More than 30 union members from all around the UK attended the FBU LGBT+ school in Brighton. Graeme Hopkins reports
For some, it was a good chance to catch up with old friends after a gap of two years due to Covid and for others, including myself, this was their first school.
The three-day education event was filled with insightful and empowering sessions which encouraged interesting discussions and debates amongst the attendees.
Speakers included Dr Nicolas McGlynn, a lecturer and researcher at Brighton University, who introduced “the geography of LGBT+ communities”.
He spoke mainly about the spaces made and used by the LGBTQ community, for example, bars and social groups.
From the time homosexuality was illegal in the UK through to more recent times, he explored how the LGBT+ community has adapted to changes through a geographic lens.
FBU archivist Helen Whittle had us look at the section’s archives and, in particular, its magazines and publications to see how FBU members reacted to LGBT+ issues through the decades and to explore the achievement of the section throughout its history.
The ‘Letters from a Firefighter’ from Firefighter magazine throughout the years showed the changing attitudes of firefighters towards LGBT+ firefighters and the existence of the section itself and it was fascinating reading previous general secretaries’ responses defending our section.
LGBT+ national secretary Pat Carberry gave us an insight into how the section started up as a “support group” for gay firefighters and how it has grown into a section with a voice for all in the LGBTQ+ firefighter community.
Saorsa-Amatheia Tweedale, a member of the TUC national LGBT+ committee, gave a great insight into how the UK is doing with trans rights compared to the rest of the world and the intersection between defending trans rights and trade union solidarity.
We had a session on the Fair Pay or Fire Strike campaign from the president, and national officer Riccardo la Torre.
We also discussed the section’s priorities.
As one of only two out gay serving firefighters in Aberdeen I found the experience very moving. As much as I was accepted when I came out, it was still awe-inspiring to be in a room with 32 like-minded individuals and share experiences and discussions.
We also had a closed session where small groups of us could share our own experiences of being in the LGBT+ community.
To listen to others’ experiences in the workplace and to hear some of their issues, and to support them through these, was really powerful.
I enjoyed my first LGBT+ school in October and can’t wait to attend the next one.
It is open to all serving LGBT+ firefighters and control staff and is a great way to meet, socialise, and keep in contact with other members of the section as well as to explore and discuss issues in the LGBT+ community.
