Check out the latest Forum Newsletter (no.8)

Catina's picture

Here's the Forum's latest newsletter (attached below). Highlights for me include:

  • A summary of the UNISON research (published in December 2013), showing how austerity cuts are affecting LGBT people and the services they use. Unsurprisingly, LGBT people individually were facing greater financial hardship. In this they are no different to anyone else. Specific to this community, however, is the increased marginalisation, the fear that progress on challenging anti- LGBT discrimination was being reversed and that overt prejudice was on the rise again.

  • Georgia Green tells us about her journey through the education system and argues that critical thinking about how gender socialisation works should be part of everyone’s learning rather than confined to those who choose to study gender. 
  • News that Voices and Visibility  - the new resources for Integrating UK LGB and T Lives and Voices in Teaching and Training will be available in summer 2014 on the Forum and LGBT History Month websites.
  • Margot’s update on Havering College's EDIF project. Training for staff has proved to be their biggest challenge but as the college quality team are now all booked in for training Margot hopes it is a catalyst for others to engage. While on the plus said, the project is now a regular item on the college Equalitydefinition and Diversity Group, ensuring that senior managers are kept abreast of developments and are fully supportive. LGBT students also gave a presentation to Governors at the February Student Governor Liaison Group.

 

Image showing Havering College EDIF project students

  • And in his update Seth, refers to the Education Training Foundation-supported equality monitoring form that we've been working on for FEdefinition sector workforce monitoring. As a result of the Forum’s involvement, it includes options to break the gender binary of 'male' and 'female' with the internationally used options of 'X' and 'other'. Under sexual orientation, it includes the terms ‘undecided’ and ‘other’ for those who do not relate to the essentialist sexual orientation identity categories of 'lesbian', 'gay', 'bisexual' and 'heterosexual'. 

Accessibility: If you require the Forum newsletter in an alternative format please tell us: Email [email protected]

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Lou Mycroft's picture

Appreciate this summary and

Appreciate this summary and the newsletter.  The equality monitoring form is being of great help to us as we continue to plan projects - it's informing the demographic survey for our Reflexion Project (which is being evaluated by HUDCETT).  I don't understand the distinction between 'x' and 'other' and I'd like to - help please?