Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tatchell to talk in Brighton about the LGBT 'unfinished battle'
Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell will join Caroline Lucas MEP at a public meeting this Friday (31) to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. They subject of the meeting will be 'Stonewall 40: The Unfinished Battle for LGBT Freedom'.Highlighting some of the issues he will discuss on Friday Tatchell said:
“This year we are celebrating 40 years since the Stonewall Riots in New York, which triggered the world-wide movement for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) human rights.
“Brighton Pride is fun. It is a great celebration. But there is a serious side too. We are still campaigning for trans, bi, lesbian and gay equality: one example is that successive Home Secretaries have given visas and work permits to reggae singers who incite the murder of gay people. Such incitement is a serious criminal offence.
“Under legislation that was introduced under Thatcher, gay and bisexual men are still prohibited from donating blood, even if they always practice safe sex and have tested HIV-negative. This is entirely unjustifiable in a period when the National Blood Service is appealing for help to backup its reserves because of swine ‘flu.
“The LGBT community has made great strides towards equality, but we have not yet won equal treatment. The government’s current Equality Bill is supposed to ensure equal rights for everyone but it specifically denies lesbian and gay people protection against harassment. The government supports the ban on same-sex marriage. Civil partnerships are not equality. They are a form of sexual apartheid, with different laws for gay and straight couples. Labour’s many commendable law reforms are no excuse for its stonewalling on the abolition of these remaining aspects of trans, bi and homophobic discrimination.
“We won’t stop campaigning until we win full respect, acceptance, dignity and human rights."
The debate will take place Friday, July 31 at The Eagle,125 Gloucester Road, Brighton BN1 4AF
For more information about Peter Tatchell view:
www.petertatchell.net
For more information about Caroline Lucas view:
wwwcarolinelucasmep.org.uk
