DELGA backs call for action ahead of legislation

8.03.00pm GMT Thu 25th Sep 2008

DELGA has welcomed a call today by Government Equalities Office director general Jonathan Rees for action in all public bodies before the introduction of the proposed Equality Bill. DELGA Chair Jen Yockney said, "the public sector is providing services and employment funded by everyone - and that includes lesbian, gay, bi and trans (LGBT) taxpayers' money. As such it is only right that public sector organisations should work to make sure not simply freedom from direct and deliberate discrimination against LGBT people, but to remove barriers that are less obvious such as ways of working that have evolved under an assumption of heterosexual cisgender life experience."

"At this stage we cannot be sure what the provisions of the Equality Bill will be, and in particular I have concerns as to how well the final bill will reflect gender diversity amongst transgender people, but whatever they turn out to be public bodies should treat them as a minimum and aim higher."