TUC LGBT+ Conference 2024

Each year the TUC holds an LGBT+ conference which is affiliate unions are welcome to attend, and this took place at the end of June. This year Prospect moved a motion on the issues that LGBT+ members face when being sent overseas for work. The motion was supported at the TUC, and the delegation who attended had a great time speaking on motions, and meeting LGBT+ colleagues from other unions.

If you are interested in attending any of the TUC equality conferences, do contact your branch secretary as the names of delegates need to be submitted to Prospect around 6 months before the conference starts. Typically, the calling notice for the LGBT+ conference goes out in January, so do keep an eye out for the 2025 invite!

Claire Mullaly, a delegate from this year’s conference has put together a brief outline of what took place at the 2024 conference:

229 delegates from some of the TUC affiliated unions attended the TUC LGBT+ Conference in June 2024 at TUC Congress House in London. Delegates are largely LGBTQ+ lay reps and members, meaning they do a day job as well as their union duties. This means that Conference hears from LGBTQ+ workers with everyday experience of teaching, healthcare, transport, film, academic research, food production, science, finance, social work, tech work and so on. The wealth of shared experience is invaluable to the unions, the TUC and the wider LGBTQ+ community.

Motions debated included the ‘Rwanda Plan’, LGBTQ+ rights in Uganda, opposing the far-right, working overseas for LGBTQ+ people, trans healthcare,  trans  and non-binary rights,  the Cass report, supporting LGBTQ+ young people in schools, conversion therapy, hate crimes, hate speech, LGBTQ+ media and the impact of AI on LGBTQ+ workers. The motion voted to go to TUC Congress in September was the very important composite motion one: ‘Fighting the Far-Right narrative, hate crimes and hate speech to defend LGBT+ rights.’ This motion, if passed at TUC Congress will become TUC policy and form a large part of the TUCs work over the next year.

In addition to debating and passing motions, there were guest speakers and panels on combating the far-right and progressing trans and non-binary rights. The guest speakers included TUC General Secretary Paul Novak, TUC President Matt Wrack and Lord Collins of Highbury, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Peers. Conference was held one week before the General Election and was both timely and important in articulating democratically agreed motions on behalf LGBTQ+ workers who make up some of the 5.5 million union members affiliated to the TUC.

As important as conference business is, networking and movement-building at conference is so invaluable too.  Workers from across the UK, from a variety of workplaces and industries and from a multitude of backgrounds come together to share experiences, share knowledge, learn from each other and move forward together with purpose for better workplaces, rights, equality, accessibility, inclusivity and intersectionality to strengthen and grow our unions and the union movement.