Early this afternoon a motion was successfully defeated in the House of Lords which would have banned the celebration of civil partnerships in religious premises.

The ‘wrecking motion’ was introduced by Conservative peer Baroness O’Cathain. It would have meant that the ‘Alli amendment’ that Stonewall secured to the 2010 Equality Act last spring would have been scrapped. However, significant demonstrations of support for Stonewall’s position from across the House meant that Baroness O’Cathain withdrew her motion moments before a vote was due to be called.

Ben Summerskill, Stonewall Chief Executive, said: ‘Christmas has come early for equality. We’re delighted that a campaign of misinformation surrounding this issue has today been seen off by the House of Lords. Although only a small number of devout lesbian and gay people will benefit, at Stonewall we will always stand up for minority groups – whether of faith or anything else – within our community. This was an important issue of religious freedom.

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As evangelical Christians seek to use the European Court of Human Rights as a means of undermining gay rights, a new campaign is launched that aims for a secular Europe where religion and politics would be separate.

“Gay people should join the Secular Europe Campaign’s march this month as a means of protecting their hard won rights,” said Marco Tranchino, who is organising the campaign.

The Campaign for a Secular Europe will be building on the success of last year’s protests against the Pope’s visit by staging another march and rally in London on Saturday 17 September.

The march will be a protest at the growing influence of religious lobbies on the political institutions of Europe. Much of this influence revolves around undermining the rights not only of gay people but of everyone who does not base their lives on “traditional” religious principles – including unmarried cohabiting couples, divorcees, single mothers and those of other religions.

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The gay Humanist charity the Pink Triangle Trust (PTT) has noted without surprise that the President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, has attended the beatification of John Paul II which was held in the Vatican on 1 May.

An EU travel ban forbids Mugabe from visiting member states, but the Vatican is a sovereign state and not in the EU. The ban was imposed in 2002 on account of Mugabe’s gross human rights abuses but Italy, a  founder EU member, granted Mugabe an exemption to transit through the country. A Vatican spokesman said Mugabe had not been personally invited but as the head of a state with which the Vatican has relations he was entitled to attend.

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The British Humanist Association's campaign is underway to encourage people who do not consider themselves religious to tick the "no religion" box in the UK census currently being completed. In 2001 more than 70% of people identified as "Christian" despite evidence that far fewer people consider themselves "religious", or actively believe in a personal god.

The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) Chair Adam Knowles commented, "This issue is of particular importance to gay people. While not all religious leaders are anti-gay, and many religious believers support gay rights, it is clear that in Britain - as in many other countries -  almost all of the most vocal opposition to gay rights and gay equality comes from religious lobbyists and institutions. For example Church of England Bishops in the House of Lords have used their privileged position to try to block gay rights  legislation, and to lobby for exemptions for religions from equality laws."

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The Gay and Lesbian Humanism Association (GALHA) strongly supports the Court Ruling earlier this week against Christian guest house owners who refused to offer accommodation to a gay couple in a Civil Partnership of the same type they would to a married heterosexual couple.

The ruling confirms that anyone offering goods and services to the general public is no longer permitted to discriminate on grounds of sexual orientation. By implication, it would also be illegal to refuse to provide a service to someone purely because of their religion. 

GALHA Chair Adam Knowles commented, "This is an important ruling, protecting the rights of gay and straight, religious and non religious alike. In a free society it is vital that people are entitled to express their opinions on homosexuality, or on people's religious beliefs, even if some people may find these opinions offensive. What you are not entitled to do is to refuse to provide a service to people just because they are gay, or because you don't approve of their religion or philosophical beliefs.

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