Islington Council is celebrating success as the most gay-friendly council in London, according to rankings announced by gay rights group Stonewall yesterday (Monday).
The local authority, which employs over 6,000 people, was ranked third of the all local authorities in the UK, and placed joint 11th overall in list of 100 private and public organisations that was dominated by large organisations and big business, such as the IBM and British Telecom.
Islington was one of only six local authorities to be in the top 30 of Stonewall's Workplace Equality Index, which ranked employers according to how well it felt they met the needs of gay staff and customers.
Cllr Laura Willoughby, executive member for communities said she was delighted that Islington had been recognised for the hard work it does to make sure that customers and staff were not discriminated against because of their sexuality.
She said: “We are passionately committed to human rights – including the right to feel valued and to be treated with dignity and respect at work, regardless of sexuality, gender, ethnic background or disability.
“Having a diverse workforce means that we can better understand the needs of the diverse community we serve and I am delighted that Stonewall have recognised the positive steps we have taken to ensure our working practices and service delivery are free from prejudice and discrimination.”
The council is a leading local authority in the introduction of civil partnership ceremonies for same-sex couples; it hosts meetings of Gay Dads UK, and organises social events for LGBT staff and colleagues in the Islington Primary Care, Mental Health, and Social Care Trusts.
It has an equal opportunities policy, Dignity for All, that explicitly says people should not be discriminated against on the basis of their sexuality, and sexuality is specifically included in all training for equalities and diversity.
Council staff also benefit from a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) staff forum, which provides a platform to discuss workplace issues around sexuality, and Islington was one of the few London boroughs to organise a programme of events for the first LGBT History month last year.
This year’s events, to be held next month, include walks, talks, drama, exhibitions and online events as well as more informal social events.
Page Last Updated: 29 July 2008