The network was launched by the PDA in April 2020 as part of their work to meet the demands of their growing membership and advance their work on equality.
The PDA already helped individuals to stand up to any form of discrimination through casework support, which is already a core part of what the PDA does to help pharmacists at work. However, the PDA would typically only get asked to be involved after the discrimination had already occurred.
The LGBT+ network provides a structure through which members can work together to proactively address and campaign around sexual orientation and transgender discrimination and its causes and consequences.
Our mission
To enable all Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender pharmacists to realise their full potential and raise their profile by being educationally, socially and politically active.
What is LGBT+?
The acronym LGBT has been in use since the 1990s.
The L, G and B relate to sexual orientation – the enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women, or multiple genders. Sexual orientation also refers to a person’s sense of identity-based on those attractions, related behaviours, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions.
The T relates to gender. A person’s gender identity refers to whether they feel male, female or non-binary (falling outside the categories of man and woman), regardless of their biological sex. Gender expression refers to how somebody outwardly expresses their gender identity.
L – Lesbian: a woman who is romantically and sexually attracted to other women.
G – Gay: a man who is romantically and sexually attracted to other men, though it can sometimes be used to describe lesbians i.e. gay women.
B – Bisexual: a person who is romantically and sexually attracted to those with the same and other genders as themselves. It does not mean that you have to like women or men equally, or become romantically or sexually involved with more than one partner. Some people prefer the term pansexual, which means someone who is attracted to people of all genders.
T – Transgender: an umbrella term to describe someone whose gender identity and/or gender expression, differs from the gender they were assigned at birth. A person who is not transgender may be referred to as cisgender.
+ – Plus: This includes people who do not identify with any of the LGBT letters, such as non-binary people, and those who prefer terms such as Queer or Questioning. Queer is a term used by some to describe a sexual or gender identity that falls outside societal norms, whilst Questioning refers to people who are uncertain of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), about 2.2% of the population aged 16 years and over identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) in 2018. Men were more likely to identify as LGB than women, and younger people aged 16 to 24 years were the most likely to identify as LGB. Those living in London were the most likely to identify as LGB, with people in the North East the least likely. More than two-thirds of people who identified as LGB were single (never married or in a civil partnership). The ONS do not produce estimates of the number of transgender people living in the UK (you can access their position paper here). The Equality Act 2010 provides protections from discrimination at work that relates to sexual orientation and gender reassignment.
What we do together
The LGBT+ network is made up of members like you, supported by PDA staff. We can share our advice and experience, along with information from other organisations, and it is the actions of members that will contribute towards an equal world. We will:
- Examine healthcare issues for LGBT+ pharmacists
- Contribute to debate within the profession and healthcare sector
- Raise awareness of issues impacting on LGBT+ pharmacists
- Provide networking opportunities
- Represent pharmacy amongst LGBT+ organisations
- Help LGBT+ pharmacists to achieve equality in their workplace
- Campaign together on issues which are important to the network
- Create opportunities for CPD and skills sharing
- Celebrate the success of LGBT+ pharmacists and pharmacy students
- Grow the network and our influence
Benefits of membership
As well as the ability to support and engage in the work of the network, LGBT+ network members will also have access to a number of other benefits, including:
- PDA and LGBT+ network Publications
- PDA and LGBT+ network Training & Education (at member rates)
- PDA and LGBT+ network Conferences (at member rates)
- PDA Plus benefits (discounts and special offers)
Membership eligibility
Membership is open to all UK pharmacists and former pharmacists (e.g. retired or taking a career break) and all UK pharmacy graduates, regardless of age, race, gender, sexual identity, disability, nationality, hours worked or employment status. Pharmacists do not need to identify as LGBT+ in order to join the network: we welcome allies – people who will support equality and fairness for LGBT+ pharmacists.
How to join
You do not need to be a member of the PDA to join, though PDA members do benefit from a discounted membership fee.
PDA members can join the LGBT+ Network for £10 per year, Retired members for £20 per year and non-PDA members for £30 per year. In accordance with PDA’s support for future pharmacists, the LGBT+ Network membership is FREE for PDA student members and trainees (PDA student and trainee membership is also FREE).
Contact
Contact the LGBT+ Network: lgbt@the-pda.org
All contact with the network will be treated in confidence and with sensitivity.
Pharmacists, pharmacy students and trainees can join the PDA now.