Sheffield LGBTQ+: Councillors call for return of Pride event, city LGBT+ quarter and gender-neutral toilets

A motion for action to increase support for the city’s LGBTQ+ community has been put forward by Beauchief and Greenhill LibDemward councillors Sophie Thornton and Simon Clement-Jones.

The duo will argue at the full council meeting that the council should reaffirm its “commitment to keep all people safe in our city, no matter their gender or sexual identity, secularity, skin colour or disability”.

Their motion says that homophobic and transphobic violence is increasing andtrans or non-binary Sheffielders are especially at risk of violence, depression, self-harm and suicide.

It acknowledges the greater risk to LGBTQ+ people of colour, especially transgender women of colour.

The councillors say the council’s support for Sheffield’s LGBTQ+ community “should go well beyond painted rainbow crossings”.

They want to see council support for cultural events including holding an annual Pride event, starting this year, as they say nothing has been organised.

However, there was a Pinknic Does Pride event at the Peace Gardens on Saturday (July 16). As well as entertainment and stalls featuring community groups, there was set to be a Unity Walk to the event from Orchard Square.

The motion stresses the heritage of Pride as a protest movement and calls for support for events such as Pride Month, LGBTQ+ History Month, Trans Day of Remembrance and the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.

Call to support services for trans and non-binary people

The councillors also want the council to work with the LGBTQ+ community to develop an LGBTQ+ ‘quarter’ in Sheffield similar to Manchester’s famous Canal Street area and the Freedom Quarter in Leeds.

They want this to be inclusive for disabled people and child friendly, not just bars and clubs.

The motion speaks of disappointment that Sheffield’s Gender Identity Clinic is only now starting to see appointments for those referred to them in 2018 and “calls on the Government to do more to support these crucially important services for trans and non-binary people”.

It also urges more support for a range of health and support services for housing, mental, physical and sexual health, sexual assault and domestic violence.

This includes people who have been sexually assaulted or experienced domestic violence as a result of their sexual or gender identity.

It praises the work done by organisations supporting young people such as SAYiT that provide them with a safe space and the ability to make friends.

The motion calls on the council, as an inclusive organisation, to “include a gender neutral toilet facility whenever possible in council buildings, separate to disabled toilets so as to not impact or restrict on disabled toilet access fordisabled people, with private and safe locking cubicles for all”.

The motion would commit the council to “stand firmly against conversion therapy in all forms” following the Government’s decision to exclude trans people from the ban on conversion therapy for lesbian, gay andbisexual people, “as well as using trans people as part of a culture war”.

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