National LGBT Conference, Manchester - 17-19 Nov 2006

Report on workshop on Trans Awareness

At the beginning of this year, the Scottish LGBT Committee held a joint training event with our colleagues in Northern Ireland. Part of this training was trans awareness and a session was held with representatives from the Glasgow LGBT Centre. Everyone agreed that they had found this training to be very helpful and that it could be beneficial to be delivered at the National LGBT Conference.

This proposal was taken to the National LGBT Committee who agreed that we could host a training session on the Saturday afternoon at conference.

David Calderwood (the other Scottish rep on the National LGBT Committee) and I hosted this event, which proved to be very successful. Over 40 people attended and this was a mix of trans and non trans members.

We began by showing a video that had been put together as training for NHS staff in Scotland. The video features trans members in Scotland speaking candidly about their experiences of being trans. From when they were first aware, coming out to family, friends and colleagues and their experiences of prejudice in their everyday lives. The video is extremely powerful and many of the people in attendance were moved to tears.

After the video, we opened up a discussion and people spoke frankly about their experiences and how we as an LGBT group and in the wider union can move the issues forward.

Most people at the session are keen to take the issue back to their branches and requested copies of the training pack and/or for Scottish delegates to visit to deliver this training to branches and officers. Many people said the workshop had been the highlight of the conference for them, and some admitted it had changed their life in that for the first time ever, they felt totally included and equal and felt encouraged to build on that.

Next year's conference is due to be held in Glasgow, and the Scottish LGBT Committee will ensure that we build on this very positive response.

This was only our second conference as an LGBT group. Last year we had only 3 or 4 trans members in attendance but this year that figure has already grown to 16 or more. Most of these individuals have never been activists before and are now keen to become involved at all levels of the union. This is a huge success for the union.

We are also delighted to welcome our first Scottish trans member to the committee who will represent the Trans Caucus.

Elaine Duffy
Scottish rep to National LGBT Committee

top