News

In response to The Supreme Court ruling that two gay men from Iran and Cameroon have the right to asylum in the UK, Stonewall Chief Executive Ben Summerskill said, ‘Stonewall welcomes this important ruling. Demanding that lesbian or gay people return home to conceal their sexuality bears no resemblance to the reality of gay life in many countries. We’re delighted that the Government is responding to what we asked of all the political parties in the run-up to the election. Our report No Going Back shows that UK Border Agency staff urgently need better guidance and support to deal with cases involving gay asylum seekers. We look forward to working with UKBA and ministers on these issues.’

Read more: Stonewall response to Supreme Court ruling on gay asylum seekers

The Supreme Court has ruled that two gay men from Iran and Cameroon have the right to asylum in Britain.

The Supreme Court's panel said it had decided "unanimously" to allow the appeals.

They were refused asylum in the UK on the grounds that they could avoid bad treatment by keeping their sexuality secret or behaving 'discreetly' if they were sent home. The policy has been described by some as the Anne Frank principle.

"It would have been no defence to a claim that Anne Frank faced well-founded fear of persecution in 1942 to say that she was safe in a comfortable attic," Lord Justice Pill agreed in the court of appeal last year. "Refugee status cannot be denied by expecting a person to conceal aspects of identity or suppress behaviour the person should be allowed to express," he added.

Read more: Supreme Court Rule on Gay Asylum Seekers

A senior Ofsted inspector and former head teacher today said homophobic bullying needs to be tackled in schools to prevent academic underachievement. She was speaking at Stonewall’s fifth Education for All Conference on challenging homophobia and supporting young people at The British Library.

Nada Trikic, Ofsted’s National Adviser for Equalities said: ‘If a school is inadequate on equalities and the respect agenda, Ofsted has found it’s very likely to be inadequate overall. There’s a strong link between academic achievement and self-worth, which is one of the reasons it’s so important to tackle homophobic bullying. Ofsted supports schools in doing this by using clips from Stonewall’s anti-homophobia film FIT in our guidance on inspecting equalities in schools.’

Nada was joined by playwright and commentator Bonnie Greer who said: ‘The gay struggle is part of a wider human struggle for equality, justice and fairness. My generation chose marches and legislation. The next generation will choose its own path to equality and hopefully learn the lessons from the past. I’m particularly concerned about the use of the word ‘gay’ as a pejorative and hope the next generation will challenge this all the way.’

Read more: Bonnie Greer Speaks Out Against Homophobia

The Iraqi LGBT group has expressed its shock and anger at comments branding all Muslims as extremists by a London gay business owner and their reporting by a UK LGBT news outlet. 

Mark Ames of club XXL in London is quoted by PinkPaper.com as writing on Facebook: "From today I will be boycotting any shops, petrol stations restaurants or businesses I know are owned by Muslims this also includes holidays to Muslim [sic] countries today see [sic] our death toll up to 300, so why the hell are we not just flying this scum back out to there beloved states and pull out and let them fight out there [sic] own issues!"

Ames' comments were sparked by rioting following an anti-racist protest in East London 21 June. The 'death toll up to 300' remark relates to soldiers fighting in Afghanistan.

Read more: Anti-Muslim Comment by Gay Business Owner Causes Upset

Lord Justice Munby, Chair of the Law Commission has heard stark evidence of the continuing barriers facing lesbian and gay people joining the judiciary.

Delivering his lecture at the Law Society Professor Leslie Moran of Birkbeck college said: ‘Only 20 years ago it was policy only to appoint married people to the bench in order to avoid a ‘homosexual controversy’ in the judiciary. The chilling effect of this exclusion is likely to have shaped the careers and career expectations of the most senior legal professionals who have the skills and characteristics that would otherwise make them suitable candidates.’ Professor Moran recommended that the judiciary actively engage with Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index to develop their lesbian, gay and bisexual staff.

Read more: Gay Lawyers Face Barriers Becoming Judges

In a bid to reduce levels of the sexually transmitted infection (STI) chlamydia among young LGBT people in London, HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust will be inviting young people attending this year’s Pride London to take a chlamydia test during their day out. THT staff will be offering the tests free of charge throughout Saturday 3 July from the charity’s stand at Trafalgar Square.

Testing is a very simple process; young people are given a sample pot and asked to discreetly provide a urine sample in the nearest public toilet or portaloo. Samples will then be collected and posted off to the lab, with the results available within a week. Those who test positive will be directed to health services where they can obtain treatment for the infection free of charge. THT staff will also hand out condoms and safer sex information from the charity’s stand at the event.

Read more: Free Chlamydia Testing at Pride London

Stonewall marks Father’s Day by calling on gay dads to come forward to help inform  a major guide focusing on gay dads – how to become one, the legal situation and further support and advice on parenting. This follows Pregnant Pause – Stonewall’s guide for lesbians on how to get pregnant. The new guide will be released later this year.

Stonewall Senior Public Affairs Officer Sam Dick said: ‘At Stonewall, we know many gay men are dads. But we also know that many more think becoming a dad is beyond their reach. With this groundbreaking new guide, Stonewall aims to show that there are many ways of being a gay dad and encourage those who might have written off the prospect to re-consider.’ 

Read more: Father’s Day: Gay men are dads too!

Crusaid, one of the UK’s best-known HIV charities and leading HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust have today announced their merger. The merged organisation aims to preserve a much-needed safety-net for people with HIV living in poverty and strengthen fundraising for HIV in the UK.

Jordan Hay, Chief Executive of Crusaid, said: “We initiated this merger to ensure that our hardship fund can continue to make a vital difference to the ever-increasing numbers of people diagnosed with HIV each year in the UK. THT shares our vision and values and we are excited about the opportunities to support people with HIV that this merger presents.”

Sir Nick Partridge, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust said: “I’m delighted to confirm that Crusaid and Terrence Higgins Trust have merged. The merger will preserve the Crusaid Hardship Fund in a very challenging economic climate and help ensure that people with HIV have the ongoing support that they so vitally need.

Read more: Crusaid and Terrence Higgins Trust to Merge