Simon Kirby, the MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, has called on the CEO of Stonewall, when compiling the next Top 100 Employers Guide, to include the treatment of transgender people by their employers.
Simon Kirby MP
STONEWALL, the LGB Equality Charity, recently announced the results of its Top 100 Employers – The Definitive Guide to the Best Places to Work for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Staff in 2015.
As in previous years, the guide does not consider the treatment of transgender people by their employers.
Mr Kirby recently praised the guide for acknowledging those organisations that work hard to promote equality in the workplace, congratulating both Brighton and Hove City Council and American Express on their inclusion in the Top 100.
He has, however, also followed up on this year’s report by writing to Ruth Hunt, the CEO of Stonewall, to ask that the next report does not exclude transgender people, including their treatment in the assessment of organisations to show which are the best places for all LGBT staff to work.
Mr Kirby said:“I believe that this guide is a useful tool in highlighting organisations that are successfully promoting equality within the workplace, but it is important the transgender community is not forgotten about.
“That is why I am calling for the guide to be expanded to include the treatment of transgender people in the workplace.
“Too often the rights and treatment of transgender people are overlooked, and I hope that following my representations, Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers Guide will be expanded to judge organisations on the treatment of all LGBT people in 2016.”
Since her appointment in 2014, Stonewall’s new CEO Ruth Hunt has been engaged in extensive consultations with representatives from the trans communities to discuss how best to work together in future.
A spokesperson for Stonewall said:“Our Chief Executive, Ruth Hunt, has been clear that we’re committed to being a better ally to trans people, including in our work with employers. We’ve undertaken an extensive consultation with trans communities and will reveal the full details of our future plans shortly.”
Winners of the Dressed for Success awards for Brighton and Hove’s favourite festive shop windows were announced last night (Jan 20).
Dressed for Success winners at The Boundary Rooms, Sussex County Cricket Club
Imi Loa on Western Road, Hove, was the overall winner of the competition, which was organised by Brighton and Hove City Council to promote the city’s independent shops in the run-up to Christmas.
Winners were also announced in six other categories in the competition.
The Category winners were:
Irresistible Image: Vintage Workshop (Kemp Town)
Most Visually Stunning: Eco Makers Emporium (London Road)
Best Silent Seller: Merlin & Ellis (St James’s St)
Most Theatrical: Vintage Workshop (Kemp Town)
Cleverest Concept: Imi Loa (Hove)
Overall Winner: Imi Loa (Hove)
Best Transformation: Pardon My French (Kemp Town)
Dressed for Success
Twenty-eight independent retailers across the city received expert advice on how to make the most of their festive window displays to boost their business.
Shoppers could follow a trail of participating shops around the city, pictures of the displays were put up on the council’s website, and more than 2,200 people voted for their favourites on the council’s Facebook page during December.
Cllr Geoffrey Bowden
Councillor Geoffrey Bowden, chair of the council’s Economic Development and Culture committee, said:“The standard of the displays was fantastic, with some really creative and imaginative designs, and we would like to thank everyone who took part and voted.
“Dressed for Success is a great way of showcasing the wonderful selection of independent and specialist shops we have in Brighton and Hove, which are one of the big draws for shoppers here. The council is committed to helping our local retailers thrive and it is one of a number of ways in which we support small businesses.”
Clare Morris-Coole runs winning shop Imi Loa with her business partner Damien Compain. The shop, which sells gifts, homewares and clothes, featured a 1960s motorbike as the centrepiece of the Christmas display.
Clare said:“We are delighted to win and quite surprised, as there were so many great windows in the competition.
“We try to be as creative as possible with our window displays to make people stop and react. The training gave us some fresh ideas and practical tips and taking part in the competition was an incentive to push ourselves further. It helped to boost our trade and attract new customers and we are already thinking about what we can do for next Christmas! The bike in the display proved a real talking point and was sold to a motorcycle collector.”
Ellie Kidson, from retail trainers Metamorphosis, who provided tuition to shops taking part, added:“We feel incredibly passionate about Dressed for Success, as each year we see different groups of retailers embrace their skills and talents in order to raise their level of window dressing expertise. This impacts not only on the retailers themselves, boosting their Christmas trade, but also on the experience of Brighton & Hove customers, as year on year we see the standards of window dressing getting higher and higher.
“A fabulous window combines many elements such as strong composition, commercial thinking, creativity, use of colour, storytelling, styling and attention to detail. It is fantastic to see all the retailers take these elements on board in order to capture the attention and imagination of their customers. This year’s winner Imi Loa is a brilliant example of this, with their impactful display conjuring a feeling of nostalgia and wonder through their fabulous use of props, dramatic lighting and exquisite styling.”
New figures show the number of people starting apprenticeships in the South-East has fallen by 8,750 under the present Government.
Nancy Platts: Labour parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven
LABOUR CLAIM that the quality of apprenticeships is being undermined, with a government report finding that 21 per cent of apprentices are receiving no training, while 15 per cent are not receiving the appropriate minimum wage they are due, rising to 24 per cent for 16 to 18-year-olds on level 2 and level 3 apprenticeships.
New figures show that 93 per cent of those aged 25 or older already worked for their employer before starting their apprenticeship, suggesting that many existing training programmes for people already in work are simply being rebadged as apprenticeships.
Nancy Platts, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, said: “This Conservative/Lib Dem government is letting young people down at every turn. The number of those living in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven who are starting apprenticeships has dropped by 160 over the last year. Many young people are already telling me they are being trapped in a cycle of low-paid, insecure work and zero-hours contracts, making it a struggle to live independently, and this drop in apprenticeships makes matters worse. They need high-quality training opportunities that lead to real jobs.”
The next Labour government promises to use government procurement to create thousands of new apprenticeship opportunities, so that suppliers on major public projects will need to offer new apprenticeship places. Labour will act to safeguard apprenticeship quality by ensuring new standards so that all apprenticeships last a minimum of two years and include a day a week of off-the-job training.
Chuka Umunna MP
Shadow Business Secretary, Chuka Umunna MP, said:“To grow the number of high-skilled, better-paid jobs we need more apprenticeship opportunities – particularly for our young people. But despite David Cameron’s claims, we are seeing the numbers of apprenticeships falling and worryingly there’s been a significant drop in apprenticeship starts for young people.
“We’ve also witnessed the historic apprenticeship brand being tarnished, as training for employees who are already in work has been rebadged under the apprenticeship label. As a result, we’ve seen a huge spike in over-60s taking apprenticeships while the number of young people taking apprenticeships has fallen.
“Under Labour’s plans, we would use government procurement to create thousands of new opportunities and would act to ensure all apprenticeships are of high quality and provide a route to a more highly-skilled job.”
Simon Kirby MP
Simon Kirby, Conservative MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, responded saying:“This Government is committed to apprenticeships, recognising the immense value of the opportunities they provide to the people seeking to boost their skills and experience. Since 2010, over 2 million young people have started an apprenticeship in England, including some 2,700 apprenticeships undertaken in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven.
“In 2013-2014 alone the Government spent £1.55 billion on apprenticeships. Apprenticeships are now available in over 170 industries including aerospace, fashion, broadcast media and finance.
“86% of apprentices stay in employment after finishing their apprenticeship and 83% said their ability to do the job and their career prospects had improved as a result of undertaking an apprenticeship.
“It is no coincidence that, at the same time as this government has championed and supported apprenticeships, youth unemployment has fallen dramatically. This fall in youth unemployment is great news, particularly for young people here in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven.”
The Equality Network, Scotland’s national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) equality charity, has announced that the UK’s first Pagan same-sex wedding took place in Edinburgh on January 18.
Tom Lanting (34) and Iain Robertson (39) were married in a ceremony which saw them literally tie the knot.
The couple, who have been together for 12 years, are both Hedge Witches and live in Scotland’s capital city. They were married in front of family and friends in the 16th century vaulted cellars of Marlin’s Wynd by Louise Park, Presiding Officer for the Pagan Federation (Scotland). The ceremony encompassed ancient Pagan traditions including casting a circle, invoking the elements of earth, air, water, fire and spirit, exchanging rings, and jumping the broom.
The Equality Network, which attended the ceremony, has hailed the marriage a “mark of equality and freedom of belief in Scotland”.
Scotland is the only part of the UK that allows Pagan and other minority religious and belief bodies to solemnise legal marriages. The Pagan Federation (Scotland) has been able to conduct hundreds of legal mixed-sex marriages since 2005. Following the passage of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014, the Pagan Federation (Scotland) was one of the religious and belief organisations that opted in to conducting same-sex marriages.
Speaking after their marriage ceremony, Tom and Iain said:“Getting married in a legal Pagan ceremony means so much to both of us. The new equal marriage law means that we finally have equal recognition and acceptance of our relationship, and it opens the door for all LGBTI couples to take the same step. As Hedge Witches we always wanted to have a Pagan marriage ceremony in line with our beliefs”.
Other religious and belief organisations that have opted in to conducting same-sex marriages in Scotland include the Unitarians, the Quakers, the Metropolitan Community Church, the Liberal Jewish community, the Open Episcopal Church in Scotland, the Humanist Society Scotland, various other smaller Humanist bodies, and One Spirit Interfaith Foundation. A number of these bodies are also expected to conduct same-sex weddings in the coming months.
Louise Park
Louise Park, Tom and Iain’s marriage celebrant and Presiding Officer for The Pagan Federation (Scotland), said:“Equality for people of all faiths is something that is very dear to the vast majority of Pagans, and the Pagan Federation (Scotland) has made equal marriage for all Pagans in Scotland one of our biggest campaigns over the last 10 years. We feel that, if any couple wish to, they should be able to make their marriage vows before their own personal Gods, friends, and family, in a religious ceremony tailored to suit their own beliefs”.
The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 requires local authorities to register same-sex marriages and also allows religious and belief organisations to opt in to doing so if they wish. In England and Wales Pagans, Humanists and other minority religious and belief groups are not allowed to conduct legal marriages, though they continue to campaign for the right to do so. In Northern Ireland same-sex marriage continues to be illegal in all forms.
Tom French
Tom French, Policy and Public Affairs Coordinator for the Equality Network, said:“Religious and belief groups played an important role in the campaign for equal marriage and today’s ceremony is a mark of equality and freedom of belief in Scotland.
“The new law was not just about ensuring equality for LGBTI people, but also securing greater freedom of belief for the many religious and belief groups who want to conduct same-sex marriages, in line with their deeply held beliefs, but were previously denied the right to do.”
In February, Scotland became the 17th country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage after the Scottish Parliament passed the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 by an overwhelming 105 votes to 18, the third strongest majority for any same-sex marriage legislation in the world. The Act received Royal Assent in March and, following the passage of the necessary secondary legislation, the law came into effect on 16 December 2014.
The Equality Network has published a guide to same-sex marriage and civil partnership law in Scotland, with a Foreword from Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. A digital version of the guide has been published online and 10,000 copies of a printed edition are now being distributed across Scotland.
To view a copy of the marriage guide online, click here:
Sexual Metamorphosis
An Anthology of Transsexual Memoirs
Jonathan Ames.
In Sexual Metamorphosis, Ames presents the personal narrative of sixteen gender pioneers. Christine Jorgensen, the first celebrity transsexual, greeting thousands of well-wishers from the stage of Madison Square Garden. Caroline Cossey, former model and Bond girl, being outed in the tabloids. Novelist and English professor Jennifer Boylan discusses her impending transformation with her heartbroken spouse and supportive yet confused colleagues. The result is a fascinating and compulsively readable book, filled with anguish, introspection, and courage.
This book has been out for some time, so it’s not a new publication, but it’s a book worth pursing for its insight and breadth of coverage.
The Amazing Tale of Anna Himmel and the Gold Sovereign
Stevie Henden
In 1878, Anna plans to emigrate to New York. Through a chance meeting she travels instead to London. In the present day, Martin, a redundant banker, learns that Anna is one of his ancestors. After he loses his job with the bank, Martin finds employment at an LGBT outreach centre in Soho and embarks on a personal journey of learning, where after some seriously unhinged and decadent behaviour he has to eventually confront his own demons. Five stories, five people, mysteriously connected by a gold sovereign.
The book explores the determination of the human spirit and different aspects of love, and also the nature of reality, the impact of choice and random events in life and a deeper spiritual connection that links us into the endless battle between good and evil….
The book questions how our own lives are affected by the people we meet and the choices that we make – and how the seemingly random acts of fate may not be so random at all. This multi-layered novel will appeal to readers who enjoy fantasy fiction. Stevie Henden’s first novel made me cry, it was so sweet; this one left me with a huge warm smile. A great fairy tale for the winter period, full of well-imagined and fantastical ideas with a narrative urge that whisks you though the book, some laughs, a few chills and a lot of rather sweet ideas all threaded together around the ever-present sovereign.
Henden has given us a good follow-up to the first of his books in this trilogy, and continues with a new, fun spread of engaging LGBT characters.
Residents in Queen’s Park and Hanover have been preparing for winter in their own unique way – by adding salt to the Pepperpot!
THE Queen’s Park Local Action Team and their counterparts in Hanover have been working with Brighton and Hove City Council to provide equipment to spread salt, clear snow and provide safer routes to shops, surgeries and sheltered housing, as part of their local community resilience plan.
Supplies of snow-clearing equipment and salt are now being stored in the Pepperpot Tower on Queen’s Park Road.
If it snows, volunteers from the Friends of the Pepperpot will open the Tower and give out equipment to residents to use in clearing key areas. After the priority work has been done, residents will be able to borrow shovels to help clear their own street, or other locations important to them.
Centre stage: Cllr Geoffrey Bowden
Cllr Geoffrey Bowden, chair of the Queen’s Park Local Action team, said:“When snow falls, it’s important that residents have the necessary equipment on hand to support their neighbours, and what better place to store salt than in the Pepperpot!
“I’m delighted that the council is supporting residents who are keen to muck in and help the more vulnerable members of our community in this way.
“Although many of us enjoy a wintry spell, it’s important to remember that for many of our residents, heavy snow can be a big problem, and for the more vulnerable in our community, the impact can be substantial.”
He added that key locations to be cleared following snowfall include the area around the doctor’s surgery and chemist, some local shops, bus stops, and entry paths or steps to sheltered housing or estate areas.
During severe weather, Queen’s Park and Hanover residents can find information about the initiative and real-time updates online, using Local Action Team and local community websites and social media channels.
Brighton-based writer and Gscene Arts Editor Michael Hootman is to have one of his short stories filmed in the States.
Justin Bailey (front) and Michael Kearns.
LA-based artist Stuart Sandford has adapted the work for the big screen. XVWE will star Michael Kearns (And the Band Played On, Knots Landing), the first Hollywood actor to come out as gay. It co-stars Justin Bailey (Glee), one of Tinseltown’s most talked-about new stars.
XVWE is a modern noir which explores themes of race, age, exploitation and sexual desire in the City of Angels. Above all, perhaps, it proves Saint Teresa of Ávila’s adage that ‘answered prayers cause more tears than those that remain unanswered’.
Sandford has shown his work in London, Berlin, Rome and New York, and his work has featured in magazines such as BUTT, GT and attitude.
Michael Hootman said: ‘I’m very excited about this project. I think changing the story’s location from England to LA gives an added edge to the piece and makes the dénouement that much more shocking. I’m certainly looking forward to visiting the set and sharing in the creative process.’
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