Hi everyone,
It’s a different Martyn here this week to give you our weekly blog, this week focusing on LGBT+ History Month and what the Trust is doing to celebrate. As chair of our LGBTQ+ network, I was delighted when I was asked to write something - inclusion, equality and diversity are at the heart of our ELHT values and I’m excited to talk about new ways in which the network is striving to implement these across the Trust to make sure all our colleagues feel valued and respected, regardless of their beliefs and views.
LGBT+ History Month takes place in the United Kingdom every February and is a recognition of the history and achievements of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and wider community and aims to promote equality and diversity. February was chosen to celebrate the event due to it coinciding with the start of the 2003 abolition of Section 28 which prohibited schools and local authorities from “the promotion of homosexuality”. This year also marks 50 years since the first Pride March took place in the UK when 1000 people marched from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square in London.
LGBTQ+ rights have improved greatly in the UK with LGBTQ+ people being allowed to openly serve in the military since 2000 and the introduction of same-sex marriage in 2014. Yet in roughly 70 countries it is still illegal to be homosexual and 11 countries have the death penalty for LGBTQ+ people. Even in the UK, 64% of LGBTQ+ people have experienced anti-LGBTQ+ violence or abuse and 70% of transgender people report being impacted by transphobia when accessing general health services.
For me, the month is an opportunity to reflect on both the good and bad times. This is epitomised with the persecution of thousands of LGBTQ+ people in the concentration camps during World War 2, but also the work of Alan Turing who played a pivotal role in the decoding of the Enigma machine which helped to end the war sooner. Alan Turing himself was later prosecuted for homosexual acts in 1952. He died in 1954 from suicide and was publicly pardoned in 2013 for his conviction. It also calls to mind pioneers such as April Ashley who was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her work in promoting trans equality and Michael Dillon who was the first person in the world to transition from female to male through the use of hormones and surgery.
This year the Trust is celebrating LGBT+ History Month with the launch of a new equality and diversity podcast series. In the first episode, members of the LGBTQ+ Staff Network will discuss what the month means to them. Recording is due to take place soon and will be available to listen to later in the month.
The Trust is also proud to have been selected as one of forty Trusts nationally to take part in phase two of the NHS Rainbow Badge accreditation programme. The programme awards NHS Trusts for their work on LGBTQ+ inclusion with Bronze, Silver and Gold awards and looks at training, policies and the support provided for LGBTQ+ staff and patients. Further details on the process will be shared soon but I’m so glad we are making big steps in making our Trust a more inclusive place for both our colleagues and patients.
The LGBTQ+ Staff Network is there for all members of the Trust and if you are interested in joining, either as a member of the community or as an ally, we would be very happy to hear from you. If you have any questions, please contact lgbtq@elht.nhs.uk
Finally, I would like to wish you all a happy St Valentine’s Day for this coming Monday. Love is a wonderful thing and is something to be celebrated freely by everyone.
Take care,
Martyn.