Bent's Gay Pre-Election
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QUEERING THE VOTE: BENT’S GAY PRE-ELECTION As the next general election looms, Bent’s own dream ticket Adrian Gillan dusts down our by now infamous pink SOAP BOX soapbox to put the main parties through their gay hustings. So: which one merits your precious queer vote? focused around the themes scheme so that same-sex of freedom, fairness and partners are eligible for com- trust and will include propos- pensation als for an Equality Act, which will outlaw discrimination Members of LCLGR have based on sexual orientation. been involved in campaigning Contrary to popular belief, it on these issues since the is still perfectly legal to dis- Campaign was founded in criminate against a gay per- 1983. There is still more son in the provision of servic- work to do, but there is also es, something this legislation a great deal to be proud of. would outlaw. LCLGR is calling on all les- Our rivals’ LGB bians, gay men and bisexuals weaknesses… to vote Labour at the next election. Labour Whilst one can acknowledge Our rivals’ LGB LIBERAL progress has been made LABOUR weaknesses… over the past eight years, we www.lclgr.org DEMOCRATS Katie Hanson, Co-Chair, www.delga.libdems.org have been badly let down by A return to a Conservative Labour. Let us not forget that Labour Campaign for government would be a dis- Cllr Richard Porter, Chair Lesbian & Gay Rights DELGA (Liberal Democrats the repeal of Section 28 took aster for lesbians, gay men for Lesbian & Gay Action), nearly six years, and outlaw- Our LGB strengths… and bisexuals. At the last local councillor in the ing discrimination on the General Election, the Tories basis of sexual orientation in Labour's record in office made it clear in their mani- London Borough of speaks for itself. Since 1997, Southwark and Liberal the workplace only came on festo that they still supported to the statute books thanks the Government has: Section 28. Democrat parliamentary • Equalised the age of con- candidate for Camberwell to the European Union. And if you work for a religious sent for gay men The Liberal Democrats and Peckham in the forth- • Repealed Section 28, coming general election organisation, the government offer some good policies on negotiated an exemption to which outlawed the "promo- paper but that is where they the legislation so you can still tion" of homosexuality in will stay—only Labour can Our LGB strengths… schools The Liberal Democrats have be sacked because you are deliver equality. And in many gay. More recently, it has • Changed immigration law parts of Britain, the only been the only party who to allow non-European Union have provided effective been a struggle to get the thing that voting LibDem can government to accept that citizens to live in the UK with do is to let the Tories in. If opposition to Labour over the their partners past eight years. On gay the Civil Partnerships Bill you go to bed with Charles should include provision for • Amended the asylum Kennedy, you could wake up adoption, repeal of Section instructions to allow claims 28, transgender issues and full pension rights, and the with Michael Howard. government still has a long for asylum to be made by civil partnership rights, the those who fear persecution Lib Dems have been unani- way to go in addressing the The Greens have let them- problem of homophobic bul- for being lesbian or gay selves down by taking to pro- mous in their support for a • Lifted the ban on lesbians change in the law. The parlia- lying in schools. moting the rather bizarre and gay men serving in the views of one of their newest mentary party and regionally armed forces elected representatives Greens members, Peter Tatchell, Based on our electoral sys- • Changed the law to allow who appears to have been around the country have same-sex couples to adopt been at the forefront of cam- tem, a vote for the Green living in a parallel universe for Party at the general election children the last seven years. paigns to ensure the police • Brought in the Civil are more responsive to the is a wasted vote. According to Mr Tatchell, the Partnerships Bill, giving Government has been needs of the LGBT communi- same-sex couples access to ty, and that reports of homo- Conservatives spending its time trying to Michael Howard was part of all the same rights and block lesbian and gay equali- phobic hate crime are taken responsibilities as heterosex- seriously. Our party leader, the cabinet that introduced ty. We say that the only thing Section 28, resisted equalisa- ual married couples that was better under a Tory Charles Kennedy MP fre- • Implemented regulations quently refers to the struggle tion of the age of consent, government were OutRage! denied gay people basic that give protection from dis- campaigns! for gay equality in his crimination in employment to speeches and the party mani- human rights for eighteen years, introduced the poll tax lesbians and gay men festo for the coming general • Equalised sexual offences election will outline the and now wants us to vote for him. A large proportion of law, removing "crimes" such progress we still need to as gross indecency that had make to ensure an equal Tory MP’s recently voted against repeal of Section 28, no heterosexual equivalent society for all. Key issues for • Amended the Criminal the coming election will be civil partnership rights and gay adoption. Injuries Compensation 014 SEE WHAT MUD STICKS! READ THEIR RESPONSES TO EACH OTHER IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF BENT (APRIL) !!!AND WRITE IN TO TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!!! For LGBT-related political news and discussion: www.thegayvote.co.uk school—that too often go Brighton, Councillor Simon unrecognised and unreport- Williams has been at the fore- ed. Violent crime has almost front of the campaign against doubled under Labour and “murder music”. Lord Tim many of those crimes are Beaumont is a former chair of against gay men. It’s also the Albany Trust, the first LGBT shocking that young gay men lobby group. A former LibDem, are more likely to try to com- he joined the Greens in 1999. mit suicide than any other section of the community— Our rivals’ LGB bullies in schools find it all weaknesses… too easy to get away with their evil taunting. New Labour's record is one of broken promises and That's why we want to take dragged heels. They only low- more action to make our ered the age of consent streets safer, by putting because a 16 year-old had 40,000 more police on the already started taking John CONSERVATIVES beat. It may indeed involve GREENS Major's government to the www.gayconservatives.com changing attitudes and www.greenparty.org.uk European Court of Human Charles Hendry, Shadow reporting systems, but we Nigel Tart, LGBT Rights. Despite a 1997 elec- Minister for Young People, will not see homophobic Spokesperson, Green Party tion pledge, Section 28 was Deputy Chairman of the abuse tackled effectively only repealed in 2003—after a Conservative Party and until people genuinely feel Our LGB strengths… backbencher’s bill. They Conservative MP for they can report an attack and fought tooth and nail in Wealden know it will be acted upon The Greens are a party of action. Europe to keep the ban on immediately and sympatheti- lesbians and gays in the mili- Our LGB strengths and a cally. We will also act to Our Green MEPs are cam- tary. Employment protection challenge to our rivals… stamp out homophobic bully- paigning for EU-wide recogni- resulted from a European ing, especially in schools. tion of same sex partnerships; Union directive, and New Late last year, Parliament lobbying for the European Labour bowed to right wing passed one of the most I recognise that, in the past, Commission to outlaw the Christians and made churches important pieces of legisla- many have been put off vot- religious exemption from and such exempt. The sexual tion for the LGB communi- ing Conservative because of employment protection; calling offences’ reforms were ty—the Civil Partnerships Bill. issues like Section 28, but for protection against discrim- marred by a new homophobic Nothing shows more clearly today's Conservative Party ination in good & services; and law against cottaging. It is still how politics has changed has a clear commitment to calling for a Europe-wide sur- legal for insurance compa- than the fact that more equality, both in the people vey of best practice in policing nies, hotels and the like to members of the we employ and the candi- LGBT communities, with a view refuse to serve us. The pro- Conservative Shadow dates we select. I'm proud to developing a Charter for posed Commission for Cabinet voted for it than did the Conservative Party is Gay-friendly Policing. Equality and Human Rights is members of the, much larg- now selecting openly gay set to overlook LGB rights in er, Labour Cabinet. candidates in key marginal Our councillors are calling on favour of religious groups. seats for the coming elec- Local Education Authorities to This was just one more step tion; many I am sure will issue all education workers The Tories are responsible along a road of change, become outstanding MPs. with clear guidance on their for nearly every homophobic which I know many have felt And I'm proud Michael responsibilities to provide a law ever passed. They can has taken too long. Last year, Howard has stated so clearly safe, inclusive learning envi- wheel out the odd progres- I was the first MP ever to that a person's sexuality is ronment, to challenge all sive for a “gay safari” to hold an event at irrelevant to their ability to be forms of prejudice and bully- Brighton, but no one is taken Westminster to look at the a good MP.