What has happened so far?
CoSO news: September 1999
Bríd McKernon
CoSO started in February 1999 though it did not have a name. People in the LGBT community just wanted to get co-ordinated. There were a number of reasons for this.
The Government had set up a Working Group which issued a paper setting out the structure of the planned new Equality Commission for Northern Ireland The new Commission would merge together the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Fair Employment Commission the Disability Council and the Commission for Racial Equality (NI).
The LGBT community realised that NO representative of the LGBT community was included in the Working Group, even though the Secretary of State had assured us that our community would be represented. The Equality Commission would supervise the operation of equality schemes. (That is: schemes to be drawn up by 'public authorities' such as councils, health trusts, education and library boards etc…) to try and promote equality for all.
Under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, public authorities must consider whether their policies affect a minority group, or a particular section of the public unfairly. The rights of LGBT people will have to be at least considered by public authorities for the first time in
N. Ireland. In the future, Section 75 Northern Ireland Act 1998 said, public authorities here must consult with various sub-sections of the general public (including the LGBT community) to see if their policies are likely to affect those types of people in a particularly negative or unfair way, compared to the general public as a whole.
Several LGBT groups (Rainbow, Foyle Friend, Queerspace, NIGRA and others) wrote to the Equality Commission Working Group expressing their anger at not being included in the Equality Commission Working Group. No LGBT organisation was sent a copy of the Working Group's consultation paper! A press release was sent to the newspapers to provoke discussion of this issue in as public a way as possible.
The Equality Commission Working Group responded positively to these complaints and undertook to try harder to be inclusive of the LGBT community in future. The Working Group invited several CoSO representatives to attend an information meeting at the Hilton Hotel Belfast.
CoSO was aware that the Hilton Hotel had excluded members of the Belfast Butterfly Club only a few weeks previously. CoSO immediately brought this to the attention of the Working Group. CoSO pointed this out to the Equality Commission. The hotel was persuaded to stop discriminating against the Butterfly Club.
That was the first example of how a group like CoSO can overcome prejudice and make a difference to the lives of people in our community. That was just the beginning. CoSO has already been accepted by mainstream voluntary and statutory bodies community as a group that can stand up and speak out on behalf of the LGBT community. But more importantly, it has made us realise how strong we can be when we join together to change the status quo. This is a good reason for all of us in the LGBT community to support CoSO and get involved in CoSO
So what has CoSO has been doing during the last 9 months?
EARLY-FEB 1999: The name Coalition on Sexual Orientation was chosen (CoSO for short).
MID-FEB 1999: CoSO was invited by the Equality Commission Working Group to a seminar at Hilton hotel Belfast. The representatives put questions to the Working Group members and showed that the LGBT community was clued up on the issues.
LATE-FEB 1999: It became clear that LGBT representation on the proposed new Civic Forum would be … zero!
LATE-FEB 1999: CoSO and other LGBT groups responded to a White Paper produced by the Equality Commission Working Group. The paper set out the proposed structure of the new Equality Commission.
EARLY-MAR 99: CoSO representatives attended a seminar organised jointly by the CAJ (Committee on the Administration of Justice) and UNISON. The seminar was on PAFT (Policy appraisal and Fair Treatment). Dr Chris McCrudden of Oxford University. explained how PAFT had developed and how it would continue to shape the statutory duty of public authorities (required by section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act). PAFT identified several categories of people who were disadvantaged (e.g. women, older people, unemployed people, poor people, young people, minority ethnic groups, etc. )
LATE-MAR 1999: Dr. Joan Stringer, chair of the Equality Commission Working Group wrote to CoSO thanking the Coalition for the response it had submitted the White Paper. CoSO was one of 74 groups which responded to the White Paper.
MID-APRIL 1999: CoSO wrote to the First & Deputy First Ministers (David Trimble & Seamus The letter expressed concern at the exclusion of the LGBT community from the planned Civic Forum. A press release was later circulated highlighting these concerns.
MAY 1999: CoSO worked on its constitution and statement of objectives. There was a lot of discussion about the CoSO's aims, membership and voting rules.
JUNE 1999: CoSO thought about publicly launching CoSO during Pride Week. It was decided to put off the launch until the Autumn.
LATE-JUNE 1999: CoSO met Mary Bunting of the newly established Equality Commission.
JULY 1999: CoSO got to meet 3 of the N. Ireland Human Rights Commissioners to brief them on issues we are concerned about. At the end of the month, CoSO submitted a written briefing to the Commission.
JULY 1999: Meetings of CoSO spent time discussing CoSO's structure, draft constitution and draft statement of objectives. The issue came up of how individual LGBT people (as well as organisations) can participate fully in CoSO.
AUGUST 1999: Liz Law (representing Disability Action, the Women's Research & Development Agency, the Rural Community Network and NICVA) contacted CoSO The 4 organisations were asked by the First & Deputy First Ministers to design a process for getting people onto the planned Civic Forum. The guidelines supplied by the Ministers' office excluded LGBT people. The 4 asked CoSO to help in ensure that the Civic Forum would be fully inclusive.
AUGUST 1999: CoSO held it's meeting at the Foyle Friend, Derry
SEPT. 1999: The Equality Commission for N. Ireland and CoSO jointly organised a briefing session for the LGBT community to consider the new duties on public authorities to promote equality. The briefing was held at Queen's University students Union, and was attended by approx 50 people.
MID-SEPT 1999: CoSO finally held a 'constituent assembly' of its foundation organisations and other members to formally adopt CoSO's constitution and statement of objectives.
Update
MID-SEPT 1999: CoSO held two community launches, one in Derry
and one in Belfast. These launches spread the word about what CoSO was
doing. Over 60 people joined the mailing list. CoSO listened to what
the LBGT community had to say about the work it was doing.
OCTOBER 1999: CoSO held a brainstorming session to draw up the
response to the Public
Authority Equality Scheme Guidelines: Initial Working Draft.
(see Equality Commission)
MID-OCTOBER 1999: CoSO attended a briefing session for the new
Equality Commissioners to talk about "Understanding the issues, language
and concerns of the LBGT Community". CoSO was congratulated by the
new Equality Commissioners on their work on Section 75 so far.
END-OCTOBER 1999: CoSO attends a meeting of the Equality
Coalition, established by the CAJ, which comprises of representative
groups/oranisations from each of the equality scheme constituencies.
EARLY NOVEMBER 1999: CoSO publishes its website, establishes a
web-based e-mail list.
EARLY NOVEMBER 1999: CoSO is presently involved in drafting its
response to the Human Rights Commission Draft Strategic Plan, 1999-2000.
(see Human Rights Commission)
Last updated 16/11/99
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