Note explaining the reference to Unison
Unison is the UK's union for local government workers.
It has four subgroups called "self-organisations": Women's,
Black, Disabled, and Lesbian / Gay. In 1996 (I think it
was - or it might have been 1995 - if someone knows maybe
they could e-mail me), the Lesbian and Gay self-organisation
voted that they would "support bisexuals to organise separately",
thus clarifying that bisexuals were not expected or entitled to
join the Lesbian and Gay self-organisation.
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Extra ramble on the subject of that vote
It seems that many people voting thought they were being really
supportive and go-ahead by voting for that. After all, most
unions don't even have a Lesbian and Gay section, let alone
officially vote to support bisexuals in organising. However,
for the bi people who were already active within the Lesbian and
Gay self-organisation, who had been working on the same political
issues and who (despite a difference in identity) had thought that
they belonged there, it felt rather more like a kick in the teeth.
Hence, within the UK bi community, Unison does not enjoy the go-ahead
politically-sound reputation it would perhaps like, and which in other
respects no doubt it deserves.
Unison seems unusual in gender-mixed queer political organisations nowadays
in having decided that bi people are so inherently different, or have such
different political priorities, that they can't even be in the same organisation.
More common are organisations where bisexuals are theoretically welcomed, but
where in practice it tends to be assumed that everyone is really lesbian or gay.
However, there are plenty of places nowadays where it's taken for granted that
lesbian, gay and bi people work together (and a Good Thing too in my opinion).
A quote I like, which is a bit relevant
"The mistake is often made of equating an individual's deepest sexual desires
with the expression of an intellectual, moral or political alignment."
- Ann Schneider, "Guilt Politics" in "Bi Any Other Name"
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