Besi – Page 28 – Scene Magazine – From the heart of LGBTQ+ Life

Labour and Green politicians to work with each other on key local issues

Posted on 21/05/2019 by Besi

Labour administration and Green opposition agree to work together to tackle key issues affecting the city.

TODAY, both parties have announced a new approach to managing local government in Brighton and Hove

The annual meeting of the council on Wednesday, May 22 will see the Labour Party form the administration of the council with the Greens forming the official opposition.

Councillor Nancy Platts will be Leader of the Council and Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty the Convenor of the Official Opposition.

However, both parties have announced today their shared intent to work proactively with all the city’s interested groups to deliver urgent action on the key policy areas of:

♦ the city’s housing and homelessness crisis
♦ climate crisis
♦ challenging austerity
♦ work on diversity, inclusion, equalities and Brighton and Hove’s status as a City of Sanctuary.

Councillor Nancy Platts, Leader of the Labour Group, said: “Residents have sent a very clear message that they want and expect the progressive parties they voted for to work together. I am excited at the prospect of working with Green Party Councillors and all interested groups to deliver positive change in our city. While we are two distinct parties, we share many important objectives and will work together proactively to change the nature of council decision making to become more inclusive and transparent, as well as more collaborative.”

Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty, Convenor of the Green Group, added: “As in the past four years, Greens will be constructive where it is needed in our role as Official Opposition. However, one thing is clear – our residents and our city deserve and need action on the critical issues of homelessness, climate crisis, austerity and city of sanctuary.

“We will work with the Labour Council and pledge to stand up for what is best for our city; and continue to hold our council to the high standards our city expects and deserves.”

Following the local elections on May 2 the political makeup up of the council is Labour – 20 seats, Green – 19 seats, Conservative – 14 seats and Independent – 1 seat.

LGBT funding evening on June 13

Posted on 21/05/201921/05/2019 by Besi

Are you an LGBT+ group or organisation in Brighton & Hove looking for funding?

WANT to find out about any local grant opportunities available and what funders are looking for?

Want to explore the chance for collaborative bids?

Pop along to the Funding Evening in The Sanctuary Room on Thursday, June 13, 5.30pm – 7.45pm at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, Dorset Gardens, Brighton BN2 1RL

Meet representatives from The Rainbow Fund, Sussex Community Foundation and Brighton & Hove City Council (Communities Fund) to hear about the grants and funding streams on offer and how to apply for them.

You can get your questions answered in the Ask the Funder panel session on ‘What makes a good bid?’ and play ‘Funding Bid Bingo’ with other LGBT+ groups and organisations and discover opportunities to collaborate

This event is being organised by Consortium, in partnership with Working to Connect the Brighton based organisation that brings small groups to work together. Tea, coffee and nibbles will be provided.

Event: LGBT Funding Evening

Where: Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, The Sanctuary Room, Dorset Gardens, Brighton

When: Thursday, June 13

Time: 5.30pm – 7.45pm

Cost: Free event

To reserve a place at the event, click here:

Council ropes in specialists to remove Madeira Terrace rubbish

Posted on 21/05/2019 by Besi

Council ropes in specialists to remove rubbish from Madeira Terrace.

A TEAM of specialist abseiling cleaners have removed a huge pile of rubbish from Madeira Terrace.

The city council called in Brighton based company Sussex Rope Access to clean up the Terrace’s mid-level as pedestrian access onto the raised walkway has been deemed unsafe by structural engineers.

Despite the area being fenced off, rough sleepers climbed over the barriers to set up camps. When they moved on, they left dangerous needles and other drug paraphernalia, plus mattresses, sleeping bags, bedding, supermarket trollies and other rubbish.

Rachel Chasseaud, the council’s assistant director of City Environment, said: “Our structural engineers have told us that the mid-level of Madeira Terrace is very dangerous for people to walk on or have machinery on as it could collapse.

“We fenced the area off to make clear no one was allowed, so it was a real concern that rough sleepers had set up camp and then left piles of rubbish.

“Some people walking on Marina Parade above the terrace walkway had also tossed rubbish into the fenced off area. It was too dangerous for our staff to work on the walkway, so we called in Sussex Rope Access who are professionals in getting into difficult areas by abseiling.”

The specialist team removed the waste from the mid-level and transferred it to ground level where Cityclean staff waited with a truck to take the rubbish away. The process will now be repeated on an ‘as and when’ basis until the area can be made safe.

Rachel added: “Everyone has done a brilliant job and removed a lot of dangerous items like drug needles and other potentially harmful items.

“Committed volunteers had contacted us to say they were prepared to go in and remove the waste, but as a responsible local authority, we couldn’t allow any member of the public to put themselves in danger.”

Lib Dems rise in all opinion polls

Posted on 21/05/201921/05/2019 by Besi

Liberal Democrat MEP candidate visits Hove ahead of the European Elections – #bollockstobrexit .

Local activists with Nick Perry, Lib Dem MEP candidate for South East England (third from left)

AS the Liberal Democrats nationally continue to rise in all opinion polls, party activists are claiming they could emerge from Thursday’s European elections in second place to Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party.

Local activists in Brighton & Hove were joined on Saturday (May 18) by South East MEP candidate Nick Perry for a day of campaigning ahead of the elections on Thursday May 23, 2019.

Activists reported receiving a warm and positive response both on the doorstep and at the local St Ann’s Well Gardens Spring festival.

Following the visit, local activist Elizabeth Craig said: “These are turbulent political times, and the Lib Dems are strongly positioned as the strongest Remain party in the South East. Their #bollockstobrexit slogan has grabbed the headlines, but the Lib Dems are also campaigning on the basis of a strong record on climate change and wildlife protection at European level. The Lib Dems are demanding a People’s Vote on any Brexit deal, and have been fighting Brexit every step of the way. Could this election provide the shake-up of British politics that many people in Brighton, Hove and Portslade think we need? We certainly hope so and are working hard to make it happen.”

Local Brighton and Hove Lib Dem activists with Nick Perry at St Ann’s Well Gardens Spring Festival from left: Orla May, Andrew England, Elizabeth Craig and Nick Perry

Taiwan legalises same-sex marriage

Posted on 19/05/2019 by Besi

Taiwan becomes first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage.

IN a historic vote, on May 17, 2019, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT), the Parliament of Taiwan voted to legalise same-sex marriage, becoming the first country in Asia to do so.

This landmark step follows a ruling by the Constitutional Court of Taiwan back in 2017, which ruled that legislation preventing partners of the same sex to marry was unconstitutional and violated the right to equality for all LGBT+ people.

A civil society campaign in support of marriage equality, led by the Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan, gained strength over the last two years both at local and international levels.

Jennifer Lu, Co-ordinator of Marriage Equality Coalition

Jennifer Lu, the coordinator of the campaign, has been part of OutRight’s Advocacy Week at the United Nations in December 2018 and a speaker at OutSummit, enabling her to address international policymakers directly.

The groundbreaking changes were passed by Parliament despite a referendum on the topic held at the end of 2018 showing that a majority of Taiwanese society does not support same-sex marriage.

The provisions passed by Parliament on May 17 allow for same-sex marriage as well as some adoption rights, and will come into force on May 24.

Jessica Stern, Executive Director of OutRight Action International, said: “The Parliament of Taiwan made a historic decision on May 17. They stepped up and unequivocally showed that human rights and equality are not subject to public opinion. The Parliament made a decision recognising that love is love, regardless of gender, and that everyone who wishes to formalise their relationship and benefit from the corresponding protections of the state can do so, regardless of whether their partner is of the same or different gender. With this groundbreaking decision Taiwan becomes the first country in Asia to recognise same-sex marriage. It is incredible that the decision was made on International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, Biphobia and Interphobia, sending the strongest possible message against hate and discrimination and for recognition of the human rights of LGBT+ people.

But while the Parliament deserve immense credit for taking this brave step in spite of opposition, it could not have happened without the relentless courage and perseverance of LGBT+ activists in Taiwan. Their success brings hope, and inspiration to LGBT+ movements in Asia, and around the world.”

‘Gameplay’ at the heart of improvement in NHS

Posted on 19/05/2019 by Besi

An innovative board game is helping one NHS Trust to continually improve the experience of its LGBTQ+ workforce, as part of its journey to becoming a Stonewall Top 100 employer.

(Left - right): Open University Students - Faith Zaloumis, Natalie Weller, Laura Elmes, Marta Ruszkiewicz and Javi Ureta — (Left – right): Open University Students – Faith Zaloumis, Natalie Weller, Laura Elmes, Marta Ruszkiewicz and Javi Ureta

WHEN Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust (BSUH) re-entered the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index this year, they were placed at 143 out of 445 entrants. This is an exceptional result for a returning organisation according to Stonewall, but BSUH want to go further.

“Overall, the feedback for our Trust is very positive, and reflects our increasingly open, fair, diverse and inclusive culture,” said Nick Groves, Director of Service Modernisation within the Trust’s 3Ts project and Convenor of the LGBTQ+ Network.

“However, there is still more to do. We wanted to find a fun, engaging way to illustrate the LGBTQ+ ‘employee journey’ and some of the challenges faced, as well as sparking ideas for positive change.”

The Journey to True North: Follow the Yellow Brick Road game board was designed in-house specifically for the Trust’s first LGBTQ+ Inclusion Conference.

“We developed a gameplay system which combined real-life staff comments, national statistics from Stonewall and other organisations, and elements of chance to enable teams to suggest creative solutions”, continued Nick.

“We had 30 tables playing simultaneously at our recent LGBTQ+ Inclusion Conference, and this produced over 230 different ideas for improvements. All of these are now being woven into our LGBTQ+ Inclusion plans for the coming year, with a clear ambition from Trust CEO Dame Marianne Griffiths and Board of Directors to be recognised as a Stonewall Top 100 Employer.”

(L-R): Brighton University Students - Sara de Virion, Katie Metterface and Matthew O’Donnell — (L-R): Brighton University Students – Sara de Virion, Katie Metterface and Matthew O’Donnell

Denise Farmer, Chief Workforce and Organisational Development Officer for BSUH, said: “I’m delighted by the success of the game and the positive energy it created. Tapping into delegates’ creativity and the ‘wisdom of the crowd’, I’m certain we have moved forward further and faster than we could have done in any other way.

“The game was a very creative way of sharing colleagues’ ideas, opinions and hearing more about their concerns. This openness and innovation is something we hold close to our hearts at BSUH, and we will continue to use the Stonewall Top 100 guide as a way of making our colleague’s experience at work the best it can be.”

Called “fantastic”, “amazing” and “a great way to develop ideas” by players, the game is being played by a range of BSUH teams, using its uniquely engaging format to create improvements in their areas. BSUH is also receiving requests from other trusts who are interested in replicating the gameplay to draw out the wisdom of their own employees and create positive change.

Scots call for reform of the Gender Recognition Act

Posted on 19/05/201919/05/2019 by Besi

National students and young people’s organisations in Scotland call for reform of the Gender Recognition Act.

ON International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) national youth organisations from across the political spectrum in Scotland came together to sign a letter in support of reform of the Gender Recognition Act.

The letter, signed by Children in Scotland, SNP Students, Scottish Labour Students, Scottish Young Liberals, Scottish Young Greens, Scottish Youth Parliament and NUS Scotland says:

“We, the undersigned, are national youth and student organisations that want to express our support and solidarity to trans people across Scotland, and call for reform of the Gender Recognition Act.

When the Gender Recognition Act was passed in 2004, it was considered world-leading because it didn’t require trans people to be sterilised before gaining legal recognition of their gender. In the years that have passed, understanding and knowledge of trans rights has changed quickly, and as other countries have passed legal recognition laws to reflect this, Scotland’s has fallen behind standards set elsewhere.

We want this to change, and note the manifesto pledges of all the political parties in the Scottish Parliament. We support reform of the Gender Recognition Act to bring it in-line with international best practice. This means a system of self-declaration open to those who are 16 and over, that legally recognises non-binary people, and that allows children and young people under 16 a means of obtaining legal recognition.

We think it’s time for a law that reflects our understanding of what trans equality looks like. We think it’s time for a law that reflects Scotland’s ambitions in 2019 of being modern, inclusive, and welcoming to all.”

Vic Valentine, Policy Officer at Scottish Trans Alliance, said: “We’re delighted that these important student and young people’s organisations have come together on IDAHOBIT to support reforming the Gender Recognition Act. This law needs urgently updating, to ensure all trans people can have legal recognition of who we are without having to engage with an expensive, complicated, and dehumanising process. When the Scottish Government consulted on reforming this law last year, a clear majority was in favour of all of the changes this letter calls for.”

Paul Daly, Senior Practitioner of LGBT Youth Scotland, said: “Young people talk to us about the impacts of GRA reform and the hopes they have for the future. They want to see a progressive Scotland and legislation that truly reflects their needs and experiences.

Trans young people are acutely aware of negative messages and misinformation regarding the proposed changes. They strongly feel that trans women ARE women, trans men ARE men and that non-binary people have a right to be recognised. Importantly, this is having a significant impact on their lives – they tell us that this is hurtful and they feel like their identities are not valued.”

Gayness In Queer Times Conference

Posted on 19/05/201923/05/2019 by Besi

Tickets are now available for the Gayness In Queer Times Conference.

ON June 13 and 14 the University of Brighton will be hosting a one-off two day conference about gayness. While not denying the power and importance of queerness or the diversity and unity of LGBTQ, the organisers want to use this conference to have conversations about where ‘gay’ stands today.

Attendees can expect discussions on gay culture, history, sex, politics, art, identities, and more!

The conference’s keynote speech will be delivered by the world-famous Prof David Halperin (University of Minnesota), author of the groundbreaking studies of gay male culture What Do Gay Men Want? and How To Be Gay.

The two-day conference will be hosted by the University of Brighton’s Centre for Transforming Sexuality & Gender, and the Centre for Applied Politics, Philosophy & Ethics.

Organisers are keen to encourage people of all sexualities and genders to attend and to join in the discussions, particularly those from outside the university with a special reduced rate of £10 available for attendees without any funding.

For further information and to buy tickets, click here:

Alternatively, email Ian Sinclair at cappe@brighton.ac.uk.

Labour Group announce new team to run the city

Posted on 16/05/201916/05/2019 by Besi

Cllr Nancy Platts, the new leader of the Labour Group of Councillors on Brighton & Hove City Council has announced her proposed new team of lead councillors, who she plans will oversee the delivery of council services for the next municipal year.

APPOINTMENTS are expected to be confirmed at the annual meeting of the council, which takes place next Wednesday, May 22 and includes some new faces elected to the council at the recent elections.

Cllr Nancy Platts said: “I am really proud of this very strong team, a team which combines vital experience carried forward from the previous Labour administration as well as the very important skills and expertise of new Labour councillors elected this May. We are really looking forward to taking our first steps as a new administration, and beginning to implement our ambitious manifesto commitments to the city, including tackling the key challenges of housing and the environment.”

The key proposed role holders are:

Chair of Children Young People and Skills Committee – Cllr Nick Childs

Chair of Environment Transport and Sustainability Committee – Cllr Anne Pissaridou

Chair of Housing and New Homes Committee – Cllr John Allcock

Chair of Neighbourhoods, Inclusion, Communities and Equalities Committee – Cllr Kate Knight

Chair of Tourism Development and Culture Committee – Cllr Alan Robins

Chair of Health and Wellbeing Board – Cllr Clare Moonan

Chair of Licensing Committee – Cllr Jackie O’Quinn

Chair of Planning Committee – Cllr Tracey Hill

Blue Camel Club to close Learning Disability Week

Posted on 16/05/2019 by Besi

Learning Disability Week Brighton culminates with Carousel’s Blue Camel Club at The Old Market, Monday, June 24.

STARTED in 2000, the club offers a genuine clubbing experience in a safe and accessible environment for people with a learning disability. Presenting only the very best in learning disabled performers, the club is a showcase for high quality learning disabled talent from around UK.

With a host of DJ’s, visuals, bar and chill-out space, the club is an important fixture for learning disabled people who have limited opportunities to meet and mingle, dance and hear great bands.

The event is planned and presented by the 12-strong learning disabled team and regularly attracts 300+ clubbers from across Sussex.

This month’s club features Brighton’s Spraxa, 19 year old rapper expressing his uniqueness and Two Decks, lo-fi hip-hop bangers from London to get you jumping.

Event: Blue Camel Club

Where: The Old Market, Hove

When: Monday, June 24

Time: 7pm-10pm

Cost: £5 / £1 carers Advance booking recommended

To book tickets online, click here:

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Author: Besi

Labour and Green politicians to work with each other on key local issues

Labour administration and Green opposition agree to work together to tackle key issues affecting the city.

LGBT funding evening on June 13

Are you an LGBT+ group or organisation in Brighton & Hove looking for funding?

Council ropes in specialists to remove Madeira Terrace rubbish

Council ropes in specialists to remove rubbish from Madeira Terrace.

Lib Dems rise in all opinion polls

Liberal Democrat MEP candidate visits Hove ahead of the European Elections – #bollockstobrexit .

Taiwan legalises same-sex marriage

Taiwan becomes first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage.

‘Gameplay’ at the heart of improvement in NHS

An innovative board game is helping one NHS Trust to continually improve the experience of its LGBTQ+ workforce, as part of its journey to becoming a Stonewall Top 100 employer.

Scots call for reform of the Gender Recognition Act

National students and young people’s organisations in Scotland call for reform of the Gender Recognition Act.

Gayness In Queer Times Conference

Tickets are now available for the Gayness In Queer Times Conference.

Labour Group announce new team to run the city

Cllr Nancy Platts, the new leader of the Labour Group of Councillors on Brighton & Hove City Council has announced her proposed new team of lead councillors, who she plans will oversee the delivery of council services for the next municipal year.

Blue Camel Club to close Learning Disability Week

Learning Disability Week Brighton culminates with Carousel’s Blue Camel Club at The Old Market, Monday, June 24.

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Labour administration and Green opposition agree to work together to tackle key issues affecting the city.

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Are you an LGBT+ group or organisation in Brighton & Hove looking for funding?

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Council ropes in specialists to remove rubbish from Madeira Terrace.

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Liberal Democrat MEP candidate visits Hove ahead of the European Elections – #bollockstobrexit .

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Taiwan becomes first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage.

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An innovative board game is helping one NHS Trust to continually improve the experience of its LGBTQ+ workforce, as part of its journey to becoming a Stonewall Top 100 employer.

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National students and young people’s organisations in Scotland call for reform of the Gender Recognition Act.

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Tickets are now available for the Gayness In Queer Times Conference.

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Cllr Nancy Platts, the new leader of the Labour Group of Councillors on Brighton & Hove City Council has announced her proposed new team of lead councillors, who she plans will oversee the delivery of council services for the next municipal year.

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Learning Disability Week Brighton culminates with Carousel’s Blue Camel Club at The Old Market, Monday, June 24.

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