To mark Pride Month, and UNISON’s Year of LGBT+ Workers, we’re speaking to different LGBT+ members about being part of UNISON, and what the Year of LGBT+ Workers means to them. First up, it’s Andy…
Who are you?
I’m Andy Fitzgerald-Fernandez, born and bred in Leeds which is where I currently live. I’m 49 (nearly 50) and have been married to my husband Jose for 5 years, together for 16. I’m a proud geek, into all things sci-fi, and as my mother would say, a complete ghoul as I’m obsessed with all things horror and true crime. I’m neurodivergent which leads to obsessions – hence the stack of half-finished projects and a load that I got all the gear for and never even started! However Lego always sticks strong.
What do you do for a job?
Work-wise, I work for Centrica. I’ve worked for them for over 18 years in many roles, however I’m now a Specialist Quality and Improvement Analyst for acquisitions, which involves dealing with industry processes and internal issues affecting the acquisition process. I’m relatively new to the role but I’m absolutely loving it, it keeps me very busy and to be fair that’s really not a bad thing as it means I can’t shop online!
How did you get involved with UNISON?
I’ve been a UNISON member as long as I’ve worked for Centrica, I went to one of the AGM’s around 15 years ago and was appalled there wasn’t a LGBT+ officer and little representation – so I put myself forward and here we are! I’m still the LGBT+ officer within my branch, however I share the role with Maz Cotterill due to work commitments. I’m also involved in the Yorkshire and Humberside LGBT+ Self-Organised Group and currently represent that body on the LGBT+ National Committee.
How important do you think UNISON’s 2024 Year of LGBT+ workers is?
For me, this is an extremely important year, especially in today’s political climate. It’s no secret that LGBT+ rights are being eroded across the country and indeed the world. Persecution of our community is commonplace everywhere you go – homophobia, transphobia and biphobia reports are all up a staggering amount and this can’t be stood for. Personally, I abhor using the phrase “XXXphobia” as it’s not a phobia, its hate, plain and simple. As a result, mental health within the LGBT+ community is declining and this needs to be stopped. With the clear decline in mental health within our community, suicide rates increase, which – regardless of how you identify – is a tragic waste of a life, a unique life full of promise and possibility.
I lived through the 70s and 80s where attacks were commonplace, especially against gay men, partially due to the fear of GRID (Gay-Related immune deficiency), which eventually became known as HIV and AIDS; ignorance played a lot into that. Little was known about the condition, especially transmission. The fear and horror it unleashed on those who were infected and those left behind can’t be put into words; if you don’t believe me then watch ‘It’s a Sin’, this was an absolutely heartbreaking look into our world in the 80s, the outbreak that changed the world and how we live and love. The world was very different back then, LGBT+ people were seen as second class citizens, especially by the government. Living through the 80s as a child who knew he was different but didn’t know how was really hard; the media made an absolute meal of what was going on across the country, insinuating gay men were degenerates who lived a hedonistic lifestyle, putting everyone around them at risk and generally demonising every last one of us big and small. However, research moved on with or without government help, and various charities were set up for research, meaning treatments – however brutal on the body – were being developed. Over time people stood up and ‘came out’ including public figures, and slowly public attitudes changed, leading to widespread change and acceptance nationally. We weren’t thought of as ‘less than’ any more, we were next door, at work and generally just regular people, not at all what the media had portrayed in the past. Seeing all these changes grow and flourish, I really thought we as a society had turned a corner, but these last few years we appear to be moving backwards again with a worrying increase of 37.5% in reported anti LGBT+ hate crimes in the last 2 years against the 2020/21 figures. Even the current government’s own research shows that over 90% of LGBT+ hate crime goes unreported.
What would make the year a success for you?
Success is a very nuanced term for this campaign; some may measure it as a drop in hate crimes, for others, being safer on the streets when out with our mates or partner etc. For me however, it’s if we just reach one person who’s struggling – I mean really struggling and can’t see a way past this secret that’s eating them alive inside. It’s about letting them know they’re not alone in this world, there’s a whole community out here who, for the most part, look out for each other like a chosen family, offer support and guidance as we’ve been through it ourselves. It’s about letting them know they’re not wrong, broken or less than anyone else. It’s never too late to live your life how you were born to – and yes, it does get better.
