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Network Journal 2007 Issue 2 March/April |
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Sexual orientation
Usdaw is delighted the Government has decided to implement the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) regulations 2007 without any exemptions making discrimination in the provision of goods and services on grounds of sexual orientation illegal, writes acting equalities officer Jo Bird.
The Government has now put into place one of the final pieces of the legal jigsaw, giving lesbian, gay and bisexual (and later this year, transgender) people the same protection against unfair treatment as any other person.
Despite some opposition from a minority of religious organisations we welcome the fact that MPs stood firm and rejected the calls for exemptions for religious adoption agencies. Courts in Europe and the UK have for a long time recognised that the most important issue in respect of adoption is that children have a secure and loving environment to grow up in.
The British Government and more recently the Scottish Assembly have also recognised this reality making adoption as available to same sex couples as it is to heterosexual couples.
Thankfully the opposition to the regulations was confined to a small number of religious organisations and many Christians and members of other faith communities were entirely happy that the law should cover everyone without exemption.
Any exemption would have undermined the very basis of the law. LGBT workers pay the same taxes and abide by the same laws as everybody else but until now have not been treated as equals. This law brings that disgraceful situation to an end.
What do the regulations say?
- The law does not specifically protect lesbian, gay and bisexuals it protects everyone against discrimination on the grounds of their sexual orientation.
- The regulations make it illegal for an employer to refuse to employ, train or promote a person because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation. They cannot give an unfair reference or deny them benefits, facilities or services they offer to heterosexual employees nor can they deny any benefit that is offered to a heterosexual's partner.
- Some benefits are restricted to married couples however since the enactment of the Civil Partnership Act 2005 (allowing same sex couples to register their partnership) registered civil partners are treated the same as married couples.
- These rights have been extended to include protection against discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and services. This means, for example, it will be illegal for a hotel to refuse a room to a same sex couple.
For more information on the equalities section visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/equality
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