The TUC LGBT+ Workers’ Conference at the end of June passed a powerful emergency motion, proposed by UCU, regarding the Cass Report. This annual conference, typically held in June at the start of the Pride season, continues to play a crucial role in advocating for LGBT+ rights within the trade union movement.
The Cass Report is an “independent” examination of the treatment of young (under 25) trans people, commissioned by the Conservative government. Dr Hilary Cass, a senior paediatrician with no prior experience in Trans issues, led the report. Unfortunately for Trans people and their allies, the report is selective in its use of evidence, and its recommendations are seriously flawed. See the article by ACR and TransMission.
As highlighted in the motion, one of the Cass Report’s assertions is that individuals under the age of 25 cannot consent to gender-affirming care – a claim with far-reaching implications for all healthcare. This assertion overrides the “Gillick Competence” standard, which establishes that children under the age of 16 can make decisions without parental consent if they are mature enough to understand the matter at hand. The report’s recommendations have been selectively applied by the Conservative government, leading to a ban on access to puberty-suppressing hormones for anyone under 18. This ban, initially applied to the NHS, was extended to private providers in the final days of the last government, making the prescription of puberty blockers a criminal offence under secondary legislation.
Regrettably, the incoming Labour government is unlikely to reverse these policies. In fact, the new Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, has already announced that the temporary emergency ban on puberty blockers will be made permanent. However, there is some hope that the overtly anti-Trans “culture war” might be paused for a while. In its manifesto, Labour promised to deliver a fully Trans-inclusive ban on conversion therapy; the TUC and unions must ensure that this promise is fulfilled as soon as possible. Another motion from UCU called for the TUC to campaign to end all forms of conversion therapy, promote Trans and non-binary rights in the workplace, and replace the appalling existing guidance on “Gender Questioning Children” in schools and colleges in England.
When the conference was organised and the motions were drafted, it was widely anticipated that a general election was imminent and that the Conservatives would lose. However, the timing of the conference coincided with the early stages of an election campaign. This created a different atmosphere compared to last year’s event – in some ways more optimistic, yet also aware of the growing backlash against LGBT+ people, particularly Trans and non-binary individuals. As in previous years, most motions were overwhelmingly passed. However, this is no reason for complacency – outside the conference room, LGBT+ people are facing an increasingly hostile environment, and the motions reflected this. While an incoming Labour government offers some hope, the right and far-right represent a significant and growing threat.
The final motion of the conference, proposed by Aegis, a relatively new trade union representing finance sector workers, addressed the impact of Artificial Intelligence on LGBT+ workers. This is an important yet often overlooked issue. LGBT+ people, along with other minorities and women, are subject to AI bias and are frequently under-represented in these fields. As a speaker noted, the billionaire rulers of the major tech companies are overwhelmingly white men – and mostly straight, although the presence of one or two openly gay senior executives does little to achieve justice for LGBT+ workers.
The conference welcomed speakers Matt Wrack, this year’s TUC president (last year’s president was Maria Exall, long-standing chair of the TUC LGBT+ Committee), Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, and Lord Collins of Highbury, former Labour Party general secretary (who was at the time Deputy Labour leader in the House of Lords but is now Deputy Leader of the Lords following the election).
A total of 232 delegates from 30 TUC affiliates (out of 48 in total) attended, including the small National House Building Council Staff Association, which has 840 members and is a recognised trade union, albeit “not a militant trade union” according to its website. Panel discussions were held on combatting the far right and on Trans and non-binary rights.
As usual, the conference ended a couple of hours later than scheduled. Keeping to time and completing the agenda is often a challenge at trade union conferences. This should be a basic aspect of democracy, ensuring that all motions receive a fair hearing rather than being remitted to executive committees or, as in this case, being heard by only the remaining delegates as others had to leave to return home.
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