QUTE Conference 2020: Our Voice @ Work & Beyond

OUR VOICE @ WORK & BEYOND

QUTE Conference 2020

NTEU’s Queer Unionists in Tertiary Education (QUTE) hosted a national conference, Our Voice @ Work and Beyond in Melbourne on 31 Jan–1 Feb, concluding with the Melbourne Pride March on Sunday 2 February.

Our Voice @ Work & Beyond

QUTE caucus was established in 2002 and re-invigorated in Victoria in 2012. Its purpose is to develop networks between LGBTIQ+ members and to foster opportunities for action within the Union, the broader labour movement and our combined communities. The 2017 national conference, Raising Our Voices, established informal networks nationally and recommended establishing LGBTIQ+ events on the Union calendar (IDAHOBIT and Wear it Purple); a Steering Committee to lead our voice; and regular communication in NTEU publications. This year's conference was attended by delegates from almost every Branch in the country. Held in the context of divisive public comment and debate around the Federal Government’s ‘religious freedom’ legislation, and after the mammoth mobilisation of community and allies during the marriage equality campaign of

2017, the conference gave delegates the opportunity to reflect on LGBTIQ+ activism in our own work on campus. Victorian Trades Hall Assistant Secretary, Will Strack, began the conference outlining the activism of the ‘Yes’ campaign and the collective strength of unions in making lasting change. She summarised steps in this mobilisation, with a very short turn-around. In essence, the campaign involved of a million conversations with activists, union members and the nanna across the road working together to bring about an overwhelmingly positive response to the marriage equality survey. Monash University NTEU member, Robyn Oxley, explored the intersectionality of being an Aboriginal woman who identifies as a lesbian, navigating university whiteness. Above: QUTE Conference delegates. Paul Clifton

Transgender Victoria representatives Jess Mattar and Oliver Ross shared We Deserve, a co-design project with trans, gender diverse and non-binary communities that developed short films exploring relationships. Sydney World Pride Chair Robyn Kennedy led an exploration of connections workers can make during the 2023 World Pride event in Sydney that coincides with the 45th anniversary of Mardi Gras and 30 years of the NTEU, so there is much to celebrate. Delegates considered LGBTIQ+ issues related to university employment in discussing the research of Dr Raymond Trau and associates, Coming Out at Work: From Prejudice to Pride. Raymond’s work shines a light on the experiences of LGBTIQ+ workers in Australian workplaces and reports that less than a third of LGBTIQ+ workers are out at work.

Below, L–R: Robyn Oxley; Delegate discussion group

One study participant recalled his engagement being ignored by his coworkers but then being asked to contribute to a present collection for a heterosexual engagement. Another noted non-inclusive language when a colleague said 'I don’t care if you’re gay, I’ll treat you like you’re normal'. A suite of employer recommendations are included in his research. The gender climate study at the University of Western Sydney was explored by researcher Dr Nicole Asquith who 'zoomed' into the conference from her field studies. Discrimination, harassment and violence were shown to be the experience of education and work for many LGBTIQ+ people on campus. Heterosexism and cis-sexism on campus and the response and impact of these on LGBTIQ+ staff and students was contextualised in the study. Nearly half of the LGBTIQ+ research participants reported discrimination on campus, 28% harassment and 6% physical assault. The study showed that students were more likely to report discrimination and that classrooms were ‘hot-spots’ where discrimination occurred. Co-Executive Director of Intersex Human Rights Australia, Toni Briffa, established that protection of bodily autonomy and choice remains a key issue for intersex people. Delegates explored and endorsed the Darlington Statement, the joint consensus statement that outlines priorities for health, employment, human rights, legal reforms and more. Conference recommendations were discussed and agreed and will be reported to National Executive, and motions taken to 2020 National Council later this year. These include issues of representation (maintaining our voice), organising (implementing Darlington Statement, World Pride and more) and mobilising LGBTIQ+ campaigns in the Union. ◆

David Willis, QUTE Find out more at nteu.org.au/qute

To join the QUTE mailing list, email Dave at dwillis@nteu.org.au

Below: Jess Mattar & Oliver Ross from the We Deserve project. Helena Spyrou

Delegate Vox Pops

Daniel Tissot,

Australian Catholic University I'm glad I was able to attend the 2020

QUTE conference in Melbourne. I guess I can say that it was a great success! Loved the ideas, the crowd, the conversations and most of all the amazing speakers! Some stuff was actually intense but just being there and un-packing all of it – now that was beyond awesome.

Suzanne Edwards, University of Adelaide What a wonderful long weekend, surrounded by like-minded people focused on advocating for LGBTIQA rights in the workplace. It was especially interesting marching and singing union songs in the Midsumma Pride March. I am now at home organising to have a QUTE meeting with our Adelaide contingent.

Dr David Rhodes,

Edith Cowan University

Being located at a regional campus in WA, I often feel isolated working in the activist

space, so it was refreshing and invigorating to meet with other like-minded individuals from around the country (and beyond). As a result of the conference, I am keen to continue to advocate for LGBTIQ+ equality in our workplaces and the wider community. It inspires me to keep fighting injustice.

Jo Tilly, University of Technology Sydney The 2020 QUTE conference was an awesome opportunity to meet and catch up with some fabulous folks from across the country. NTEU activists are doing great things for the LGBTQI+ communities on their campuses and it was really exciting to share ideas about how we can make our universities more inclusive places for everyone to work.