LGBT 'Hearts and Minds' Agenda Group
In June 2006 the Scottish Executive set up the Hearts and Minds Agenda Group to consider ways of tackling negative and discriminatory attitudes towards LGBT people. The Group, which is facilitated by the Scottish Government Equality Unit, is made up of representatives from the 3 national LGBT organisations, (Equality Network, Stonewall Scotland and LGBT Youth Scotland) as well as other LGBT community organisations.
The group has been working over the past 18 months to formulate recommendations for the Government and other organisations which aim to challenge prejudice and change negative attitudes towards LGBT people in five key areas: Education and Family; Citizenship and Social Capital; Religion and Belief; Media and Leadership and Workplace and Public Services.
The group have now developed the recommendations into a report called "Challenging Prejudice: Changing Attitudes towards Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People in Scotland." The report can be accessed online by following the link above, or hard copies are available from the Scottish Government Equality Unit by emailing: ruth.dickinson@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.
Remit
The group met in June 2006 for a focus day to consider their remit, membership, structure and ways of working. The group's remit is to identify ways to change attitudes towards LGBT people and:
- To provide focus and priorities for the hearts and minds agenda and be a driver for change, offering 'ideas leadership' where appropriate.
- To identify who has to do what, when and where - working with and through other agencies where their agendas coincide, and considering how to achieve and resource actions directly where necessary.
- To create engagement with policy and opinion makers in order to shape the agenda and ensure multiple voices are heard.
- To provide and opportunity for interchange and space to generate ideas and actions reflecting different perspectives.
For further information about the work of the LGBT 'Hearts and Minds' Agenda Group please use the links below: