HOW TO DO IT
C. How can we make our meetings as inclusive and welcoming as possible? How can we get the most out of them? (Standard 7).
Example 3
You are running a public meeting on how to make your local community feel safer for everybody....
Now that you have identified LGBT people and groups, and they have decided to come along to your consultation, you must make sure that the meeting itself is LGBT-friendly.
Here are some LGBT-specific challenges to working together and with others...
- A lack of clarity on organizational stance on LGBT issues
- A fear of LGBT-phobia in the working group
- An inability on the part of the organisers or the participants to address differences of opinion or belief
How can you make this work?
- Begin with clear ground rules that include explicit statements about homophobia (for example, 'no language that may be considered offensive, such as racist or homophobic insults')
- You can acknowledge the variety of beliefs, but agree to work from a set of core, agreed values designed to enable the best possible outcome of the process. (See some suggestions in the 'resources' section)
- Enable self and co-workers to positively and constructively challenge LGBT-phobia (it is possible to have LGBT awareness training for your organization - see the 'networking' section of this guide)
- Respect participants' personal information - ask before sharing anyone's details
- Emphasise that potentially sensitive information disclosed within a group (for example, someone's sexual orientation) should be allowed to remain within the group and not be repeated elsewhere, at least as far as this is possible within your meeting
- Be comfortable with the appropriate language and avoid euphemisms, such as 'special friend' or 'lifestyle choice' - it's better to say 'your partner' or 'your sexual orientation', as in 'You mentioned that worrying about other people's prejudice makes you feel uncomfortable about your sexual orientation in public changing areas' (see glossary). If you are embarrassed or uncomfortable, people will notice this and feel less comfortable themselves. If you are at ease with openly speaking about LGBT issues, you will put others at their ease
- Have specific guidelines in place for feedback, monitoring and evaluation and make them clear from the outset of the engagement, so that people feel their time has been well spent
- You must be ready to challenge LGBT-phobia and heterosexism in mixed groups
Example 3
If you hold a public meeting about community safety and someone says, "Why are you targeting LGBT people? Why do they get 'special treatment?'" you must be prepared to defend this. You could say, "LGBT people are more at risk of being attacked for their sexual orientation or gender identity than non-LGBT people. They are also less likely to report crimes against them than are non-LGBT people."
Similarly, if someone makes a statement like "Why don't we give all women free police whistles?" you can address this by rephrasing it, "Do others agree that police whistles for anybody who might feel vulnerable are a good idea?"
- See the Resources section for statements to challenge LGBT-phobia
- As always, be sure to thank people for their time and effort in coming along - individually if possible. Particularly if someone has voiced LGBT-inclusive opinions despite the homophobia of other participants, make sure that they know you appreciate their input
| << Previous | Next >> |
 |
 |