Staffordshire: UKIP election leaflet mocks bisexuals and warns of explicit ‘Homosexual Sex Education’

TW: biphobia, monosexism, anti-gay rhetoric
The name of a UKIP candidate has appeared on an election leaflet that mocks bisexuals, blasts the government’s same-sex marriage bill, and warns that it will lead to explicit Homosexual Sex Education.

UK: Leading black Pentecostal pastor backs equal marriage for same-sex couples

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Rev Paul Bailey says that gay couples should have the right to marry (Photo: Keep the Faith)
Rev Paul Bailey says that gay couples should have the right to marry (Photo: Keep the Faith)

The Reverend Paul Bailey has become one of the first black church leaders to back the introduction of same-sex marriage in England and Wales. Mr Bailey, who leads the Regeneration Project, an inclusive Pentecostal church in Mitcham, south London, said that the Government plans to give “equal rights to an oppressed sexual minority.”

He said: “At its heart, this is a civil rights issue. It is important to note that in the Bible, marriage was fluid and amorphous; there are many kinds of marriage in Scripture. It is only in Jesus that we move towards a concrete definition.”

The church leader was speaking to Keep the Faith earlier this month. The publication asked him why he supports equality given than many Pentecostals are against equal rights for gay people.

“For some Pentecostals, this is a matter of conscience based on their interpretation of Scripture,” he replied. “For others, this is simply hate-based homophobia. Marriage is a legally-binding covenant of love and commitment. Gay people are uniquely created by God to reflect the beauty and diversity of His creation, just as heterosexual people; they should enjoy the same rights. Our failure to interpret and apply Scripture accurately has resulted in murder, persecution and oppression for the way gay people have been created, ie. their sexual orientation.”

The minister argued that he can support equal rights for gay couples because of the way that Jesus ministered to eunuchs, who were discriminated against in the Old Testament laws, as were gay people.

“The statements in Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Romans, 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy refer to a range of homosexual acts, but not to the issue of same-sex orientation, or to loving relationships between people of the same gender,” he said. “Scripture should be applied in the light of God’s welcome of excluded peoples. If the Scriptures do not prohibit same-sex love, then who are we to exclude those whom God has included? Some may say we are stretching, we are; we are trying to reach out to our lost and excluded brothers and sisters.”

He admitted that most of his fellow black church leaders disagree with his interpretation saying: “Homophobia is rife and unchallenged in many of our churches. Regardless of where we stand on this issue, we are called to love and reconciliation. Substance misuse, suicide, self-harm and poor mental health are significantly higher in the gay community. We all have a role in ministering to broken people. ”

Rev David Shosanya, director & regional minister of the London Baptist Association said that he disagreed with the interpretations of Mr Bailey but said: “How we handle our divergence of opinions is an indicator of our maturity and perhaps a statement of our measure in Christ.” He added: “We may not agree with Rev Bailey, (whom I know) but I refuse to demonise my brother!”

UK: Bishop Calls Church of England Hypocritical For Denying Blessings to Civil Unions

Written by scott 

In the UK, the Bishop of Buckingham is bucking his new Archbishop, who recently reaffirmed the church’s position against marriage equality. Pink News reports:

The Bishop of Buckingham, the Right Reverend Dr Alan Wilson, has criticised the Church of England’s refusal to allow blessings for civil partnerships, and said that some parishes were ignoring the ban in order to avoid conflict. Saying that some within the church felt that blessing same-sex civil unions was “logical, natural and compassionate,” Dr Wilson, said the church was “too frightened… to engage with the real world.”

We’re still waiting for a vote on the bill in the House of Lords. But at least England hasn’t seen any huge rallies against the bill like the one in France today. Scotland is also considering a marriage equality bill, and nearby, Ireland will convene a constitutional convention next month that could legalize gay marriage there.

Ireland – Blood service still refuses to accept donations from gay men as an ‘important safety measure’

Health Minister Dr James Reilly

The Irish blood service is to continue refusing blood from gay men despite a relaxation in the rule by authorities in the UK. Health Minister Dr James Reilly (pictured) said the permanent deferral of men who have sex with men (MSM) – of whom a significant majority consider themselves to be gay – by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) is an important safety measure for blood transfusion.

“The decision is not based on sexuality or orientation, but because it is known that there is an increased level of HIV infection rates in MSM in Ireland,”he said.

The EU Directive on quality and safety of blood requires that “all necessary measures have been taken to safeguard the health of individuals who are recipients of blood and blood components”. Testing for HIV remains very sensitive and effective but there remains a period between infection and detection that could permit the transmission to a recipient.

“The medical literature contains well documented examples in the immediate past. Although no transfusion transmitted infection anywhere is ever acceptable, in Ireland this is considered to be especially so given past experience.”

The IBTS works closely with other blood services in Europe and America where this permanent deferral is retained. Indeed, almost no developed country has no deferral period, and will all exclude sexually active gay men from donation. The UK modified their exclusion criteria to introduce a finite 12-month deferral for MSM behaviour in 2011. Men who have not had gay sex in the last 12 months may donate blood.

Since then the IBTS has reviewed formally its position and this has been ratified by its Medical Advisory Committee and Board.

“With regard to supply, there is a clear distinction to be made between transfusion safety and blood supply. Safety cannot be compromised by supply concerns. In addition, the number of donations likely to be obtained from MSM is unlikely to resolve any supply issues,” he added.

The Queen of England Supports Equal Rights

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BY ANDREW VILLAGOMEZ

Queen Elizabeth II is set to sign a new charter that will back equal rights for women and gays, while fighting discrimination

Photo via The British Monarchy

On Monday, Her Majesty the Queen will sign a historic pledge to promote gender equality and gay rights in one of the “most controversial acts of her reign,” as reported by the Daily Mail. Insiders say her decision to highlight the event is a “watershed” moment, the first time she has clearly signalled her support for gay rights in her 61-year reign. In a live television broadcast, she will sign the new charter, which is designed to crush discrimination against gay people and promote the empowerment of women. The charter states: “We are implacably opposed to all forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, creed, political belief or other grounds.”

The “other grounds” is meant to refer to sexuality, but a specific reference to gays and lesbians was not included in deference to Commonwealth countries with draconian anti-gay laws, the Daily stated. However, sources close to the Royal Household said the Queen is aware of the implications of the charter’s implicit support of gay rights and commitment to gender equality. She is expected to stress that the rights must “include everyone” in her upcoming speech. Ben Summerskill, chief executive of UK gay and lesbian rights group Stonewall, said the Queen has taken “an historic step forward” on gay rights.

He told the Daily, “This is the first time that the Queen has publicly acknowledged the importance of the 6% of her subjects who are gay. Some of the worst persecution of gay people in the world takes place in Commonwealth countries as a result of the British Empire.”

“The Palace has finally caught up with public opinion,” he added.

UK – Trans activists protest against police transphobia

UK - Trans activists protest against police transphobia

A group of transgender rights activists held a protest against police transphobia and alleged brutality, in London. Some 25 to 30 people gathered outside Charing Cross police station, in London, this past Saturday (2 March) to protest against transphobic actions by the London police force. The protest followed an incident revealed by Gay Star News, where Jose Dos Santos, a 49 year-old, transgender woman was allegedly mocked and handled with excessive force by the Metropolitan Police in Soho, the gay center of the UK capital, last week.

Group members of Protest Transphobia demonstrated against alleged police ‘brutality’ and demanded that it put a stop to anti-trans behavior and prevent its reoccurrence.

Participants held banners saying: ‘Stop transphobia’, ‘Keep us safe not sorry’, ‘Transphobic assault is a hate crime’ and others.

Speaking with Gay Star News, member of Protest Transphobia group, Sophia Botha, said: ‘Considering how far we’ve come in this country in improving trans equality and that we have trans police officers; it’s bewildering as to why any officer in the Met police would mock somebody for being transgender.

‘Of course there have been past incidents of the police acting in a transphobic manner, just as there have been many past incidents of the police acting in a racist or sexist or homophobic manner. This is something we don’t want to recur so we demonstrated to signal to the police we don’t want the police to act in such a manner anymore.

Protest Transphobia’s demonstration was organized withe the help of Lisa Quinn and other members who want to ensure that police knows that any slip up in standards of treatment towards transgender people will be met with a visible outcry from the transgender community.

‘We believe that transgender people need to be visible in opposing transphobic treatment whenever it occurs. ‘Too long the transgender community has remain silent in the discomfort of transphobia, our campaign is attempting to rectify this. ‘My family are originally from South Africa where police opened fire on striking miners’, said Botha. ‘We certainly have far better policing in Britain then many parts of the world but we should be weary of slipping standards and try to improve them when needed.’

Family placement service encourages LGBT people to adopt

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people who are thinking about parenting are being encouraged to consider adoption and fostering by Slough Borough Council. In celebration of LGBT fostering and adoption week, the council will be holding an information evening on Friday at West 5, in Ealing, Greater London.

The event is being held at West 5 as there is no gay venue in Slough.

Jackie Pape, family placement service team manager, said: “Slough is proud to work with and actively encourages applications from couples, as well as individuals from the LGBT community.

“We’ve been working with same sex couples for more than 10 years and offer a professional and understanding service for people considering adoption and fostering.”

People can drop into the session any time between 8-10pm or can contact 0800 0730291 for more information.

'Gender And Sexual Diversities,' Or GSD, Should Replace 'LGBT,' Say London Therapists

Could “LGBT” one day become “GSD”? A London-based advocacy group certainly hopes so. Pink Therapy director Dominic Davies and fellow therapist Pamela Gawler-Wright suggested GSD, or “Gender and Sexual Diversities,” as a more inclusive community term in a new video posted on the group’s Facebook page.

In the clip, Davies noted that the term LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) still excluded “a whole batch of people who didn’t feel able to go to mainstream counseling organizations and also wouldn’t necessarily be welcome at LGBT counseling organizations,” including asexual people and those in otherwise non-traditional relationships, such as swingers.

Added Gawler-Wright: “Now we’re allowing more of a spectrum…people need wider language, people need better language to have that conversation … We exist at this time in a different way of thinking collectively and inclusively.”

Officials on the group’s Facebook page echoed those sentiments. “The point we’re trying to make is not that our community shouldn’t be called LGBT, it’ that actually our community is SO much BIGGER than simply LGBT,” they noted.

What do you think?

Click the header link above to watch the video.

Boris Johnson to face legal challenge from Christian group over ‘ex-gay’ bus ads

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The proposed ad campaign aped Stonewall's iconic 'Some people are gay. Get over it!' posters
The proposed ad campaign aped Stonewall’s iconic ‘Some people are gay. Get over it!’ posters
 
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, will face Christian groups in court this week over allegations that he denied their right to free speech by banning an ad campaign which promoted discredited gay cure therapy. Dr Mike Davidson of the Core Issues Trust will appear in the High Court on Thursday to argue that the Mayor’s decision to pull a bus ad created by a duo of Christian groups was unlawful stifling of their free speech.

The advertisement, proposed by the Core Issues Trust and their fellow Christian group Anglican Mainstream, read “Not Gay! Ex-Gay, Post-Gay and Proud. Get over it!”. It parodied a Stonewall ad which ran the text “Some people are gay. Get over it!”.

Core Issues Trust and Anglican Mainstream hoped in May of last year to use the ad to promote therapies which claim to be able to change the sexuality of gay people. The government’s official position on gay cure therapies is that they are harmful and should not be condoned. Although the ad campaign was passed by the Committee of Advertising Practice, Mr Johnson intervened to pull it before it could run – just days before the Mayoral Election.

Dr Davidson, who claims to have benefited from gay cure therapy himself, said he hoped the judicial review would result in Transport for London running the ads.

“It was a mistake to assume these views we were expressing came from entrenched homophobia, and failed to recognise that people who want to walk away from their homosexual feelings are a group in their own right,” he said.

Andrea Williams of the Christian legal centre will be supporting Dr Davidson’s case. She argues: “The ban on these advertisements was the beginning of a kind of reverse discrimination which threatens to obliterate debate in the public sphere.

“Boris Johnson needs to realise his mistake and ensure there is freedom for all in the marketplace of ideas. He cannot prefer one group over another.”

The plaintiffs will point to a bus ad run in 2009 by Richard Dawkins and the British Humanist Association which read “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying. And enjoy your life,” as evidence of this reverse discrimination. At the time of his intervention, Mr Johnson said: “London is one of the most tolerant cities in the world and intolerant of intolerance. It is clearly offensive to suggest that being gay is an illness that someone recovers from and I am not prepared to have that suggestion driven around London on our buses.” He argued that pulling the campaign was actually in the interest of the Christian groups, as the backlash against them would have been considerable.

Transport for London banned the ad following the Mayor’s intervention. In a statement, posted on Twitter it said: “Anglican Mainstream ad just brought to our attention and will not run on London’s bus or transport networks. We don’t believe these ads reflect TfL’s commitment to a tolerant and inclusive London.” 

Stonewall’s “Some people are gay. Get over it!” adverts were placed on around 1,000 buses in London in 2012. Last November, a Christian driver refused to cover a route between Rotherham and Sheffield because the bus sported the Stonewall ad, leaving passengers temporarily stranded.

‘So you think your child is gay?’ New guide answers parents’ common questions

Poll shows 81 per cent of people would be comfortable with having a lesbian, gay or bisexual child

SYTYCIGStonewall today publishes a guide for parents who think their child might be lesbian, gay or bisexual. So You Think Your Child Is Gay? answers parents’ common questions about sexual orientation, including ‘is it just a phase?’, ‘did I do something wrong?’ and ‘will I still be welcome at church?’. Stonewall is distributing the pocket-size guide to thousands of GPs’ surgeries, libraries and schools across Britain.

YouGov polling for Stonewall’s Living Together report shows 81 per cent of people in Britain would now be comfortable if their child grew up to be lesbian, gay or bisexual. However, coming out remains a stressful experience for many gay young people and their parents. Although gay people today have plenty of sources of support when they choose to come out, few resources exist for parents of gay young people. Stonewall’s new guide will help parents support their children without worrying needlessly about the ‘impact’ of their sexual orientation.

Stonewall Head of Education Wes Streeting said: ‘Many parents worry about what being gay means for their relationship with their children and have all sorts of questions that they’re sometimes afraid to ask for fear of saying the wrong thing. So You Think Your Child Is Gay? provides upbeat and straightforward advice to parents, which focuses on the most important thing of all – giving children love and support, whatever their sexual orientation.’

Stonewall is distributing copies of So You Think Your Child Is Gay? to local authorities, schools, libraries and GP surgeries across Britain. The guide is also available online at www.stonewall.org.uk/parentguide, or can be ordered from Stonewall’s Information Service on 08000 50 20 20.

EXCLUSIVE: A Music Homage to Gay Icon Alan Turing

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BY ANDREW VILLAGOMEZ

Photo Credit: National Portrait Gallery, London

London’s electric, indie band Fiction is releasing its debut album, The Big Other, this March, and the final track, “The Apple,” pays a modern musical homage to Alan Turing—whose tragic demise inspired band member Mike Barrett to write the song. “‘It’s one of the oldest songs on the album and has always been a favorite to play live,” Barrett explained. Turing was a brilliant UK mathematician during the 1930s-1950s, who was found guilty of “gross indecency” with another man back when British law condemned homosexual activity. He was given the difficult choice between being sent to prison or chemical castration. “He chose the latter and was forced to take female growth hormones, which inevitably had a grave effect on his body and mind,” Barrett explained. “When he died two years later from cyanide poisoning, a half eaten apple was found next to his bed. Some suspect his suicide was a recreation of a scene from his favorite fairytale, SnowWhite.”

Barrett shared that he first learned about Turing from reading his work on algorithms and his contribution at Bletchley Park—which during the WWII was the site of the UK’s main decryption establishment, the Government Code and Cypher School. “[I] subsequently read about his trial, and the circumstances of his death came as a bit of a surprise… Here’s a genius—a man that arguably invented the computer, who made a priceless contribution to defeating the Nazis—put on trial for his sexuality. Of course, countless others were tried in the UK, and continue to be around the world, but Turing’s story illustrated to me so graphically the sheer absurdity of prejudice, and ‘The Apple’ is a small attempt at understanding his personal torment at that time.”

Barrett went on to explain: “It seems ironic that, in a country so scientifically advanced, the law that kept homosexuality a crime until the late 1960s served to ruin the life of one of Britain’s best scientific minds. Even today, as a bill legalizing gay marriage is passed through Parliament, we see half the government in uproar, talking in sound bytes about marriage being ‘between a man and a woman’. I’m generally more into women than men—and I’m not particularly inclined to get married yet!—but, like Turing’s story, it reminded me that for all [Western Europe’s] social progress, small-minded conservatism still exists and should be exposed as such wherever possible, whatever your sexuality.”

Click the header link above to have a listen.

ACTUP.ORG: UK – Queer Contact, Manchester’s LGBT Arts Festival kicks off LGBT History Month

Queer Contact 2012

With LGBT History Month taking place in February, Contact - a young people’s arts organisation based in Manchester – kicks off the month with a week-long programme of various exhibitions, workshops, debates, plays, comedies and other musical and theatrical shows to celebrate LGBT arts and culture from across the UK and around the world. Currently in its fourth year running, Queer Contact has showcased the diverse artistic talents of the likes of The Tiger Lillies, Jonny Woo, Dickie Beau, Scottee, David Hoyle and Myra Dubois.

This year, Queer Contact 2013 will run from 4 to 9 February and will feature works by Debs Gatenby, Cheryl Martin, Bourgeois & Maurice, Jez Dolan, Joseph Richardson and Malc Stone. Supporting this year’s performance programme will be three exhibitions – The Modern Lesbian, Transchester and Blank Media Collective - as well as a number of workshops and open mic opportunities for new and emerging artists to get a taste of performing alongside more established acts. For a full schedule of the week’s listings, check out their website or to get a taster, check out the video (click the header link above).

Queer Contact’s producer, Barry Priest says: ‘We’re extremely excited to once again welcome the best in local, national and international LGBT talent to Manchester, for a truly diverse festival line-up that is sure to delight and challenge our audiences! Queer Contact continues to grow from strength to strength each year, and with more events than ever - theatre, cabaret, comedy, dance, spoken word, music, exhibitions and workshops – at some of the lowest prices in town, we do hope you can join us for an amazing festival week!’ Queer Contact 2013 is supported by OutNorthWest magazine, the LGF, Gaydio and Canal Street.

U.K. Marriage Equality Bill Introduced

Debate and a vote are scheduled for February 5.

BY TRUDY RING

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The bill that would establish marriage equality in the U.K. was introduced in Parliament today, with a vote expected early in February. Debate on the bill and a vote are scheduled for February 5, the Associated Press reports. Although some religious conservatives oppose the measure, it is likely to pass, as it has the backing of Prime Minister David Cameron and other national leaders.

“We feel that marriage is a good thing and we should be supporting more couples to marry, and that is exactly what the proposals being brought forward today do,” Equalities Minister Maria Miller told BBC radio.

Gay couples in the U.K. have had access to civil partnerships since 2005. Those confer similar rights but not the designation of marriage.

Majority of MPs to Vote for Marriage Equality

For the first time, a majority of MPs have committed to vote for a change in the law to lift the ban on same-sex marriage in England and Wales. According to the Coalition for Equal Marriage, a grass-roots organisation campaigning for the introduction of same-sex marriage, 330 MPs have confirmed they will vote in favour of same-sex marriage legislation when it is introduced at Westminster in the next few months.

In contrast, just 126 MPs have publicly stated that they remain opposed to a change in the law, meaning there is now a clear parliamentary majority for equal marriage. The survey, conducted by the Coalition for Equal Marriage, is based on public declarations of support or opposition from MPs, including letters to constituents.

James Lattimore and Conor Marron, co-founders of the Coalition for Equal Marriage, said; “We welcome the news that MPs favour the introduction of same-sex marriage by a margin of 3-1 and hope that even more will announce support in time. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are entitled to full equality, including equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. The UK Government has the green light to push ahead with this fair and progressive change which has the support of an overwhelming majority of the public and now Parliament too.”

Key figures from across the political spectrum have said they will personally be voting for the proposals, including the leaders of the three main parties. The news comes as polling shows increasing support for same-sex marriage amongst the public. A recent poll carried out by ICM for the Guardian in December showed 62% of people in favour, with just 31% opposed. Similar polls for YouGov, Populus, ComRes, and Ipsos MORI have shown consistent public support for a change in the law to allow same-sex marriage.

Click the header link above to read the full article.

UK: Police deny DNA 'witch hunt' against gay men

TW: mention of suicide, depression, rape, sexual abuse, child molesters
Gay rights activist Peter Tatchell claims police operation to collect DNA from those convicted of past offences is an 'anti-gay sweep'

British police deny they are targeting the LGBT community by demanding DNA samples from gay men who were convicted of ‘victimless’ sexual offences. Gay rights activist Peter Tatchell is calling on the Home Secretary and Chief Constables to halt the police’s ‘homophobic witch hunt’ of gay men convicted under the UK’s gross indecency law, despite the legislation being repealed in 2003. The veteran campaigner claims forces in Greater Manchester and Northumbria have threatened to arrest the men if they fail to comply with their demands.

Tatchell fears the DNA will be kept by the police on a national database alongside rapists and murderers. Powers to obtain DNA samples from offenders convicted of crimes in the past 40 years were granted under the Crime and Security Act 2010. The legislation allows police forces to take samples from individuals if they have been convicted of any recordable offence or can be taken if one was not obtained at the time of the original offence itself.

Tatchell said: ‘Police have apparently lumped gross indecency - the victimless offence that was used to jail Oscar Wilde in 1895 - with violent sexual assaults and child molestation. Men convicted of the now repealed consensual offence of “gross indecency” are, in effect, being rebranded as serious criminals and treated on a par with the most vicious, violent sex fiends,’ he added. ‘They are being forced to go through the trauma of police abuse all over again.’

He quotes a man from Northumbria, who has asked to remain anonymous, that claims to be ‘traumatized’ by the police’s actions. According to Tatchell, the man was convicted for a consenting offence at the age of 17. Now, nearly 30 years later and in a 10 year relationship, police have left him feeling depressed and suicidal. 

Another man, Stephen Close, who now lives in Salford, Greater Manchester, was arrested and jailed for ‘gross indecency’ in 1983, when he was 20. He was in the army at the time and claims he was abused by military police and subjected to violent assaults. He eventually confessed to having sex with a fellow squaddie.

Although homosexuality was partly decriminalised for civilians in 1967, it remained an imprisonable military offence until 1994. Mr Close was jailed for six months and discharged from the army with disgrace. 

Close said: ‘How long must I endure this burden? Will I ever be able to lead a normal life without worrying whether my past will come back to haunt me?’

However, police have denied they are targeting people based on their sexuality. According to a Northumbria Police spokesman the operation is being led by the Home Office and ‘requires forces to obtain DNA samples and/or finger prints from people convicted of specified qualifying offences including homicides, violent crimes and sexual assault, where no DNA sample has previously been obtained.’ Greater Manchester Police also denied the operation is what Tatchell dubs an ‘anti-gay sweep’ and claims they are reviewing Close’s case to determine whether his DNA would be included on the National DNA database or the Police National Computer.

However, a police spokesman told Gay Star News that the letter to Close only contained information which stated a DNA sample was required in relation to a recordable offence or qualified offence. No specific offences were outlined in the letter. 

The spokesman said: ‘If this was the sole offence against Mr Close then consideration would have been made in relation to the taking of the sample due to the time that has elapsed and the change in the law that means it would no longer be a criminal offence. However, the request for his DNA was made based on his full police record and was in compliance with the legislation. Therefore, I would stress again in the strongest possible terms that this is not about an individual’s sexuality.’

Greater Manchester Police say they have so far collected 851 DNA samples in the area. West Midlands police are reportedly also pursuing a similar operation. If an individual wishes to have a historic conviction for consensual same-sex relations expunged, they can write to the Home Secretary or visit the Home Office website and make an application for the conviction to be quashed and the entries on the Police National Computer and National DNA Database disregarded. It is up to the individual to make that application and the Home Secretary will make a decision.