A reasonably quick update is here, with a link to a much fuller note.
Longer update: https://biconcontinuity.org.uk/longer-update-from-bicon-anti-racism-working-group
Following a vote at the Decision Making Plenary at BiCon 2019, in late 2019 BiCon Continuity formed an Anti-Racism Working Group. There are 4 active members (Elizabeth, AC, Naomi, Jane).
This Group has:
- Acknowledged decisive and ongoing action is needed to address mistakes made at past BiCons in regards to Black and other attendees of colour;
- Sought advice from other groups tackling similar issues;
- Applied for two grants for training and support, which we didn't get;
- Collated UK-specific resources on anti-racism;
- Agreed with BiCon that white attendees should use at least one resource before arriving.
Three areas we were trying to fund via grants were:
- Paying anti-racism experts who come from Black and other communities of colour to lead training for organisers.
- Paying anti-racism experts to lead sessions at BiCon, to deepen that training.
- Seeking external support to review and suggest updates for BiCon’s Code of Conduct and Guidelines.
- Subsidising BiCon for Black attendees and attendees of colour, on top of the existing Access Fund.
Can you help us to fund that work? Please donate to
Sort code: 40-06-32, Account number: 51685848
This is administered by BiCon Continuity. Please make a reference to anti-racism work with your donation. Grants sought were in the region of £2500. Update from Continuity: HMRC has promised our letter setting up Gift Aid is ‘in the post.’ If you would usually Gift Aid your donation, just email us to say you are willing to donate and we will come back to you.
We are incredibly grateful to the Equality Network, especially their Intersectionality Team, which has pooled its resources for this year’s online BiCon and provided organising hours, as well as funding to pay speakers who are from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. Thank you also to the potential trainers who gave their time to support the bid-writing processes.
We also take this opportunity to invite Black Bi+ people & Bi+ people of colour to tell us what you would prefer to see funded, as we will no doubt embark on seeking grants or looking at internal funding again. Please email antiracism@biconcontinuity.org.uk
A note on the perspective of the working group. We uphold the focus on Black Bi+ people especially, in the spirit of the Black Lives Matter. We believe the white-dominated BiCon extended community have collectively failed in our anti-racism work, and we see our responsibility as centring voices that have been pushed aside, and also creating pathways to engage people who want to improve BiCon for everyone.
For information: BiCon code of conduct: https://2020.bicon.org.uk/access-and-inclusion/code-of-conduct/