Politics

The South West LGBT Greens are urging voters in our region to recognise the threat from the British National Party.

The BNP has also denounced homosexuality as “form of behavioural deviancy” and “not a valid lifestyle choice”. Griffin claims the BNP speaks for “the majority of the population” who, he says, believe“homosexuality is wrong” and that it “needs to be pushed humanely but firmly back into the closet”. Griffin warns that if gays continue to “press their aims further” there will be an “almighty backlash” which will result in the imprisonment of all homosexuals.

Spokesperson for the South West LGBT Group Ryan Cleminson said, "Peter Cranie, our lead candidate in the North West of England, is fighting the BNP, a party we all know to be racist, homophobic and out-spoken. But, it is not just in the North West people should see the BNP as a threat to diversity ... but all over the UK."

Read more: BNP Threat to Gay Life

Greens have been campaigning to get local councils in the South West to fly the rainbow flag on International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) on 17th May.

Instead of the Union Jack, council premises across the South West will be flying either a rainbow flag or the 'Pink Jack'. Local authorities who have agreed to support this initiative include Bournemouth, Poole, Bristol, and others .

The South West Green Party launched the campaign to encourage local councils to participate back in February. It was the first action taken by the newly formed South West LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Greens, a group set up to demonstrate and support the Green Party's tireless work in combating discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation.

Read more: Local Councils Fly Rainbow Flag thanks to SW Greens

The TUC is urging people to remember lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people who have been killed around the world on International Day Against Homophobia this Sunday (17 May).

There are 77 countries in the world today where it is a criminal offence to be gay. In seven countries women, men and children are punished for their sexuality with death sentences.

Recent reports from Iraq reveal that the names of LGBT people are being fly-posted on streets, and those people are then being hunted down and murdered by gangs and the police simply because of their sexuality.

Read more: Unions mark International Day Against Homophobia

The co-founder of Rockstar energy drinks and DJ, Michael Savage, is on a new list of people banned from the UK for 'inciting hatred'. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith says she's happy to 'name and shame' the people on the list.

Michael Savage (real name Michael Alan Weiner) homophobic views are often heard on his controversial radio show - recently claiming that he "wants to puke" when he sees a gay couple kissing. He is 1 of 16 people banned from entering Britain since October 2008. The list includes hate preachers and anti-gay protesters.

"We are telling people who they are and why it is we don't want them in this country," explains Smith. "Coming to this country is a privilege. If you can't live by the rules that we live by, the standards and the values that we live by, we should exclude you from this country and, what's more, now we will make public those people that we have excluded."

Read more: Anti-Gay Activists Banned from UK

The EveryOne Group is to offer a gift symbolizing human rights to the Ambassador of Iraq in Italy. “We will soon be meeting His Excellency”, say the activists, “to discuss the situation of homosexuals in Iraq, the need to work towards peace in his tormented country, and the anti-Islamic sentiments rife in the West”.

Read more: Human Rights Gift Given To Iraqi Ambassador