The Council's Equalities Review Panel recommended a 'dedicated LGBT council policy officer post' to develop policy relating to the LGBT community within the council.
The Green Party in Brighton & Hove has referred to a specific LGBT policy officer on our manifesto since 2000.
We support the council's recent commitment for a LGBT policy officer to join existing policy officers for other groups.
However, we would press for this to be a standalone post and not an addition to an existing officer's workload.
We believe firmly that the council must dedicate a new role for the officer and not lump the additional and wide-varying work that the role would require on another overworked officer.
The Equalities Panel recommended that the post was a dedicated role and the Greens believe that in order that a thorough and developed policy is harnessed through the work of the council, the LGBT communities deserve representation through the stand-alone post.
It is fine that the council talks the talk on the issue; the Greens want them to walk the walk and finance the seriousness with which they should take this issue. This is about how we as a community feel about the council's services, and critically, how accountable the council remains to us.
This follows the Green approach to all equalities policies: constantly review to ensure continuous improvement in equalities performance.
| Phelim Mac Cafferty is a local trade union and LGBT rights activist. He's a member of the Green Party. You can contact Phelim by email phelimmacc@yahoo.co.uk Local Greens: www.brightonhovegreens.org |
