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Get
to know Phyllis – PCS PROUD Black Members Representative
Hello all, my name is Phyllis Opoku-Gyimah, my friends all call me Phyll
and I am the Black Members Rep for PCS Proud.
I am 30-something (that always sounds good). I was born in England and
from Ghanaian parents. Yes I understand my language, no I don’t
speak it very well (shame on me) but I know about my culture & tradition
and will never forget where I am coming from.
Within my role as the Black Members Rep, I job share with a gentleman
named Jay and you can get to know more about him by clicking here.
It is always hard writing about yourself
especially when you are a talker. Well, I am a black woman living within
the LGBT community, it has been a long hard struggle and I am still going
through my journey but I am glad to say I am here and have plenty of stories
to tell but not all of our brother’s & sister’s in our
community or even internationally are as fortunate, they are unable to
tell their story, hopefully together work can be undertaken for all to
be able to tell their stories loud & proud.
For a long time we have been so fragmented
as black people let alone the BME LGBT community, which is very fragile
and needs attention. I for one have a vested interest because it concerns
and affects me.
I’m aware that we are a minority within a minority, so I thought
what could I do to put back into my community. I decided that where work
was concerned I would be the voice for BME LGBT but that was not as successful
as I thought it would be, this is due to the fact that we are too frightened
to make ourselves known to anyone, we do however have good reason to be.
So I joined PCS Proud – The voice for Lesbians, Gays, Bi-Sexual
& Transgender and was nominated to job share the Black Members Officer
role. This is where I can begin to put real issues at the top of our agenda.
I am also part an Executive Committee that supports the needs of Black
Lesbian in the UK – BLUK. It is a voluntary organisation
that started on online and became more visible in March 2003. We have
over 570 members.
BLUK has participated in events like London PRIDE on Saturday 2nd of July
2005. This was the first time that Black woman have had their own float,
we were out there in all our glory, the sister’s on the float and
the one’s walking by the float looked absolutely fantastic. This
was a very moving, touching and heartfelt day for us because we realised
our struggle, our journey and how proud we were to be who we are. That
day was made possible because we all worked and pulled together as a community
should. I would like to thank all those people and not forgetting BGMAG
– Black Gay Men’s Advisory Group (Simon Nelson) The Greater
London Authority (GLA) Mayor of London because without the funding it
could not have happened.
BLUK also offers the chance to attend workshops for poetry & book
writing we also have a football and rounders team amongst lots of other
activities.
The last big event that BLUK held was our very first mini BLUK Pride that
took place at Southend Beach. It took a lot of organising but everyone
reaped the benefits on the day. There were three coaches that carried
150 sisters to Southend and not forgetting the other 75+ that drove down.
There were DJ’s spinning the best tunes, women showing of their
dancing skills and the best, was the competition – Mz Beach 2005.
The winner was crowned, given a trophy and took home a cash prize.
Issues to be raised / work to be done
• First and fore most – the
membership and raising our profile
• To keep all abreast & informed of new legislations –
PCS Proud
• The immigration laws for same sex couples
• Gay parents – where is the support
• To forge links with other Black & Asian LGBT groups
• Training needs to be met for Black & Asian Union Members
The list could go on but these are just
some of the issues Jay & I have discussed.
So
being a black woman, a mother, a partner, a daughter, a friend, a sister,
a full time civil servant, a dog owner, an events coordinator / part of
an executive committee for a voluntary organisation and not forgetting
a Black Member Rep for PCS Proud, life is never dull and I would not want
it any other way but I intend to always be PROUD TO BME.
Please don’t be a stranger, feel
free to contact me:
Phyllis Opoku-Gyimah
07940 561192
phyllis.opoku-gyimah@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk
or phyll@bluk.org.uk
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