Politics

Politics

Far right across Europe could increase gay hate crimes

Thursday, 02 July 2009 10:03

In a speech to the 12th annual TUC LGBT conference, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber will celebrate recent advances in lesbian and gay equality but warn there’s still a long way to go before social attitudes catch up with changes in the law.

Brendan Barber will say: “The past year has been one of genuine progress, we’ve seen welcome movement from the Government in dealing with bullying in schools and colleges, and the introduction of a single Equality Bill which will place a new duty on public bodies to promote LGBT equality.

“But while we have made real strides on the legal agenda, the wider battle for hearts and minds goes on. Stronger legal rights have yet to be fully mirrored by more progressive social attitudes. Britain may be a more tolerant, diverse place than a decade ago but the ugly scar of homophobia still continues to disfigure sections of our society.

LGBT rights advocates urged to back the Declaration of Principles on Equality

Friday, 26 June 2009 14:59

LGBT rights advocates to back the Declaration of Principles on Equality

The Equal Rights Trust – the only international human rights organisation focussed solely on the right to equality – has marked the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall riots by calling on LGBT rights advocates to endorse the unified concept of equality, as expressed in the Declaration of Principles on Equality.

Speaking on the eve of the anniversary, Dimitrina Petrova, Executive Director of ERT, said that in countries where LGBT people suffer institutional discrimination, reliance on the integrated concept of equality could point a way forward.

MPs Meet HIV Campaigners

Thursday, 25 June 2009 12:46

Local campaigners met with MPs and senior primary care trust staff at a parliamentary event today to raise awareness of HIV and discuss ways to increase HIV testing.

The ‘Testing Local Leadership on HIV’ event, held at the House of Commons, was organised by the All Party Parliamentary Group on AIDS, Terrence Higgins Trust and NAT (National AIDS Trust), and sponsored by Gilead Sciences Ltd. Local campaigners met with MPs from the constituencies with the highest HIV prevalence in England - where at least 2 in 1,000 people are diagnosed with HIV.

Speakers at the event were Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, David Borrow MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on AIDS, Neil Gerrard, MP for Walthamstow and Garry Brough, an HIV campaigner. Issues discussed included offering testing in a wider range of settings, increasing opportunities for community based testing and involving GPs more in testing high risk groups, in particular gay men and Africans.

Conservatives in Alliance with Anti-Gay Polish Party

Wednesday, 24 June 2009 09:53

A new Euro alliance is an insult to Jewish, gay and women voters says SW LGBT Spokesperson.

Tory MEPs Giles Chichester, Ashley Fox and Julie Girling are set to form an alliance in the European parliament which has a homophobic, racist and sexist agenda it was revealed yesterday. They are among many Tories taking their seats after the June 4th Euro Elections but it has angered some people.

The South West Lesbian,Gay,Bisexual, Transgender Greens Group coordinator Ryan Cleminson said "The proposed new alliance between our elected Tory MEPS and far right Poland’s homophobic Law and Justice Party (PiS) calls into question David Cameron’s so-called conversion to progressive Conservatism. Jewish, gay and women voters will all be appalled to see the Tories planning to work with such a bigoted party.”

Gibralter Parliment Vote Against Equal Age of Consent for Gays

Monday, 22 June 2009 09:09

The Gibraltar Parliament, which is part of the South West region in the Euro elections, this week voted to defeat the gay age of consent equality bill, which would have established an equal age of consent of 16. SW Greens have joined Peter Tatchell in calling for the UK Government to intervene.

Ryan Cleminson, Coordinator of the SW Greens LGBT group said, “The Government of Gibraltar is required by European Court of Human Rights rulings to equalise the age of consent for same-sex relationships. I urge David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, to intervene and let Gibraltar’s Chief Minister, Peter Caruana know that Gibraltar cannot be allowed to evade its human rights obligations."

Gay Attacks Increase in UK

Monday, 01 June 2009 09:21

Police Homophobic and transphobic attacks are on the increase in the UK.

There has been a nationwide upswing of 9% and a frightening 63% increase in homophobic crime in the Manchester area in the past year.

Crown Prosecution Service figures show that prosecutions for crimes involving homophobia rose 60% over the past two years. Scotland Yard and the Greater Manchester Police have each expressed "exceptional concern" over the increases.

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Far right across Europe could increase gay hate crimes

LGBT rights advocates urged to back the Declaration of Principles on Equality

MPs Meet HIV Campaigners

Conservatives in Alliance with Anti-Gay Polish Party

Gibralter Parliment Vote Against Equal Age of Consent for Gays

Gay Attacks Increase in UK

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