Inclusive Communities?: ESRC Sexualities Equalities Research Project

1. Inclusive Communities?: ESRC Sexualities Equalities Research Project Prof Diane Richardson (Newcastle University) Dr Surya Monro (University of Sheffield) Dr Ann McNulty (Newcastle University)

2. Theoretical Context • The normal citizen is sexualised, as well as gendered and racialised • Need to reconsider this given emergence of new citizenship discourse which includes gay men and lesbians • This new discourse incorporates lesbians and gay men through claims to normalcy and sameness • The normal gay (and lesbian?) is: • ‘…associated with specific social behaviours. For example, the normal gay is expected to be gender conventional, link sex to love and a marriage-like relationship, defend family values, personify economic individualism, and display national pride (Seidman 2002:133)

3. Sameness constituted as WITH heterosexuals and at the same time as homogeneity amongst lesbians and gays, and also, more recently, bisexuals • Paradox: processes of pluralism have enabled lesbians and gay men to claim equal rights • The ‘desiring sameness’ basis for (some) lesbian and gay relationships now complemented by ‘desiring sameness’ with heterosexuals (in terms of rights) • Various feminist and queer critiques provide opposition to politics of normalisation • Various claims that normalising processes challenge boundaries, transform intimacy

4. Policy Context: Key Legislation • Equality Regulations (Sexual Orientation) 2007 • Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (2003) • Gender Recognition Act (2004) • Civil Partnership Act (2004) • Proposed Single Equality Act • White Paper Fairness for All: A New Commission for Equalities and Human Rights

5. Local Government Context • Local government modernisation agenda • Equalities Standard • Local government White Paper (2006) • Development of Local Area Agreements • Community Strategies • The impact of the Corporate Performance Assessment (Comprehensive Area Assessment from 2009) • Other aspects including growth of partnerships, emphasis on increased public participation, and the new localism

6. Methods • In depth qualitative work with four Local Authorities North England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Southern England • Four Action Learning Sets (one in each area) Each set meeting four times over 4-6months • Focus groups with Councillors • Interviews with key national players

7. Key Analytic Themes • Processes of local authority resistance and compliance re LGBT equalities initiatives (and within LGBT communities, especially regarding different sexual/gender minorities) • Organisational Cultural Change • Debates concerning understandings of sexuality, citizenship and democracy

8. Project Update • North England Case Study and ALS Completed • Welsh Case Study and ALS Completed • South England Case Study Completed 28 Case Study interviews 2 National Stakeholder Interviews 8 group meetings

9. Overview • Substantial progress in sexualities equalities in the UK (at strategic level, mainstreaming, different service areas, impact assessments, partnerships, community engagement) • Implementation deficit in some cases although getting LGBT issues ‘on the agenda’ felt to be worthwhile nonetheless • Considerable variations within and across authorities • In authorities where work established, tendency for consolidation of higher profile equalities work (race, gender, disability) and some other work (LGBT) – where none previously, there is now acknowledgement it is necessary • In authorities where little or no work being done, a genuine sense of bewilderment about what does need doing (among staff who are well meaning and lack knowledge)

10. Range of issues identified within Local Authorities, including communication barriers, cultural resistance, impact of structural changes, and a lack of evidence base for work • Differences between public normalcy and private practice: • you might put a policy there but if someone’s homophobic it’s not going to change the fact they’re homophobic, um, I think it’s more of a case that ‘I can’t do that or express my personal opinion because I’ll get in trouble and it could affect my career’ (Officer) • I don’t think it’s filtered down to ground level – people know about it but it’s whether they apply it’ (Officer)

11. Specific examples of work being blocked eg: • I wanted to do a generic report on sexual orientation and was told not to. There were red lines through LGB in reports I have written’ (Officer) • Issues also identified within the community sector including tensions concerning resources and/or lack of capacity • Differences within the LGBT ‘communities’: • I think there’s still a temptation for people to think that LGBT issues are about providing free condoms to gay men and MESMAC are the only organisation, or only part of the council working with gay people, and all the rest well, you know, we might work with a lesbian but we don’t know about it so you know, there’s no issue there, because if we don’t know she’s a lesbian how can we be discriminating against her (Officer)

12. Indicative themes:Intersectionality • Sexualities equalities work in local government demonstrates the complex ways in which sex/gender and other characteristics interact • The specifics of experience concerning sexualities - and transgender - equality stand out, for example: • ‘I think embarrassment, as well…about faith, and about sexuality, because they’re the only ones [sic] where you might be in a room with somebody, who is of that faith or of that sexuality, and not know it whilst you’ re discussing it’ (Officer) • Absences and processes of marginalisation and/or tensions are evident in certain areas, in particular: • Bisexuality • Transgender – especially trans other than transsexual, FTM • Faith communities and LGBT issues • There are also ways of using intersections positively e.g. leverage provided by more established equalities strands

13. Organisational Cultures • Organisational cultures have a profound impact on LGBT Equalities work in local authorities • Cultures varied widely, reflecting composition of local population – urban/rural divide perhaps the most pertinent • Major issue with machismo and entrenched cultures of homophobia in more rural areas: - ‘to be identified as being gay, or to be suspected of being gay [is] a very powerful insult here, and its not just a throwaway comment, people will get into a fight’ (Officer) • Some examples of cultures being positively changed especially via training: - ‘we try and explain to people “you can be any age and have, it doesn’t mean that you are sexually active, but you still have this identity” and we try and get people to understand that we don’t just have one label, we are a cocktail of many different things’ (Officer)

14. Bisexuality • Project indicates increasing inclusion of bisexuals at least in name (legislation protects bisexuals for the first time) but: • Interpretation of this varies across different authorities and also within services • In authorities with less work/an absence of work on LG issues, bisexuality is completely overlooked • There is still a strong tendency for bisexuality to only be addressed as part of the lesbian and gay remit – specifically bisexual issues are rarely identified • Biphobia quite widely apparent – bisexuals may be seen as ‘greedy’, ‘promiscuous’ and unworthy

15. Interviewer: The usefulness of the cluster, of the label LGBT…I’m just interested in the kind of message or the usefulness of that shorthand. Do you see what I mean? • Interviewee: I mean in terms of the actuality of it, I suppose it’s- there are many shared issues, aren’t there, between lesbians and gay men, for example. So we have something in common, we have some common issues although there some different issues as well. And so in terms of practicality and having more clout I can see the reason for lumping us together and … I’m not so sure about bisexual people. Whether that ….. I don’t know, really, whether … people find it a useful vehicle. I think there’s always a feeling amongst lesbians and maybe amongst gay men that bisexual people just want it all, you know. And therefore go away and have it all and don’t bother, that sort of thing [laughs].

16. Upcoming Activities • Northern Ireland Case Study and ALS • South of England ALS • Interviews with National Stakeholders • Two Focus Groups with Councillors