LGBT Hearts & Minds Focus Day, 1 June 2006
Facilitated for Scottish Executive by Creative Exchange
Introduction
This Focus Day brought together a range of people with different perspectives on LGBT equality to discuss and define the implementation a drive to change the hearts and minds of the people of Scotland with regard to LGBT discrimination.
The day was hosted and organised by the Scottish Executive's Equality Unit and independently facilitated by Creative Exchange.
Objectives
- To agree the aims, scope and remit of an LGBT Hearts & Minds group
- To identify the structure and ways of working for the group
- To determine the timescales and outputs relevant to the group's work
Summary of Discussions
A Vision for LGBT Equality
The group considered the question 'What do we want Scotland to be?', in terms of LGBT issues and equality, and were invited to think of single words which might sum this up. These distilled into three main themes:
Personal growth and expression, improving the emotional well-being of the individual -
- aspiration
- inclusion
- lifelong
- freedom
- mature
- emancipated
- contentment
Relationships and interactions within society, going beyond 'doing the right thing' -
- understanding
- respecting
- appreciation
- honest
- celebrated
- visibility
Hearts & Minds actually achieving through action, using ideas and energy to make change happen -
- capacity
- education
- do
- engaged
- contribution
- well-being
There was also discussion around the expectations and 'vision' for the Hearts & Minds group itself, which included being:
- Bold
- Resilient
- Critical
- Focused
- Outcome oriented
- Accountable
- Mindful of capacity issues
Reality Check
The 'reality check' on the high-level vision thinking took the form of building statements from individual participants responses to the starter: "To achieve this vision, in reality we will have to…". This highlighted a range of views about the issues that need to be considered to achieve this vision. These statements, as written by the participants, are set out below.
1. To achieve this vision, in reality we will have to… engage all relevant people - policy makers, media, public, LGBT community… and agree a realistic outcome that is achievable… and be accountable for our actions on behalf of/with other LGBT groups, members, communities, individuals… and be bold & visionary about what kind of Scotland we want to see.
2. To achieve this vision, in reality we will have to… find ways of engaging both within and beyond the LGBT communities that truly reflect multiple voices but do not descend into an unproductive mess… and tell people about what is achieved… and make sure that the Scottish Executive share in the leadership of telling what is achieved - Ministers in speeches for example… and investigate/determine where the cost effective points of intervention are to achieve change.
3. To achieve this vision, in reality we will have to… identify the barriers to changing hearts and minds and be bold about identifying who and how they will be broken down… and investigate how to understand and evaluate this has been achieved… and to be watchful, over time, that the impetus is not lost… and ensure that our achievement is acknowledged.
4. To achieve this vision, in reality we will have to… educate and demonstrate… and implement our learning… and identify how it will be done, what needs to happen… and who needs to be involved, and how we will know we have achieved our vision.
5. To achieve this vision, in reality we will have to… involve the community, work together, raise our profile, educate the public and ourselves, raise some cash, engage with more politicians at national level, recognise that all sections of society contribute to the whole… and show respect for others… and remember the community might be in places we don't think… and travel beyond Glasgow and Edinburgh.
6. To achieve this vision, in reality we will have to… work together, identify shared priorities… and build bridges with other sectors… and review our ongoing effectiveness in doing this… and communication will be essential.
7. To achieve this vision, in reality we will have to… provide funding and appropriate capacity building measures across the voluntary and charitable sector… and reach out to the larger audience… and spend the money effectively… and change our ways of working to meaningfully involve the community - they have valid ideas too!
8. To achieve this vision, in reality we will have to… work as a team to develop a focused but bold plan for actions which move us towards our agreed vision… and ensure that there are sufficient resources to achieve the actions… and that appropriate external contacts and possible alliances are identified… and we must find ways of managing the tensions which will invariably arise where our focused and bold plan does not fit in with everyone's view.
9. To achieve this vision, in reality we will have to… achieve a better understanding of who we are… and of other people's issues with us… and more of that too!... and not be afraid to learn and change from that understanding, as well as to criticise what's not working well… and maintain vigilance and promote education of multiple lifestyles… and accept and celebrate difference.
10. To achieve this vision, in reality we will have to… be honest, respectful and supportive… and actually identify what needs to be changed and how we do it… and to ensure that all relevant people are involved… and that they all realise what they are trying to achieve.
11. To achieve this vision, in reality we will have to… create alliances for an equitable Scotland… and be creative… and be honest… and be self-critical (and self-congratulatory!!)
12. To achieve this vision, in reality we will have to… find individual points of reference… and how do we go about doing this?... and why not be experimental with lots of approaches?... and then prioritise.
13. To achieve this vision, in reality we will have to… make sure there are more women/lesbians involved in the forum, set achievable goals… and determine a set of actions with milestones… and we must make sure that diverse representation is real and not merely token… and let's not be stopped by 'process' - let's be judged by our actions… and part of the 'actions' should be seen as achieving diverse representation as this builds legitimacy.
14. To achieve this vision, in reality we will have to… assert that homophobia is unacceptable in the public arena… and be a positive example… and provide support to all… and make sure we are inclusive, that all means all.
15. To achieve this vision, in reality we will have to… mainstream equality into education; come out… and be bold!... and provide support for people to do this… and dismantle prejudice… and celebrate/embrace diversity of all people.
16. To achieve this vision, in reality we will have to… educate a nation… and schools are a priority… and recognise that learning also happens in the workplace, the community, etc… and share our learning with the Executive.
17. To achieve this vision, in reality we will have to… be confident, communicate plainly and clearly, listen and learn, be willing to change and adapt… and I agree… and enable, facilitate and reward our peers, believe in our lives as valid… and believe we can each make a difference.
The Remit of the Group
Although the group recognised that the first formal meeting of the Hearts & Minds group would need to refine and endorse its remit, it was agreed that the following should form the core elements:
- To provide focus and priorities for the hearts and minds agenda and be a driver for change, offering 'ideas leadership' where appropriate.
- To identify who has to do what, when and where - working with and through other agencies where their agendas coincide, and considering how to achieve and resource actions directly where necessary.
- To create engagement with policy and opinion makers in order to shape the agenda and ensure multiple voices are heard.
- To provide and opportunity for interchange and space to generate ideas and actions reflecting different perspectives.
Ways of Working
The group also considered the 'modus operandi' for moving forward and agreed some first actions:
Structure: It would be unwieldy and counterproductive to attempt to formally include 'representatives' from every perspective in a group that met regularly. Rather, a diverse mix of around 25 committed activists should form a 'core group' whose reach, diversity and expertise can be extended fluidly as required by inviting additional people to join 'sub-groups' which might be formed to achieve specific actions.
Membership: The priority for identifying who should join the core group would be to focus on people as individual contributors of ideas and energy, rather than representatives of organisations. Diversity was to be achieved by ensuring that all key 'voices' could be heard round the table. It was felt that the group convened for the Focus Day (including those invited but unable to attend) was fairly comprehensive but lacked appropriate gender balance, as well as the voices of bisexuals and older lesbians (Granite Sisters), as well as possibly gay fathers and the gay business community.
Chairing: It was not felt necessary to have a high profile or figurehead chair as this could lead to too much focus on the identity of the group rather than a focus on action with and through others. It was agreed that the Scottish Executive Equality Unit might provide the Chair as well as the Secretariat.
Other Equality Groups: The group wanted to ensure that its work on LGBT issues interfaced effectively with that of other equality groups in Scotland and that it learnt from good practice elsewhere. However, rather than invite these voices to join the group, the Equality Unit could be relied upon to ensure active cross-engagement.
Frequency of Meetings: A quarterly meeting of the core group was proposed, with the frequency of sub-group meetings being determined according to their needs.
Timing of Meetings: It was accepted that there was no ideal time of the day, week or year which could be identified as suitable for all. The crucial thing was to ensure that the timings over the life of the group did not consistently exclude any specific potential contributing voice.
Timescale for Outputs: All agreed that the group should aim for an initial 'output' within 12 months, and that this was most likely to take the form of an Action Plan to be forwarded to Ministers. However, a workplan for the group would need to be agreed very quickly and specific concrete actions inspired by the group may happen within that first 12 months. It is likely that the group would want to continue it's work beyond one year, but that a review at this stage would be appropriate.
Name: The only agreement regarding a name for the group was that it should not include the word 'Forum'!
Immediate Next Actions
- Ensure the next meeting focuses on what we can do - the agenda for action, key themes etc
- Accordingly, allow the Equality Unit to use their expertise to refine and define the structure and process issues in order to avoid spending long on this in future.
- Extend the group by invitation with regard to the issues of key voices and gender balance (Secretariat).
- Arrange the next meeting of the group in August (Secretariat).
- Consult the participants with regard to timing and location (Secretariat).
Report Editor: Creative Exchange