Category Archives: News

The LGB&T Dorset Equality Network on behalf of the LGB&T community is delighted that Dorset Children’s Foundation (https://thedcf.org/) has at our invitation joined the Ask for Clive initiative.

The welcome I received from Patsy and the DCF team yesterday at their main shop in Boscombe to deliver training for AfC delivery was a fantastic experience. 

Learning about this exceptional charity’s approach to welcome and inclusion for LGB&T community members was inspiring, and so different to those organisations and businesses that just go through the ‘tick box’ motions on LGB&T and broader diverse communities safety and inclusion needs. Well done DCF!!

Alan Mercel-Sanca.  Initiator & lead: LGB&T Dorset Equality Network.

“We are absolutely delighted to have been invited to be part of the ‘Ask For Clive’ initiative. We firmly believe that this is a powerful and practical tool that we can take into the heart of our community to combat discrimination of any sort. The Dorset Children’s Foundation welcomes people from the LGB&T and All Communities and wants everyone to feel safe and respected within our spaces.”

Patsy Hallmey Co-Founder 

The Network is very pleased to share news of the sign up of three sports organisations: Ability Counts Football, Parley Ability Counts, and Parley Ability Counts Youth .

‘Football has a remarkable ability to both bring people together, but also to be a reflection of divisions & discrimination in society.

As the largest team participation team sport in the country, & with over 8 million people regularly participating, it is important that football takes the lead in creating a suitable environment for all to be able to both enjoy & to feel safe when playing, regardless of culture, colour religion, sexuality or disability.

This is equally as true in Ability Counts (pan-disability) football, & at Parley Ability Counts, we have always endeavoured to create that ‘safe environment’ & culture, as it is crucial that the LGBT community are not only well-represented & have a voice, but also afforded the same opportunities as all players – be it ‘mainstream’ or disability football.

The ‘Ask for Clive’ campaign enables all of the Parley players to both know that they can play in a safe & friendly environment, & also know that there is a safe reporting mechanism for either inappropriate behaviour or comments, or to flag-up if they feel that they have been discriminated against.

Football is a force for good, but for it to be truly inclusive, everyone has to feel safe, & a full part of the game.’

Rob Amey. Ability Counts Football, Parley Ability Counts, and Parley Ability Counts Youth

The Network has provided a ‘need to know’ information resource on LGBT engagement for these three sports organisations, which are very appreciative of its practical value & quality. It is being used to support existing equality & inclusion training, for monitoring and to assist on celebrating the best practice LGB&T and broader diverse communities support and engagement taking place at Ability Counts Football, Parley Ability Counts, and Parley Ability Counts Youth .  

The LGB&T Dorset Equality Network is delighted to be leading on extending the Ask for Clive (AfC) safe & inclusive places initiative in the Dorset, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area. 

Ask for Clive originated in St Alban’s, Hertfordshire, where pubs, clubs and other venues united to support an LGBT community suggestion on a badge/poster being displayed at such venues to indicate zero tolerance for those visiting or using their services concerning their being safe, welcoming inclusive, and giving the assurance that if homophobia, biphobia, transphobia or other forms of prejudice such as racism, were encountered then they could & should speak with staff to report the incident, and action would be taken. 

The difference between AfC and statutory sector police registered ‘third party reporting centres’ is that AfC participants display their status and that they have joined the initiative that was called for by our community in response to disappointing experiences of unmet needs that statutory sector mechanisms have not in the view of the community largely not covered by such routes as Third Party Reporting Centres. 

Those belonging to Ask for Clive have all made major announcements of their participation publicly, and have staff enthusiastically committed to the initiative, and who have been trained in engaging with community members on any actual or perceived prejudice issues that may be brought to their attention. 

AfC is a mechanism that has the confidence of our LGB&T communities (who helped shape it with LGBT ‘Allies’ who collectively were not happy with the status quo where all too often reporting has not been made through wont of confidence of being listened to in effective ways), giving it an exceptional credential.  AfC is rolling out nationally, and its founder Danny Clare had described that with the honourable exception of Weymouth BID (who has been working closely with the Network for two years) and one hotel in Bournemouth, Dorset was effectively a bubble standing in contrast to AfC rolling out nationally.  

The overwhelming shared characteristic of all of those joining AfC is passionate enthusiasm rather than ‘tick boxing’ – something which is just what our community look for and are delighted about having too much experience of those ‘going through the motions’ to meet a requirement or having ‘Pink Pound’ commercialism in their thinking.

The Network is providing support to AfC participants on any issues or needs they encounter or needs for supplementary training.

 You can find out more about AfC from the following link https://www.gscene.com/news/help-stop-homophobia-and-transphobia-ask-for-clive/ .  If you are a business, organisation, venue that is committed to LGB&T inclusion and wish to join AfC please contact the Network on contact.lgbtdorsetequality@gmail.com . 

The Network will be providing names and details on organisations, charities and businesses that we have been signing up to AfC in this space in October.

The Network is very pleased to highlight our role in contributing to help develop the final state version of the Dorset Football Association (FA) Equality Policy through our input to the Dorset FA IAG (Inclusion Advisory Group).  Sport and especially the ‘beautiful game’ (football) is a major frontline regarding societal evolution and effective equality policy’s that reflect this and the law through application in real live contexts, such as sport, of the legal obligations and provisions of the Equality Act 2010 do Matter for gender equality and minority communities.  This on safety, safeguarding and the right mechanisms to call out and take action on for example anti-Gay homophobic ‘banter’ in the changing room or on the terraces. 

We must remember that ultimately the Law, and credible equality policies are there to counteract prejudice-based ignorance whether wilful or unintentional cause very real disruption, needless mental health distress and toxic in environments from sport to workplaces.  We see that equality and inclusion are not ‘tick box add ons’ in a silo of their own where organisations, groups and businesses priorities are concerned, but central to all aspects of activity and services of these latter. 

As such having an effective Equality Policy is a matter of the highest importance impacting beneficially on all aspects of what an organisation, group, or business does. The care that has gone in to Dorset FA’s Equality Policy is extensive and very clear; it is meant to be and is a policy that can deliver real tangible change and improvement across the football sector of Dorset, and we – alongside Proud Cherries LGBT, AFC Bournemouth fans group — are delighted to have been asked to input to the shaping and finalising of their policy on behalf of our LGBT & LGBT ‘Allies’ communities, as part of our ongoing contribution on the LGBT voice and input to the Dorset FA’s IAG . 

Alan Mercel-Sanca, IAG Member

The Network is very pleased to share that it has over the past 12 months developed a strong working relationship with HMP The Verne at the prison’s request to support its goal of providing best practice LGBT inclusion & anti-discrimnination delivered services of benefit to both prison residents and staff. We have been providing guidance that has been followed with care and effectiveness by the prison authorities, and support on prison residents LGBT members dedicated community groups in conjunction with the enthusiastic support of staff and under the direction of the Governor’s Office.

In addition to providing critical friend support at LGB&T group meetings we have facilitated a drop in session at the request of the prison, in support of LGBT mental health & wellbeing, and was the key external LGB&T community organisation supporting the recent Prison Pride. We are excited about building on this partnership further, and have been requested to provide guidance to neighbouring HMP Portland too.

In whatever form ‘Brexit’ takes change is coming in regard to status of EU nationals living, working, studying in the UK. Consequently the Home Office has launched an ‘EU Settlement’ scheme which is mainly being publicised through Citizens Advice (including the Dorset area). You can lean more at For further information please visit www.gov.uk/eusettledstatus and https://www.citizensadvicebcp.org.uk/home/eu-settlement-scheme/ — in the Bournemouth Christchurch Poole area you can also contact Citizens Advice (Maggie) at 07761 092704 / Adviceline 03444 111 444 or email: euss.advice@citizensadvicebcp.org.uk

The Network as one of its local to national special areas of support to our community, is aware of the scale and seriousness of adverse experiences of LGB&T community members on LGB&T specific issues in accessing and using UK Immigration services in the era of the Hostile Environment.  Particularly for instance the ‘culture of non-belief’ to overt experiences of homophobia in Home Office immigration services and the Immigration Tribunal delivery against those who have demonstrated the genuine nature of their UK immigration related applications and how these have been treated.

This area of expertise of the Network is one in which in partnership with Just a Ball Game? organisation and others — both LGBT and non-LGBT (trades unions, womens equality organisations, etc.) with interests in the human rights and transparency & accountability in government services delivery areas (Home Office, etc.) — we are working mainly at a national and international level (as well as of course Dorset).

Some dominant cultures & societies within some EU countries have a record of still entrenched often extreme, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia compared to, in the main, the UK, with community members from those lands often settling here for safety and LGBT human rights reasons, which on the basis of their record with the rest of the world the Home Office & Immigration Tribunal will not be taking in to account.

Below are some example articles on the issues involved, that on the basis of record and reasonable probability could shortly face EU nationals who are LGBT:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/sep/02/home-office-refused-thousands-of-lgbt-asylum-claims-figures-reveal?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Tweet

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-black-pride-month-home-office-stall-lgbt-discrimination-a8988591.html

https://attitude.co.uk/article/uk-judge-rejects-lgbtq-asylum-seeker-for-not-having-gay-demeanour/21646/

We have extensive expertise and information resources in this field, and therefore in conjunction with support to Citizens Advice in the BCP area on the Home Office ‘EU Settlement’ information on making applications, welcome your contact should you have bad experiences of making settlement, Leave to Remain applications through this Home Office programme. Please email us at contact.lgbtdorsetequality@gmail.com

You can also contact the UK Lesbian & Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG) which is the main national UK organisation, providing a number of guidance support opportunities for you to access if you feel you have been a victim of anti-LGBT prejudice and indirect discrimination in using the EU Settlement programme: https://uklgig.org.uk/ 

The Network is delighted to share news of its recent contribution to an exceptional equality & inclusion awareness day at the Aranlaw Residential Care Home, (Rated Outstanding By CQC), Branksome Park, Poole, where we were kindly invited to provide to residents and the Aranlaw team, through Ms Niamh Coffey, a talk and Q&A session by our Convenor/Lead Officer Alan on the LGB&T community profile. Also contributing to equality & inclusion day were Mr & Mrs Dorset (valuable question received from Mr Dorset, to Alan) and brilliant Drag artistes.

The Network talk included sharing tactfully but clearly about issues on LGB&T inclusion and particular needs of the community in regard to forms of direct and indirect prejudice and discrimination still faced by many community members, and the very important matter of encouraging LGB&T inclusion and safeguarding by businesses and organisations that ‘Allies’ of the community.

In Alan’s speech and the follow-up Q&A session, the work of LGB&T friendly & LGB&T supportive businesses such as Aranlaw, were highlighted, as essential in this stage of the journey towards realising to the fullest extent, LGB&T human rights and inclusion.

The core message provided in the talk and answers to questions, that LGB&T inclusion is NOT about ‘them and us’ but fundamentally about recognition of and respect for the individual and that the whole experience of life concerns diversity being core to human experience, and nowhere more so than in human individuality.

For this reason securing LGB&T inclusion (and by extension equality) was a matter, as of respecting those from different cultures and ethnicities, of the greatest importance to ALL, and in the interest of all whether gay, heterosexual, non-binary, binary, from a majority race or a minority ethnicity.

In the field of residential care for the elderly and end of life care, nothing can be more valuable than providing inclusive, diversity respecting and celebrating settings.

This is why the work of Aranlaw is particularly important, and is a major instance of the Network strategy of bringing about change by connecting to and having relations and partnerships with businesses such as Aranlaw, that demonstrate real – not superficial / ‘tick box – inclusion & diversity Best Practice, are so important to bring about meaningful society as well as business and service provider level change.

Almost all of the residents of the Aranlaw Care Home were born in and have lived much of their lives in times when if you belonged to a sexual minority, you were in law a criminal.  You could be subject to blackmail, violence, imprisonment and even chemical castration (as evidenced by the infamous abuse by the British state of the national hero, Enigma Code breaker, gay man and legendary British patriot Alan Turing).

By having such a day at Aranlaw, those residents who are LGB or T (whether openly so or keeping their LGB or T identity as a very private matter not to be disclosed to others) where given great Respect and an affirmation that they are equal members of society.

In addition, the talk indicated how important it was for those residents who are NOT from sexual or gender minorities, that in the later years of their lives, to learn about and to respect those from LGB&T minorities (and other minorities such as ethnicity, culture, religion), that essentially their sexual or gender minority status was a matter that needed to be respected on the basis of their individuality (sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, etc. being just one facet amongst many of who they are).  Please read more on the Bournemouth Echo article about the event, with Alan’s talk point details (included at the end of the article): https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/17742505.aranlaw-house-care-home-welcomes-drag-queens-to-promote-important-message/

In this a great service has been provided by Aranlaw through events of this kind, and the Network looks forward to seeing Aranlaw developing this work with the LGB&T Dorset Equality Network!

The very positive experience of that day at Aranlaw has confirmed how important verifying year-round LGBT safe and appropriate service in the private and public care homes sector is for residents, staff/teams, owners and investors.  The Network will be providing news early this autumn on its work in this area, so watch this space for more!!

The Network is pleased to share this valuable Bournemouth Echo interview with Network Chair Fr John Hyde on the issues that still emerge often for LGBT community members where end of life care is concerned. If you have been touched by such issues yourself, you can let the Network and/or Healthwatch know.

We are particularly ready to promote awareness on care homes and undertaker businesses that are truly LGBT friendly (and may even be LGBT owned/managed), for as John has indicated in the interview all too often at the end of life many LGBT people, especially older generations, may not be Out as gay, lesbian, bi, or Trans concerning family or to those running and working in care homes, nor be ready to have the necessary conversations with undertakers on funeral arrangements.

As in some parts of the NHS environments are still tolerated where homophobic views are allowed to be expressed and thrive, the same happens in many care homes where employees aren’t given proper (or any) equality & inclusion customer care and HR training: leaving LGBT community members, whether or not Out as LGBT, distraught, fearful, bullied and unwelcome.

We are lobbying for a LGBT community safe & welcoming businesses & organisations, register and system linked nationally, and see care homes and funerary services as important to include in this for the reasons detailed below by Silver Moments founder and Network Chair, Fr John.  Please feel free to email us if you have any concerns or want to share experiences relating to the topics covered: contact.lgbtdorsetequality@gmail.com

On the occasion of Bourne Free LGBT Pride Festival 2019, the Network’s lead Alan Mercel-Sanca was delighted to meet David Sidwick, the Conservative candidate for Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, in next year’s PCC election, who was showing his support for Pride. David shared that he had come to Pride to further support his listening & learning LGBT community engagement, to hear from community members and those organisations and businesses with information stalls at Pride, about what their areas of interest and concern are regarding police, policing, crime prevention and tackling anti-LGBT ASB.

As a result, the LGB&T Dorset Equality Network, invited David to take part in an interview a few days later.  Below are the interview questions and contexts to these, with David’s responses which were comprehensive and very cheering to hear, and constituted a powerful platform for much greater support for our community, and not as tepid to tick box approach.

The Network was so pleased to see that David Sidwick is clearly a very real and substantial LGBT community ‘Ally,’ and to know he is going to be keeping in touch with the Network on the areas discussed in the interview, and beyond these, to on a regular basis be listening too and responding to  matters and policing, ASB and safety and inclusion matters directly of importance to our community.  David emphasised that he will be prompt in replying to the Network and through it, community members, and be doing so directly with care and enthusiasm.  This is such a refreshing approach to what all too often community members in positions of real and often serious need have been used to in regard to some aspects of tackling anti-LGBT ASB!

Alan Mercel-Sanca. Convenor / Lead Officer.  LGB&T Dorset Equality Network

Interview questions & responses:

Dear David,

Thank you very much for all of the very proactive LGBT community inclusion and counteracting anti-LGBT Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) from street to schools, sports and employment settings perspectives you shared with us the other day at Pride.  We are really pleased that you have offered to provide this interview with the Network.

Alan

Alan Mercel-Sanca

Convenor / Lead Officer

LGB&T Dorset Equality Network

QUESTIONS & RESPONSES:

We are aware of good frontline police officers, but over the past few years increasingly as a police force, remoteness from direct contact with our community has become all too common.

We would like to see this changed, including reinstituting the concept of a Lesbian and Gay Liaison Officer (LAGLO), which was very successful for years in Dorset until the post was removed by a rationalisation exercise, that found LGBT community voice excluded from.

Instituting a LAGLO officer for the conurbation, and one for the county (both have different LGBT and anti-LGBT ASB demographics) would help counteract ASB and all its costs to the economy and community, and make for credible community policing, and see an end to PR gesture and tick box cultures are concerned.

We would like your views on the LAGLO proposal and related resetting of Dorset & BCP area policing in regard to improving LGBT confidence in policing and police services?

RESPONSE:

Firstly Alan, I am delighted to be interviewed. My intent once elected is to work for not the many, not the few but for everyone no matter what their gender, race or religious persuasion.

I’d like to take that further and make it clear that I will be holding the police to account particular regarding the Peelian principle of showing no favour to any individual or body above others but their duty only to the law. In the purest meaning of the words the police need to be apolitical, unbiased and unprejudiced towards the citizens they serve and protect. Great progress has been made in that regard but there is more to be done.

The issue for any candidate at this time is that it is too early to make manifesto commitments. I am also conflicted on this particular request. Having spoken to Hampshire LAGLO officers I understand how they operate there.  The argument for not having LAGLOs is dependent on the level of acceptance by the police as a whole.

If a full understanding of the needs of the LGBT community together with appropriate empathy and trust is embedded across the Dorset force then is there a need especially when such a role may increase differences? Surely for years the LGBT community have fought to be treated the same so let’s not create barriers to that.

The commitment that I will give will be to look at this both in the context of the force’s sophistication and the community’s level of trust. Then depending on that the best approach to support the community will be taken.   

We are delighted to have learned of your prioritisation of counteracting ASB.  If you are elected as Dorset PCC, what measures and actions will you take to improve outreach to LGBTs facing ASB and bullying?

RESPONSE:

This is one of the primary reasons for becoming interested in the role. ASB or how I prefer to refer to it – Quality of Life Crime is an area that is too high in Dorset. This affects all communities though I am aware that the LGBT can get more than their fair share. So how can this be addressed. There are four main ways:-

                a/ More visible neighbourhood policing – to get there this will need a combination of all or some of the following – more funding so we have more police, a review of current tasking to see if more front-line officers may be made available, a review of police powers – do PCSOs use all the powers they could for example – and finally better connectivity between the police we do have and the community.

Regarding the first point – I have asked both the current Home Secretary Sajid Javid MP and the two leadership candidates Jeremy Hunt MP and Boris Johnson MP regarding increased core funding and received a positive response. Boris went further and committed to reviewing the National Funding Formula so that rural and mixed forces such as Dorset received an increased fairer amount. Since then he has become Prime Minister and is making good on those commitments.

                b/ A clear strategic priority to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. This was the reason for setting up the police in the first place. This should now be I believe the first priority in any police and crime plan.

                c/ Strengthened communities – the stronger and more integrated a community is, the more likely it will be able to defeat ASB. The reason is that being strong and knowing everyone is in it for the same thing makes you more likely to report and call out bad behaviour. So communities that treat all individuals equal and work for the common good have less trouble than those divided into partisan groups. In order to build that individuals need to start reporting crime and ASB – police resourcing follows reports so suffering in silence weakens the community.

                d/ A greater emphasis on education for primary schoolchildren and information for their parents on the three Rs – not reading ‘riting and ‘rithmetic but the far more important Rights, Responsibilities and Respect. Currently it appears to stop at the first one. As part of this I would suggest we devote funding to a campaign designed to give our children the moral resilience to reject temptation. By imbuing the old fashion value of respect with a robustness to question what is right or wrong perhaps we will be able to change the generations going forward away from the “I can do anything and get away with it” culture.

None of the above is easy but there is a direction of travel there that I would suggest together we should undertake. 

The Network and many in the private sector have and continue to encounter frustrations with wont of substantial, community and businesses level engagement with aspects of policing support, particularly at strategic level.  In particular deployment of police resources has been far from adequate, and especially in the terms of listening to and acting on community and private sector suggestions to improve this.  If you are elected would you work with us on initiating a comprehensive review, and forming a council type body that is composed of private sector and diverse (BME, LGBT, etc.) that can work with you on implementing your anti-ASB strategic priorities?

RESPONSE:

I would need to understand the mechanisms for feedback and interaction that are currently available. In theory though I would be open to discussion on better interconnectivity. I am keen to hear business views and LGBT views as well as the wider community and see how police resources are best deployed for the good of us all. 

We would like to request if you are elected as PCC to work with us at the Network to review and reform the current LGBT inclusion and anti-prejudice training and monitoring of training that Dorset Police and those working with them in the local authorities, have.   Your views on this will be most welcome …

RESPONSE:

I will give you a commitment to ask the Chief Constable about the training and see what review is required. This fits with the need to understand the force in this area in order to assess the utility or not of a LAGLO.

You will be aware of the issues experienced at Parkfield School and other schools in the West Midlands and elsewhere in regard to teaching about different families and LGBT inclusion, to counteract homophobia in classroom and schooling settings.  We at the Network believe in sharing different forms of diversity, and different diverse communities stretching out their hands to each other to build our contemporary diverse, inclusive nation and general society.

How would you see working with us to prevent the type of polarisation and threat to modern contemporary inclusive values and related compliance with the Law (Equality Act 2010 legal obligations and provisions) incidents that have been happening in the West Midlands, be avoided or dealt with effectively, here?

We ask this because we have had instances here in Dorset of poor judgment on the part of statutory sector civil servants and associate organisations, almost causing comparable religion-based clashes with work to counteract anti-LGBT ASB and anti-LGBT views.

RESPONSE:

I am absolutely clear that the protest is unacceptable. The way to address the curriculum is via the local MP, the ballot box and democracy. This is not the correct set of values to give our children either with the subject of the protest or the protest itself. Interestingly most mainstream religious groups would agree with that- as ever it is the extremists who colour the narrative. 

Finally, do you have a message for Dorset area LGB&T community members that you would like to share on reflecting back on your experience of the very recent occasion of Bourne Free LGBT Pride, with the LGB&T Dorset Equality Network?

RESPONSE:

Yes I do. It was a pleasure to attend Bourne Free LGBT Pride and see the celebration of diversity and joy that it was. I have many gay friends and my step-niece gained a wife recently – the generations are becoming more tolerant and accepting. Be open and not separatist – let’s build that truly inclusive society and get to the point when an individual is measured on the quality of their human heart and not their gender, race or religion. If I am elected, I will be working for Everyone!

David, thank you very much indeed for your responses to our questions.  The Network thanks you very much for your time and particularly your readiness to answer so fully all of our questions.  By way of thanks we would also like to, where relevant, be in contact with you on any LGBT community support specific points where we may from time to time contact our Dorset Police Chief Constable and relevant officers, for your perspectives on the topics involved.

David has also shared his PCC campaign social media links so you can follow his campaign and its information on the important topics the latter details: Facebook: @Sidwick4Dorset     Twitter:  @Sidwick4Dorset    Instagram:  #sidwick4dorset

Alan Mercel-Sanca

Convenor / Lead Officer

LGB&T Dorset Equality Network

The LGB&T Dorset Equality Network is very excited about the holding of the first ever Pride festival in Weymouth on the 26th July.  Weymouth & Portland Pride has been needed for many years, to support and profile our local LGBT community and its needs, issues, and great contribution to our broader Weymouth and Portland community!  We wish to pay tribute to the Pride’s organisers, and particularly to Weymouth Gay Group (WGG) that was responsible for proposing to us the idea of a Weymouth & Portland Pride to us, from which point we took the nessary steps to bring the private sector (Weymouth BID) and local councillors and local authorities together that

For the Network,  it has been a great privilege to contribute to enabling the development of bringing together through multiple Network activities in the Weymouth area over the past two years, support of our local LGBT community, those individuals, groups and organisations that were subsequently able to get together to form a Pride development committee.

Wishing a fantastic Pride to all those organising and participating in Weymouth & Portland’s Pride!

Prides are not for a day or for a weekend, but for year-round all sections of our LGBT community and broader inclusion and anti-prejudice benefit.  We are excited to see these anticipated benefits of Weymouth & Portland Pride taking shape, and for the Network assisting on these important outcomes of Pride being realised!