Faith, Homophobia and Human Rights: Securing legal protection and managing conflicts
The conference looked at the public expression of faith and the full open expression of same-sex relationships. There were leading keynote speakers, workshop facilitators and panellists from a wide range of background including the law, health service, police, trade unions and much more. The conference also provided an opportunities to learn, share experiences and find solutions.
Launch of the Calderdale LGBT Network
The event is to launch the Network in the borough. The afternoon event will be open to ALL organisations in the borough. There will be key speakers which include Dr. Surinder Sharma (Director of Equality and Human Rights) of the Department of Health in London and a speaker from Stonewall. There will be workshops in the afternoon which include the best selling author Jenny Roberts and Mr Gay UK amongst others. The event is to encourage organisations to join the network which will be addressing the need of the LGBT community but also sharing good practice between all members.
LGBT Health in London
This is an exciting opportunity for people to join a panel led discussion on the provision of health services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in London. Speakers include Stephen Whittle (PfC), Will Nutland (THT) and Ruth Hunt (Stonewall).
LGBT Speakeasy
Terrence Higgins Trust, Equality South West & Bristol City Council’s Rainbow Group invite you to a live debate. The Speakeasy will give lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, trans people, family and friends the opportunity to debate a wide range of issues including health, ethnicity and age.
Now You See Us
A lesbian, gay and bisexual history show in pictures, words and song by Yorkshire LGB choir Gay Abandon. We present a new show for people of all ages, straight or gay. Using songs by LGB songwriters including Cole Porter, Leonard Bernstein and Queen we tell our story from times of persecution to the growth of a positive image and increasing acceptance and equality. Our aim is to get beyond the myths and stereotypes so you can see us as real people. We are no longer invisible and can proudly say “Now You See Us”. This is a free public event. We will also be presenting it as a closed event at Askham Grange Women’s Prison and for Leeds Mental Health Trust, as well as including parts of it in our “mainstream” concerts during the year.
Nursing Standard Celebrates LGBT History Month with Special Issue
Nursing Standard is celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month with a special issue of the magazine. Guest editor Drew Payne, nurse adviser with NHS Direct, says: ‘This month of February is a time to celebrate diversity, reflect on recent changes in the law on civil partnerships and adoption, and a chance to look at our awareness of sexuality and where society stands in its treatment of lesbians and gay men.” Guest editor Drew Payne says it is important for nurses to take notice of LGBT History Month. ‘All nurses need to be aware of the issues gay people face and to be able to provide non-judgemental care.’’
We wanted to give our readers some well-informed and timely background information to raise awareness and help them deliver better care. This special issue follows a Nursing Standard focus on Black History Month last October edited by RCN regional co-director Sharon Dennis.’
Guest editor Drew Payne has compiled 11 questions for a Nursing Standard survey in this LGBT History Month issue to find out more about nurses’ awareness and attitudes to lesbians and gay men.
Questions include:
Are there areas of nursing that are not suitable for lesbians and gay men to work in?
Are there any moral grounds for a nurse to refuse to treat a lesbian or gay man?
Lesbians and gay men have special healthcare needs. Should trusts provide specialist services for them?
The mother of the partner of a lesbian member of staff dies. Should this staff member be allowed compassionate leave?
A teenage boy needs fostering. Should he be placed with a gay couple or an unmarried heterosexual couple if both have similarly stable and financially secure relationships?
A lesbian colleague and her partner are having a legal commitment ceremony. Should she be given preferential annual leave for it?
Nursing Standard will publish feedback and comments from the survey in the March 1 issue.
Other articles in this special issue of Nursing Standard focus on:
Civil partnerships – What nurses need to know
How the RCN’s OUT! group is challenging prejudice
School’s out – Putting an end to homophobic bullying
One in Three…, Edinburgh
Want to find out more about the mental health issues that face the LGBT community? Want to know more about the reasons for this? Or maybe you want to add something to the discussion? If so then why not come along and put your questions to our guest speaker from the LGBT Health and Wellbeing Centre.
Psyched Out!
A display showing how psychiatry and psychology have treated LGBT people during the 2nd half of the 20th century.
‘Queer is Here’ Exhibition
Unveiling highlights from the Museum of London collection, the display focuses on issues affecting London’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities during the past 30 years, including gay activism, health coming out and bullying in schools. It also celebrates queer culture through Gay Pride and the new civil partnerships. Come and see Peter Marshall’s dynamic black and white photographs capturing a decade of the annual London Gay Pride event, and listen to the life stories of gay and lesbian Londoners.
Sapphos to Baby Dykes
A young lesbian and bisexuals women’s health project presents an exhibition which shows historical lesbians and bisexuals from our work on black history month.
SexEd, Edinburgh
With Section 28 gone and attitudes towards homosexuality changing, why is it that LGBT students still get no relevant sex education? Do you think that this is wrong? Are you worried about the increasing rates of sexually transmitted infections in the UK? Do you think the government needs to be doing more to tackle HIV/AIDS? Do you want to know more, and get a chance to have your say? Then come along and hear our guest speaker from the LGBT Health and Wellbeing Centre.
Taster to Health Open Day
To encourage LGBT people to attend an open day on health issues, pick up information, ask questions interact with services and other members of the LGBT community; to encourage generic and LGBT services to promote themselves to promote LGBT services/agencies and diversity within diversity; to have fun and examine interactive mechanisms for promoting health. As part of the Department of Health strategy to make it easier for LGBT people to access health services, people will also be invited to volunteer to have their photo taken to be used in DH and NHS health promotion leaflets and campaigns.
These photos were used on the DH website and the NHS photo library. They included the first image used by the DH of a lesbian family on the front page of the news, and many other images of LGBT patients and service users.