Equalities
Voluntary Action Shetland (VAS) is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity for its employees, volunteers and people in need in the community to whom services are provided. This means that we at VAS will strive to prevent discrimination on the grounds of gender, age, marital status, race, sexual orientation, religion and disability in all we do including in the recruitment, selection, training and promotion of employees and volunteers, and in the provision of our services to the community.
Please see our Equal opportunities policy and Equal opportunities monitoring form
Equality Scotland has information about events, initiatives and outreach work undertaken to promote equal opportunities.
LGBT Chartermark
Voluntary Action Shetland is part of a new inter-agency group working towards the LGBT Chartermark. The group members are Shetland Islands Council, NHS Shetland, Shetland College (part of the University of the Highlands and Islands), Shetland Islands Citizens Advice Bureau, Shetland Youth Information Service and Voluntary Action Shetland.
Please contact Gwen Williamson 01595 743909 gwen.williamson@shetland.org for more information.
Shetland will be celebrating LGBT History Month with local events; please watch the press for details.
Useful links
Further information on the LGBT Chartermark.
LGBT Youth Scotland Provides a range of services and opportunities for young people.
Stonewall Working for equality and justice for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals.
Equality Network Scotland's national LGBT campaigns group.
LGBT History Month Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans History Month takes place every year in February. It celebrates the lives and achievements of the LGBT community.
FILM SCREENINGS IN SHETLAND FOR LGBT MONTH
Shetland Film Club will be screening two films as part of LGBT History Month on 17th and 18th February. LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans-sexual) History Month is an annual celebration of Britain’s LGBT citizens, which aims to break through the silence that still surrounds the lives of many people who do not conform to conventional notions about sexuality and gender and help to end the sense of isolation and bewilderment felt by so many LGBT people, particularly the young. It aims to make bullying unacceptable and to help to dispel the anxiety and confused rage that drive some people to aggressive and hostile behaviour.
Weekend, written and directed by Andrew Haigh, is the story of two men who meet at a night club, and go home to what they believe will be a one-night fling. But as the weekend unfolds, and they begin to explore what it is that they want from life, from sex and from love, they begin to acknowledge a deeper attraction to each other. Garnering universal critical acclaim, Weekend is an original and poignant love story, boasting excellent performances from Tom Cullen and Chris New. It carries an 18 certificate.
We Were Here is a deeply moving documentary about the advent and devastating effect of HIV/AIDS on the San Francisco community in the 1980s, remembered by five individuals who lived through the crisis, but for whom the memory is still achingly raw. As friends grew sick and died in overwhelming numbers, and society at large moved to exclude and scapegoat homosexuals, the gay community drew together to help and defend and look after each other in what became known as the 'San Francisco Model' of true community care. The film is exempt from certification but is recommended for 15s and over.
Both films are being shown as part of Shetland Film Club's outreach programme, and the Club acknowledges grant support from Shetland Arts and the Arts Development Fund.
Weekend will be screened at the Shetland Museum and Archive on Friday 17th February at 7.30pm, whilst We Were Here will be shown on Saturday 18th February at 7.30pm. Tickets are available on the door or from Shetland Box Office on 01595 745555, www.shetlandboxoffice.org
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