Thursday 2^nd February 2012

Tackling Homophobia and Transphobia in Football - the public register

Leading LGBT+ Liberal Democrat campaigners have welcomed the news that today will see the publication of a list of which Premier League clubs have signed up to The Government's Sports Charter to tackle homophobia and transphobia in sport.

LGBT+ Liberal Democrats are disappointed to see the second-highest clergyman in the Church of England, the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu, offering a disturbing, extreme and poisoned view on equal marriage.

Both the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people and the democratic will of the British people (with 61% saying in a recent Populus poll that they want same-sex couples to be able to marry) run counter to Dr Sentamu's stated views.

Chair LGBT+ Liberal Democrats Adrian Trett, commented, "The prejudiced and outdated views of the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu need to be publicly challenged by all who believe in marriage equality. Therefore I encourage everyone to contribute positively to the upcoming consultation taking place in March, thanks to the continuing extraordinary work of the Liberal Democrat Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone.

"These comments from the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, only highlight why reform of the House of Lords is essential. Such intolerance and homophobia have no place in our government. And though he seems to have misunderstood this, the government's proposal for equal civil marriage does not affect churches and other places of worship."

LGBT+ Liberal Democrats will continue to work very hard with the coalition government to ensure that these basic human rights will be enshrined for all the citizens of the United Kingdom during this parliament.

All the Lib Dem MEPs have signed up to a ten-point pledge on lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality and liberation.

MEPs from across the European Union have been adding their names to the pledge this week at a two-day event organised by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association - Europe (ILGA Europe) and the European Parliament's LGBT Intergroup, marking the half-way point of this European Parliament term. More than 180 have now signed.

LGBT+ Liberal Democrats has responded to news this morning of a Conservative rebellion over plans to introduce equal civil marriage, which were announced in September by Liberal Democrat Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone.

Chair Adrian Trett said, "As the only major party to support equal marriage, we will continue to work hard to bring it about, working with supporters from all parties and none."

LGBT+ Liberal Democrats see yet another victory for equality in yesterday's unsuccessful attempt by Baroness O'Cathain to annul the legislation for civil partnerships to be celebrated in those religious premises which choose to do so.

We were delighted to see so many Liberal Democrats Peers were present for the debate yesterday.

Lord Rennard, who was in the debate, said:

'Scotland for Marriage', a group opposed to equal marriage in Scotland, held a demonstration outside the Scottish Parliament yesterday.

During the rally, Cardinal Keith O'Brien said "If the Scottish Government attempt to demolish a universally recognised human right they will have forfeited the trust which the nation, including peoples of all faith and no faith, have placed in them, and their intolerance will shame Scotland in the eyes of the world."

On World AIDS Day, the Government has announced a consultation to determine whether restrictions on NHS workers with HIV should be relaxed after a review found an "extremely low" risk of the disease being passed to patients. England's Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies announced the plan after Government advisers said UK rules were "out of step" with available evidence.

They found the risk of a patient being infected with HIV from an infected healthcare worker during the most invasive type of surgery (such as open heart surgery or hysterectomy) was about one in five million. It was negligible for less invasive procedures, such as having an injection of local anaesthetic during dental treatment.

LGBT+ Liberal Democrats chair Adrian Trett welcomed the consultation, saying "We welcome all steps to reduce unscientific stigma against HIV positive and LGBT+ people. Lib Dem party policy on blood donation shows that we put the facts first. This consultation, if successful, will mean more skilled staff able to conduct operations in the NHS, and better treatment for patients."

Lynne Featherstone MP, the Lib Dem minister for equalities, issued this statement of support for Sunday's Transgender Day of Remembrance (TGDOR):

"It is important that we use anniversaries such as this to remember the sacrifices some people have gone through just to be themselves. Too many transgender people both here in the UK and abroad continue to face prejudice, discrimination and inequality and sometimes even violence at every turn.

"I am proud that shortly this Government will be publishing the first ever action plan to advance transgender equality. Whether it is challenging prejudice in schools and the workplace, to clamping down on hate crime, to ensuring everyone can access public services which meet their needs - the action plan will set firm commitments we will take across all areas of social policy.

"But this is not a job for Government alone. We must all reaffirm out commitment to tackling hate in whatever ugly form it takes. We can't turn back time, but together we can make a difference and honour the memory of those we have lost by working towards a future free from ignorance and prejudice."

TGDOR is an annual memorial to those murdered through transphobic hate crime.

LGBT Equality Minister, Lib Dem MP Lynne Featherstone, today announced that in five weeks' time - on December 5th - the law will change to permit civil partnership ceremonies to be conducted at religious premises in England and Wales. The date is six years to the day since the first civil partnership ceremony held in the UK.

LGBT+ Lib Dems national executive member Sarah Brown is interviewed by Diva magazine about being an out lesbian and out trans woman in public life - following her recent ranking as the highest-placed transgender person in the Independent On Sunday's annual "Pink List".

Read the interview here on Diva's website.