We want to update you on our statement about sponsorship of Bristol Pride and clarify that Bristol Pride will not accept sponsorship from UWE Bristol while its existing ‘Trans and Non-Binary Policy’ and ‘Trans Staff Guidance’ are in place.
In September last year, they were contacted by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and told that their ‘Trans and Non-Binary Policy’ and ‘Trans Staff Guidance’ documents needed to change following the Supreme Court ruling. The changes removed the wording ‘preferred’ in relation to gendered bathroom usage but stated that this would not be policed or punished. There are also concerns over the use of the term ‘unlawfully’ in regards to outing someone. Following this we contacted the University for further information and clarification, and raised a number of other concerns, which are now addressed in other policies. We also spoke with, and met, local MPs about this and on our concerns over the EHRC threatening organisations with legal action, especially because their guidance has yet to be finalised and approved by the government. We have also spoken to the Good Law Project and written to the Equalities Minister both on this matter and that, following the Supreme Court ruling, the 2010 Equalities Act may need reviewing to better protect trans people. We have also heard from UWE students and staff on their lived experience.
Bristol Pride has had a long-standing history with the UWE and we have hoped that we could use our relationship to effect change. We had hoped that we would have more time, before announcing any sponsorship, to continue conversations with the university. We acknowledge that we could have been better at sharing what work we had been doing behind the scenes, but we also wanted to be able to have a constructive dialogue without anti-trans groups derailing the process. Sadly, this has led to trans members of our community feeling like Pride does not stand with them, which is absolutely not the case, and for this we are sorry. We are committed to keep standing up for our trans community and pressing for change.
We know that the Supreme Court ruling and the now-withdrawn draft ERHC guidance is causing harm and distress to the trans community, and we will continue to oppose any rulings that discriminate against anyone in the LGBTQ+ community. We will endeavour to better update you all on the campaigning, advocacy and lobby work we do outside of our core planning and delivery work for Bristol Pride.
We believe that the draft guidance was unworkable and cruel; we believe many others also felt that same and this is why it was withdrawn. Many organisations have chosen not to make changes in haste or based on gender-critical ideology, with some governing bodies advising organisations to wait. We feel there is a difference between having to do something, and wanting to do something. Following discussions this week, UWE Bristol has indicated a willingness to continue conversations with Bristol Pride, LGBTQ+ staff and students and wider equalities groups in order to continue to attempt to navigate a positive way forward. We welcome that commitment to meaningful change. We will liaise with the society and staff network on how we can also best support them going forward. LGBTQ+ staff and allies are still welcome to march and attend Pride, but as individuals.
This decision does have financial implications for us, at a particularly challenging time for events, but we have, and will, always put our community first. It may be hard to exist without the money but we can’t exist without our community. We are grateful to the community groups and individuals that have reached out to us on this matter, we will continue to seek input, and review relevant sections of our ethical sponsorship policy to reaffirm our continued stance on trans rights.
We hope that we can move forward together, to look forward to a Pride where all our community feels welcomed and celebrated, and that united as a community we can stand together in opposing those that hate us and are using legal threats and well-financed court cases to further erase and erode our rights. Bristol Pride is, and always will be, trans inclusive and a space that is run by and for the whole LGBTQ+ community.