had not reported it to the police. Don’t be a statistic. UNISON has a very clear policy in terms of domestic violence and the impact on our private and employment life (see www.unison.org.uk for more details or call UNISON Direct). It might be that you want to leave but can’t afford to do this. If you contact your branch Welfare Officer or UNISON Direct (0845 355 0845) you may be able to get financial assistance from the union in order to, for example, have a deposit to rent a flat to enable you to move. Womens Aid – 24 hour helpline: 08457 023 468 SOLA (Survivors of
Lesbian Abuse) West Midlands Lesbian & Gay Switchboard: 0121 622 6589 West Midlands Police: www.west-midlands.police.uk/victims_of_crime If you have any comments on services or experiences that you would like to share, anonymously or not, letters will be printed in the next edition.
“It’s Not Over ‘til The Fat Lady Sings!”
Campaign
for true equality: The Employment Equality (sexual orientation) Regulations 2003 will, from December 2003, extend anti-discrimination law to cover discrimination in employment and training on grounds of sexual orientation. But the draft regulations contains an explicit exemption for benefits aimed exclusively at married couples. The present position: At present, it is quite legal for occupational pension schemes to provide that married scheme members can leave their pensions to surviving spouses when they die, but for this benefit to be denied to unmarried partners, whether of the same or opposite sex, and regardless of the contributions that such members may have paid in. UNISON and the TUC have been campaigning against the injustice that this discrimination causes for many years, and highlighted the pensions issues as part of its campaign to win legal protection for workers against discrimination on grounds of their sexual orientation. UNISON is supporting the TUC’s campaign to press the government to remove this exemption and responded to the consultation, which ends on 24th January 2003.
Lesbian & Gay Branch Meetings The number for the confidential help-line is 0121-631 6924. Contact Tina or Billy on this number for meeting details Hereford & Worcestershire Come and join us for an informal meeting. Get support, raise workplace issues and find out more about your union. Please join us regardless of which branch you are a member of, in either county. For further info contact Sandie Smith on 07970 345677.
Stoke-on-Trent 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm at the Piccadilly Centre, 57-59 Piccadilly, S-0-T on the following date: Further information :
Martin Bristow 01782 235147 Solihull Local Government Branch The
UNISON Solihull Local Government Branch has established a new Self Members can get further details from Matt: 0781 508 0861, or Geoff: 0797 413 1966, or by e-mail at solihull_lg@hotmail.com
Wolverhampton & Black Country This Branch group welcomes lesbian and gay members from other Black Country Branches. We will be having “get-togethers” which gives us a chance to meet up socially and welcome any new members. Meetings will be arranged separately from this, and so it is an ideal chance for new members to come along. Venue to be arranged. January 29th March 26th June 4th For further info contact : Sally Clayton on 01902 556324 or Bob Deacon on 01902 552486
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