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International sports stars support National Student Pride

Caroline Lucas MP cuts the ribbon to open Student Pride 2013
Caroline Lucas MP cuts the ribbon to open Student Pride 2013

National Student Pride returned to Brighton over the weekend (March 1-3) with a series of events at the Dome complex.

Highlight of an afternoon of events on Saturday, March 2, was a debate on Homophobia and Transphobia in Sport.

The panel featured international sports stars, including:

• NBA basket ball player John Amaechi who came out when he left the sport and is now a psychologist.

• Former England Rugby star Ben Cohen an equal rights campaigner and director of the Stand Up Foundation which encourages people to stand up to bullying.

• Former Chelsea and England footballer Graeme Le Saux who was the victim of a whispering campaign that he was gay even though he is straight and married. During a premier league match, Liverpool footballer Robbie Fowler kept inviting him to give him one “up the arse”. The tabloids had a field day at the time and Graeme said he had no support or anyone to turn to to help deal with the publicity and pressure he endured.

Homophobia in Sports debate
Homophobia in Sports debate

Other panelists included Delia Johnston, an anti transphobia campaigner, Alex Davis, swimmer and chair of the London bid for the 2018 Gay Games. Ed Connell, a barrister, judge, manager of gay friendly football club London Titans and vice chair of the London FA inclusion advisory group: and Danny Lynch, media officer for Kick It Out.

The debate was brilliantly chaired by BBC journalist and presenter of Dragon’s Den,  Evan Davis who allowed the panelists plenty of time to gets their points over while allowing questions from the floor.

Other events included a job fair supported by businesses such as Asda, Ernst & Young and Accenture, live music and ‘A Queston Time Debate’ featuring: Matthew Todd, editor of Attitude Magazine: Charlie Condou actor in Coronation Street: Liz Bingham, Ernst & Young Manager Partner for People UK and Ireland: Matthew Cain, Culture editor Channel 4 News: Elly Barnes, Independent Pink List No 1 winner 2011: Paris Lees, trans activist: and James Wharton who is s serving soldier.

The students went on a pub crawl round bars in the gay village on Saturday evening, returning to the Corn Exchange for a Club Night at 10.30pm which included live performances from Lucy Spraggan, boy band Class A and girl band Vanquish.

Student Pride 2013

Stonewall ‘Bigot of the Year’ apologises and asks for forgiveness

Cardinal Keith O'Brien
Cardinal Keith O’Brien

The Vatican have announced they will conducted an enquiry into the activities of Cardinal Keith O’Brien who has now acknowledged his sexual conduct had fallen below the standards expected of a priest, archbishop and cardinal.

In a statement issued through the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland and read out at St Marys Cathedral in Edinburgh on Sunday morning, the cardinal said:

“In recent days certain allegations which have been made against me have become public. Initially, their anonymous and non-specific nature led me to contest them.

“However, I wish to take this opportunity to admit that there have been times that my sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal.

“To those I have offended, I apologise and ask forgiveness. To the Catholic Church and people of Scotland, I also apologise.

“I will now spend the rest of my life in retirement. I will play no further part in the public life of the Catholic Church in Scotland”.

The cardinal, was due to take retirement next month but was forced to resign by the Pope two weeks ago after the Observer newspaper reported that three serving priests and a former priests had accused him in a formal complaint to the pope’s ambassador to the UK of “inappropriate acts” against them in the 80s,

In the debate for ‘equal marriage’ in Scotland, Cardinal O’Brien had said marriage for gay couples was “maddness” and a “grotesque subversion of a universally accepted human right”. He said if it were allowed, “further aberrations” would ensue and “society would be degenerating even further than it has already degenerated into immorality”.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien was named ‘Bigot of the Year’ in the Stonewall Equality Awards 2012. Prior to the awards sponsors Barclay Bank and Coutt’s Bankers had threatened to withdraw sponsorship from the event unless the award was withdrawn. Stonewall stood firm.

Ruth Davidson, SMP
Ruth Davidson, SMP

On the night of the Stonewall awards Ruth Davidson leader of the Conservative party in Scotland was booed during her acceptance speech for ‘Politician of the Year’. She said, Stonewall were wrong to use the term “bigot” and that it was important to “respect people who have a different view”.

Ms Davidson one of the few supporters of Equal Marriage in the Conservative Party in Scotland announced she had separate from her partner of five years last week.

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