Organisational Change, Resistance, and Democracy: Findings from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equalities in Local Government project

In recent years the UK has seen a raft of new legislation concerning equalities and human rights. This legislation, and the policy drivers issued by central government in relation to equalities, are interpreted in varied ways by the local authorities that are tasked with implementing them. Organisational cultures play an important role in shaping the ways in which lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equalities work takes place, or is resisted. The structures and dynamics associated with local democracy also play a key role in local authority equalities work.
This paper presents findings from an Economic and Social Research Council-funded examination of the impact of recent policy changes, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, on sexualities equalities initiatives. The project involved in depth qualitative research with four local authorities selected to include those in which little equalities work concerning sexuality and transgender was taking place. We organised Action Learning Sets in Northern Ireland, Wales, and Northern and Southern England, facilitating local authority actors in engaging – together with community activists and statutory partners in some cases – with the key issues in conducting sexuality and transgender equalities work. We also conducted one-one interviews with a range of key stakeholders, as well as a number of Local Authority Councillors.