Aimed initially at Proud members, this course has also developed into a training package which has been rolled out to PCS regional offices as well as certain agencies within the Civil Service. The course open to any PCS member who identifies as LGBT.
The basic aim of the event is for trainees to recognise homophobia in all its wicked forms, to discuss their own experiences and to look at strategies for tackling these issues in a personal capacity. It then moves on to discuss how an individual should go about taking their problems further, both with their employer and within the PCS.
The event is spread over the space of a weekend, commencing on Friday afternoon and ending Sunday afternoon. Friday afternoon and evening usually deal with an introductory session, icebreaker events and an overview of PCS and Proud.
Saturday and Sunday take in a number of workshops, which include
Identifying discrimination in the workplace;
‘Coming Out’ in the workplace and the union;
Addressing homophobia;
The Equality Act 2010 and legal protection;
Diversity within the LGBT community;
Public Speaking and the PCS Organising Strategy.
The training has recently been updated and the workshops will, over the three days, provide great opportunity for discussions and the sharing of experiences. Indeed, many past trainees have reported that while they learn a lot about the union and even themselves, one of the most creative functions of these events is their ability to allow trainees to make new friends and develop their own support networks with people from the whole range of employers represented by the PCS.
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