Fair Is Worth Fighting For, the Green Party's election manifesto, includes a number of pledges for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community.
 
Caroline Lucas said:
“We are delighted that our general election manifesto includes strong commitments to further extend the rights and freedoms of LGBT people. Much remains to be done to end homophobia and transphobia and the Greens are proposing further far-reaching reforms, most of which will cost little or nothing. We challenge the other parties to match our LGBT pledges.
 
“The Green Party Manifesto proposes 14 LGBT rights policies. Our six key LGBT policies are:

(1) Open up civil marriages and civil partnerships, without discrimination, to both same-sex and opposite sex couples.

(2) Require all police forces to have LGBT Liaison Officers with paid time allocated within their work schedules to tackle homophobic and transphobic hate crime.

(3) End the blanket, lifetime ban on gay and bisexual blood donors.

(4) Amend the Equality Act to provide explicit protection against harassment to LGBT people.

(5) Refuse visas and work permits to ‘murder music’ singers and others who incite homophobic and transphobic violence.

(6) Ensure safe haven and refugee status for LGBT people fleeing persecution in violently homophobic and transphobic countries."

The Green Party's human rights spokesperson, Peter Tatchell, said:
“The Green Party will go into the General Election as the only party campaigning for full marriage and partnership equality. We are calling for civil marriages and civil partnerships to be open to both same-sex and opposite sex couples, without discrimination.

"We reaffirm our opposition to the blanket, lifetime ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood, which is depriving the NHS of much-needed blood donors. Our manifesto commitments show up the shortcomings of the other parties.”
 
Phelim Mac Cafferty, chair of LGBTGreens, said:
“In Brighton Pavilion we are leading in the polls, ahead of the Tories who only this week have once again failed to commit to promises on gay marriage in their manifesto. But in reality, the Tory smokescreen is denied in the Shadow Cabinet’s votes against access to fertility treatment for lesbian and bi women or David Cameron’s own vote against gay adoption. While the Tories opposed large sections of the Equality Bill in the House of Lords.
 
“While the Conservatives voted against Clause 61 of the Coroners & Justice Act, (outlawing homophobic hate speech) Greens are sending out a clear message that homophobic and transphobic crimes need to be dealt with on a par with racist crimes.
 
“On education policy, a core part of Conservative policy is to allow any group of parents who wish to set up a school to receive state funding - despite figures from the National Secular Society which show that this policy results in a rise in religious schools. Homophobic bullying is on average 10 per cent worse in faith schools. The Green Party would not allow faith schools to promote homophobia on the grounds of religion."

For more information about the Greens view:
www.brightonhovegreens.org