International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHO) is held annually on 17 May around the world to support equality for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) community.
IDAHO is also an opportunity to expose and discourage the various forms of discrimination against the LGBT community, including the increasing threat of cyber bullying and harassment. According to a US study, twice as many LGBT students report being victimised by cyber-bullying compared with their heterosexual peers, and one-third of youngsters bullied online experience symptoms of depression.
NHS Lanarkshire has actively supported the creation of its own LGBT+ network to support LGBT+ colleagues and is looking forward to holding its third meeting on Tuesday 2 August from 2.30 to 4pm via Microsoft Teams. To join, or for more information, please email LGBT.staffnetwork@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk
The network was set up with support from the NHS Lanarkshire equalities team following an online discussion forum and questionnaire on the experiences of LGBT employees in 2021.
Key findings from the employee survey were:
- 80 per cent rated their experience of working for NHS Lanarkshire as ‘good/excellent’;
- 30 per cent of all responders had experienced homophobia/biphobia while working in NHS Lanarkshire;
- only 17 per cent of those who had experienced discrimination had reported it.
Hina Sheikh, equality and diversity manager, said: “Our LGBT+ employee network is a key component in ensuring the voices of our LGBT+ staff are heard and supported.
“As an organisation, NHS Lanarkshire is committed to tackling all forms of inequality. As employers, we want to create a safe working environment for all our staff where they feel empowered and able to fulfil their potential without prejudice or invisible barriers.
“On International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, all of us can play a vital role in supporting an environment where diversity is valued and there is fairness and equality of opportunity for all”.
Prior to supporting the creation of the LGBT+ network, the equalities team distributed inclusive Pride badges during the 2021 Pride season and to mark LGBT history month (February 2022).
The NHS Scotland Pride badge promotes inclusion for LGBT+ people and makes a statement that there is no place for discrimination in NHS Scotland. They hope to be able to offer the badge during Pride season this year so keep an eye on the staff briefing and The Pulse for details.
For more information please email Chris Kimber, equality and diversity advisor, at chris.kimber2@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk
