Solidarity with gay teachers

Scan page 2

THE sight of 300 delegates wearing pink triangles was one of the most striking features of the NUT Mozambique. conference in Jersey at Easter. It was an impressive sign of solidarity with the gay delegates who were potentially criminalised by the NUT's decision to hold its conference in Jersey where homosexual acts are still illegal.

The NUT Executive couldn't claim ignorance. The left and the Gay Teachers Group had opposed the original decision to hold the conference in Jersey and the Executive had been informed by a Jersey solicitor of the possible consequences.

In the circumstances the Executive's action showed total Day march. indifference to the interests of 10% of union members. A motion on gay rights, calling not just for equal opportunity but for the encouragement of a positive attitude towards homosexuality in the curriculum had been supported by the Gay Teachers sitic state bureaucracy. Group, the Socialist Teachers Alliance and the Socialist Workers Party. It was passed by 11 branches of the union, but only came 33rd in the voting on priorities and therefore could debated by conference.

Clearly a campaign to educate members and win the union's support is needed. The campaign got underway in earnest in Jersey, the choice of venue forcing the left as a whole to make its position clear.

On the first morning of conference Peter Bradley, a member of the Gay Teachers Group and a delegate from the West London branch of the union attempted to speak against the vote of thanks for the welcome from the bailiff of Jersey.

As soon as Peter got to the word 'gay' the President, Alf Budd rang his bell to rule him out of order.

He did this three times, preventing Peter from getting further than the third sentence of his speech. While some delegates showed their reactionary prejudice, far more people were outraged by the President's treatment of Peter Bradley.

The Socialist Teachers Alliance and Gay Teachers Group appealed successfully to delegates to wear pink triangles and for half an hour of 'same sex' dancing at the young teachers dance that evening.

The Gay Teachers Group leaflet on the following day asked where Conference 1984 would be held? And replied 'Come to sunny Johannesburg'.

A press conference was held to launch the booklet 'Schools Out' produced by the STA and the Gay Teachers Group. Several hundred copies were sold at conference, and orders were taken for hundreds more.

Several branches took copies for use in union casework.

The fringe meeting organised on the Tuesday night of conference was probably the most successful meeting on gay rights held in the trade union movement. It attracted 200 delegates and was addressed by Alan Jackson of Wandsworth NUT and the Gay Teachers Group, Wendy Hewing of Lambeth NUT, an SWP member, and Bernard Regan, a member of the union executive and the STA.

The discussion at the meeting showed clearly the strides which gay rights had made at the conference. Alan Jackson's own speech in the conference session on the Executive Report, pointing out the union's indifference to gays, made a very deep impression.

The Daily Mail and the Daily Express showed their reactionary prejudices at their worst in attacking gay teachers. In particular, Keith Waterhouse's article in the Express on 5 April actually defended children's right to verbally abuse gay teachers.

Much needs to be done to maintain the momentum gained in Jersey. For a start, union members should write to their paper, The Teacher, to protest against Alf Budd's treatment of Peter Bradley.

Local branches of the union should hold meetings on gay rights addressed by members of the Gay Teachers Group. Constant pressure should be put on the union executive to take a national stand on the issue of gay rights.

One important and practical way that this can be forwarded is the decision of the union to negotiate agreements with the local authorities on equal opportunities which should include clauses on sexual orientation.

Copies of 'Schools Out: Gay Rights and Education' , published by the Gay Teachers Group and the Socialist Teachers Alliance (price £1) can be obtained from. London Gay •Teachers Group, BM Gay Teacher, London WCIN 3XX.

Labour Campaign for

----- pull-quotes -----

Gay Rights, c/o 61A Bloom St, Manchester