Tories fail on LGBT equality

Today's article in the Observer came as no surprise to me.  Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling was recorded as saying:

"I think we need to allow people to have their own consciences," he said. "I personally always took the view that, if you look at the case of should a Christian hotel owner have the right to exclude a gay couple from a hotel, I took the view that if it's a question of somebody who's doing a B&B in their own home, that individual should have the right to decide who does and who doesn't come into their own home."

Supporting such behaviour is unacceptable. B & B owners who display such hostility to gay couples are no better than those who used to display signs saying "No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish".  This sort of behaviour no longer happens and is universally condemned as well as illegal.  It is also illegal to refuse a room to gay couples and should be seen as just as unacceptable.

Everybody has the right to their opinions, regardless of how abhorrent we find them.  What they don't have a right to do is to offer a selective service to the public based on their beliefs.  If people hold homophobic beliefs they are clearly not suitable candidates for running a bed and breakfast.

This latest episode is just the latest in a series of blunders on LGBT rights by the Tories, most recent being the interview Cameron did with the Gay Times which showed a shocking lack of ignorance about what his colleagues were up to in the European parliament re LGBT rights.  When he showed that he was unaware that Conservative MEPs refused to support a motion which condemned a new homophobic law in Lithuania.

The Tory voting record on LGBT rights also proves interesting reading.  The vote on the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 was only supported by 29 Conservative MPs . The following members of the shadow cabinet voted against the bill:

Kenneth Clarke
Mark Francois
Dominic Grieve
Erik Pickles
George Young

Many more members of the party were conspicious by their absence with a Conservative turnout of 58.2%

Petition to: challenge the Office of National Statistics (ONS) position on including a question on sexual orientation in the upcoming 2011 census and,

Since 2006 the ONS 'Sexual Identity Project' has investigated the development of "a question (or set of questions) that can be used on social surveys and for equality monitoring purposes”. The current position is that no such question is likely to be included in 2011, meaning at least another decade before we see such a question on what is the most important survey of the UK population.

The survey will contain references to same-sex civil partnerships (which is a great step forward), so it makes no sense to then omit a question on sexual orientation.

At the 2009 Stonewall Workplace Conference, the Chief Executive of the Equalities & Human Rights Commission (EHRC) indicated clearly that the EHRC's view was that such a question should be included in 2011, challenging the ONS position. As the UK authority on equality issues, the EHRC's point of view should be taken seriously.

In keeping with the proposed Single Equality Act, it is the perfect time to add a question on sexual orientation to the census.

This government has an excellent record on LGB rights so far, please don't tarnish that by accepting the ONS stance on this issue. Show courage and don't make us wait yet another decade.

Sign the petition at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/lgb2011census/

Rise of 'corrective rapes' on lesbians in South Africa

The following horrifying story is from Pink News:

A new report has suggested a rise in 'corrective rapes' on lesbians in South Africa.

According to charity ActionAid, women in Johannesburg and Cape Town are suffering an increase in homophobic attacks and sexual assaults which are seen as a form of punishment or "cure".

One lesbian and gay support group says it is dealing with 10 new cases of lesbian women being targeted for ‘corrective’ rape every week in Cape Town alone.

Figures suggest there are an estimated 500,000 rapes in South Africa every year and for every 25 men accused of rape in the country, 24 walk free.

The report, titled Hate Crimes, claims that victims often report that their attackers say they are "teaching them a lesson" or showing them how to be a "real woman".

Zanele Twala, Director of ActionAid South Africa, said: “So-called ‘corrective’ rape is yet another grotesque manifestation of violence against women, the most widespread human rights violation in the world today. These crimes continue unabated and with impunity, while governments simply turn a blind eye.”

One victim told ActionAid: “We get insults every day, beatings if we walk alone, you are constantly reminded that you deserve to be raped.

"They yell 'if I rape you then you will go straight, that you will buy skirts and start to cook because you will have learnt how to be a real woman'."

Thirty-one lesbian women have been reported murdered in homophobic attacks since 1998, yet there has only been one conviction.

However, support groups have claimed that the actual number of women killed is likely to be much higher because hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation are not recognised in the country's criminal justice system.

Ms Twala has called on foreign governments to help stop the tide of violence.

She said: “It is clear that the South African government must put a stop to these crimes against women and fulfil the promises of the constitution.

"Worldwide, it is utterly unacceptable that millions of women and girls live daily in fear of their lives. The international community have a duty to address violence against women as the most serious threat to security in the world today."

LGBT Greens launch petition to push Urgent review of Home Office approaches to LGBT asylum

NEWS FROM THE GREEN PARTY of England and Wales LGBT GROUP

http://www.lgbtgreens.org.uk/

LGBT Greens launch petition to push Urgent review of Home Office approaches to LGBT asylum
Calls for instruction, training and guidance for all asylum staff
5.8.8

Phelim Mac Cafferty, media spokesperson for LGBT Greens stated:
“After much campaigning on the issue since the cases of Iranian LGBT asylum seekers Pegah Emembakhsh and Mehdi Kazemi came to light, we have got clearance from the web team on the Prime Minister’s website for our petition.

“We now challenge the government to start treating LGBT asylum seekers with the fairness that they deserve. These are people who’ve often fled persecution, rape and torture who flee to our country and our response is to lock them up like criminals. We say enough is enough of this inhumane policy- we need to stick our necks out now and stand up for LGBT asylum seekers.”

The full text of the petition is at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/lgbtasylum/ and below-

In the light of the cases of Pegah Emembakhsh and Mehdi Kazemi, Iranian LGBT asylum seekers, who sought asylum in the UK , we call upon the Prime Minister for an urgent review of the services provided for all LGBT asylum seekers. In particular we think that the following are needed for fair treatment -
1. Compulsory training for all asylum staff on sexual-orientation and trans-awareness.
2. Explicit instructions to all immigration and asylum staff, and asylum judges, that homophobic and transphobic persecution are legitimate grounds for granting asylum.
3. Clearer and up-to-date guidance from the Home Office for asylum judges to reflect the accurate scale of LGBT persecution throughout the world using expert information from NGOs like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
4. Legal-aid funding for asylum claims needs to be substantially increased.