Conference report A stride for pride The first INMO LGBT conference pushed for equal rights for all and a greater understanding of LGBT issues. Gillian Tsoi reports

“IT is critical for LGBT members to have attitude and new culture around LGBT LGB and people. a sense of peace and belonging in the issues.” He said: “Far too often transgender and workplace,“ said Liam Doran, general sec- He added: “I do hope that others, be transexuality gets dropped out of the equa- retary of the INMO. He was speaking at they community organisations, trade tion, but is alive, it’s real, and like the Organisation’s first LGBT conference, unions, sporting bodies and civic society, , it blights people’s lives, and in which took place on June 21 to coincide will follow today.“ some instances, it takes their lives.” with the Pride festival. “Nurse and midwives are key supports Mr Cashman told the conference that Mr Doran admitted that the INMO has for patients during treatment and hospital- Irish people need to put pressure on the come “rather belatedly to the subject“ of isation. Your role is crucial in ensuring that government to ensure that the Horizon- LGBT rights, but said it is now committed LGBT people can access health services tal Framework Directive is implemented to “pushing for greater tolerance and a without having to hide who they are.“ by the EU to legally protect LGBT people greater understanding” of LGBT issues in Deputy Buttimer talked about Section from . the nursing and midwifery community. 37 of the Employment Act, which he said He said: “There is so much more to us The inaugural LGBT conference – held needs to be changed in order to remove than our sex lives. We are from the tradi- in Dublin’s Gresham Hotel – was organised LGBT discrimination from the workplace. tional family: we are aunts, uncles, mothers, by the INMO’s LGBT Organising Committee, ”As a person teaching in a school, brothers, sisters... We have co-existed with Clare Treacy, INMO director of social pol- I can be fired under Section 37 of the since procreation began icy, James Geoghegan, INMO second vice Employment Act,” he explained. and if they really want to stop us, then they president, and Executive Council members, “Twenty-first century is one that should just stop procreating.“ David O’Brien, Martin McCullough and Mary I genuinely hope is gentler, tolerant and LGBT in the nursing community Barrett. respectful. One where we can live in safety Meanwhile, Dr Mel Duffy, sociology and The event was jointly chaired by Clare and security in the workplace, playing an sexuality studies lecturer at DCU, pre- and James and featured a variety of speak- active role in the construction of a new, sented her research on the reality of being ers, who offered their expertise on a range caring Ireland, in our communities where gay or in the fields of nursing of LGBT matters. The conference addressed we live and socialise,“ he said. “Thankfully, and midwifery. She demonstrated how the daily reality of discrimination and fear the experience of so many LGBT peo- isolated gay and lesbian nurses and mid- facing LGBT nurses and midwives and the ple nowadays is positive, and is not one wives can feel in work. detrimental effect that this has in their where misery, fear and isolation prevails.“ According to the research, if society workplaces and personal lives. “My journey in life is no different to so constantly presumes heterosexuality, both Despite significant progress in the law many in this room,” he said. “It began with in the workplace and outside, then we are and increasing public support for LGBT unease and fear surrounding my sexual- forcing our gay and lesbian colleagues to rights and recognition in Ireland, the real- ity. Thankfully, it has moved to one that is make a statement about their sexuality or ity of the ‘lived experience’ can be harsh. absolutely full; to being supported by so to hide it. The research suggests the latter Be proud of who you are many through acceptance; and to being is the preferred option in these instances. At the conference, Jerry Buttimer, TD at peace with myself internally.“ Dr Duffy said that ‘being ‘out’ in the and Chair of the Joint Oireachtas Com- Keynote address workplace can improve productivity, and mittee on Health and Children, talked Providing the keynote address at the that employers must keep this in mind about the importance of equality in the conference was Michael Cashman, MEP, and ensure appropriate diversity policies workplace and gave his personal account who co-founded Stonewall – the largest are in place. of being one of the first openly-gay politi- LGBT equality organisation in Europe. Mr “If people are not able to be themselves cians in Leinster House. Cashman was elected to the European in a job, they will under-perform. It is essen- According to Deputy Buttimer, it is parliament in 1999. A decade before, in tial for patient care that our staff are happy imperative that the difficulties LGBT peo- 1989, the former EastEnders actor caused in their working environment,” said Dr Duffy. ple face in the workplace are overcome. a media storm and fury in the House of Marriage equality matters “The goal of this conference is to Commons when his character kissed his Moninne Griffith, director of Marriage underscore how important sexual orien- on-screen boyfriend – the first pre-water- Equality, spoke about the importance of tation and are for nurses, shed gay kiss on British television. marriage equality, and how individuals midwives, and for the health service in Mr Cashman gave his perspective on in Ireland can play their part in legalising general. The very decision to hold this Ireland’s LGBT record to date and outlined marriage for gay couples. conference is a positive one, and one the necessary steps required before full Marriage Equality has been fighting for that will help to foster and to drive a new equality is realised in this country for both civil marriage for same-sex couples since

42 WIN September 2013 Vol 21 Iss 7 Pictured (l-r) speaking at the INMO’s first LGBT conference were (top row) Clare Treacy, INMO director of social policy; Michael Cashman, MEP; Jerry Buttimer, TD; Marian Harkin MEP; (bottom row) Marianne McGiffin, OWLs; Dr Mel Duffy, lecturer, DCU;Moninne Griffith, Marriage Equality; and Odhrán Allen , GLEN 2008. Since its inception, public support social events for its membership, which for transgender persons. for the cause has risen from 58% to 74%. tallies up at around 150 people. According to Ms Harkin, this discrimina- Ms Griffith said that the availability of civil LGBT inclusive healthcare tion and violence is rarely reported as the partnership for same-sex couples does not Odhrán Allen, director of mental health people involved believe that nothing will constitute equal rights. “This underscores at GLEN (the Gay and Lesbian Equality change and no action will be taken. a stigma that there’s something inherently Network), said that healthcare in Ireland “Countries that have adopted LGBT wrong with being LGBT, this separate system needs to be more LGBT inclusive. action plans, or integrated these issues for relationship recognition,“ she said. He cited the ‘Supporting LGBT Lives’ into human rights action plans had bet- There are more than 160 statutory dif- study, conducted by the National Office ter outcomes than in other countries,” ferences between civil partnership and for Suicide Prevention (NOSP), which she said. “In countries where there is a civil marriage. “If you can’t get married, captures the wider experiences of LGBT homophobic agenda or a political agenda, your family isn’t recognised as a family... people in the areas of school, work and either up front or latent, these countries and there’s a whole plethora of rights and healthcare. had much higher incidents of protections that flow from that.“ Some key findings of the 2009 study, and harassment.” These differences include legal matters which involved more than 1,100 partici- Ms Harkin stressed that politicians relating to the family home, dependent pants included: can and must help to shape better out- children, desertion protection, financial • 27% had self-harmed comes for LGBT equality, and that policy issues, and the formation and dissolution • 18% had attempted suicide – 85% of makers can work to put action plans in of relationships. these attempts were related to the expe- place and to subsequently monitor their According to Ms Griffith, “the most har- rience of being an LGBT person effectiveness. rowing differences” between marriage • 25% were physically attacked because The way forward equality and civil partnership are parent- they were LGBT “While recognising that public opinion child gaps relating to adoption, access, • 77% felt that healthcare providers need has shifted in favour of LGBT rights, we maintenance and inheritance rights. to have more knowledge and sensitivity certainly cannot stand back and assume It is hoped that a referendum on mar- to LGBT issues such rights will flow without elements of riage equality will be called in 2014. • Only 40% felt respected as an LGBT per- , discrimination, bullying and “I feel confident that Irish people will do son by healthcare providers invisibility, driven by a fear of ‘’,” the right thing, and that they will vote for • 45% actively sought out gay-friendly said Liam Doran. equality, and vote to respect and protect LGBT healthcare providers because of “Gay rights are human rights and it same-sex families. We need everyone to previous bad experiences. is important that LGBT members of the play their part to get this across the line,“ European perspective INMO know that they are fully supported said Ms Griffith. “Say ‘yes’ to equality and At the INMO event, Marian Harkin, MEP, and any attempt to discriminate against say ‘yes‘ to love.“ provided ’The European Perspective’ on any of our members will be opposed by Older, wiser LGBT issues. “Equal enjoyment of human the Organisation.” Also at the conference was Marianne rights in all EU-member States is a core “Our language must change to accom- McGiffin, a retired nurse and chairperson value for the union,” she said. However, Ms modate everyone and let our colleagues of OWLs (Older Wiser Lesbians). She spoke Harkin highlighted the fact that there is so share their personal stories in their own engagingly about her own struggle with much more to achieve in Europe when it time and without fear. Visible support ‘coming out’. Marianne did not come out comes to equality for LGBT people. from trade unions is an important step. publicly until she had retired in 2010. She She cited a recent study carried out by He concluded: “The INMO, and indeed said that not coming out in work created a the European Agency for Fundamental other unions, must step up to the plate feeling of exclusion. Rights, which involved a survey of 93,000 and we must lead by example. We must She told the conference that “coming LGBT people on their perceptions and show that our presumption of heterosexu- out is a process, not an event“. She said experiences. “Almost half of the respond- ality serves only to isolate and marginalise that this process involves three stages: ents said that they had felt personally our colleagues.” coming out to yourself; coming out to oth- discriminated against or harassed on the Any member who wishes to join the ers; and coming out in public. grounds of in the year INMO’s LGBT nurses and midwives net- Ms McGiffin is now committed to run- preceding the survey,” she said. work should contact Clare Treacy at clare@ ning OWLS, which provides a nationwide “A quarter had been attacked or threat- inmo.ie or telephone on 01 664 0630 online support network for lesbians over ened with violence in the previous five Videos of the conference presentations the age of 40. The organisation also runs years, and this figure rises to 35 percent are available at www.inmo.ie

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