Speaking out against, MP Andrew Turn, who stepped down after alleged homophobic comments were made to a sixth form class, the Green Party has called the Conservative MP “unfit” and says only the Green party can offer protection to LGBTs.
The Green Party has called the minister “unfit” and said that his comments were abhorrent. Reaching out to the LGBT community,
Vix Lowthion, Green Party candidate for the Isle of Wight, said,
“Andrew Turner was unfit to represent the Isle of Wight and his recent, abhorrent comments left his place in Parliament completely untenable. People here deserves someone who will stand up for them. Today the Green Party announced radical plans to protect LGBTIQA+ refugees, provide decent HIV protection and promote rights for intersex and trans people – that is the kind of politics people in the Isle of Wight need and only the Green Party can offer.”
In their latest manifesto aimed at the LGBT community, the Greens are keen to bring in a raft of new policies which would secure rights for non-binary, trans, asexual and aromantic people. The word bisexual is mentioned once, lesbian and gay are mentioned four times, intersex 10 times, non-binary 12 times and the word trans is written 19 times.
However, they did use language such as “men who have sex with men” which has largely been disapproved of by the gay and bisexual male community. The manifesto also does not mention changing current divorce law to equalise it with opposite-sex marriage. They also failed to make policy on how to tackle LGBT+ homelessness.
It is, however, the first political party to present its LGBT+ manifesto.
Channel 4 will be marking the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK by broadcasting a raft of programming to celebrate LGBT life in the UK.
A number of landmark productions are set to be broadcast on Channel 4 as it marks 50 years since homosexuality was decriminalised in England and Wales.
Not Guilty charts the stories of some of the 15,000 British men criminalised for offences under long-defunct anti-homosexuality laws. Epidemic (working title w/t) reveals how an unlikely coalition of gay campaigners Tory politicians, and pioneering doctors came together to fight AIDS in the 1980s – and changed Britain forever in the process. In 50 Shades of Gay (w/t)Rupert Everett, in a series of surprising encounters with gay people of all ages, delivers his own personal take on the changes in gay life and culture that have happened in Britain in the past 50 years.And Coming Out (w/t) reveals how while campaigners were battling Parliament for legal reforms, the real frontline in the fight to win acceptance for gay culture was the arena of pop music.
Rob Coldstream, Commissioning Editor, Special Factual said,
“History can tell us as much about the present day as it does about the past and I’m thrilled to announce this slate of programmes – its incredibly wide ranging but at its heart is brilliant new journalism, and a fresh lens onto the past that offers new insights into our own times.”
The Isle Of Wight’s MP, Andrew Turner, has quit it is alleged he told a Sixth Form class that he thought that being gay was wrong and “dangerous” for society.
MP Andrew Turner who has represented the Isle of Wight for 16 years has resigned after reports emerged that he said he thought it was “wrong” to be gay, and that he thought that it was “dangerous for society”. He allegedly made the comments to sixth form students at the Christ The King College in Newport.
The outburst happened after Mr Turner was asked if he’d be involved with the annual Isle of Wight pride festival. Turner allegedly revealed that he had been invited but would not attend.
A student at the Sixth Form, Esther Poucher wrote on on Facebook,
“He told us that he’d been invited, but wasn’t intending to go. This is because (and this is a direct quote) he thinks that homosexuality is ‘wrong’ and ‘dangerous to society.
“It’s terrifying that in this age and point in our development as a society, there are still people that can’t care enough about a person’s wellbeing to just accept who they are.
“And the most terrifying thing is that we as an island consistently vote him in to represent us. Well f*ck that. HE DOES NOT REPRESENT ME.”
She added,
“If there is anything I can give to you from this, it is that we need change.
“We can’t wait, and we can’t just nod politely and respect and opinion like that.
“Yes, we all believe different things, and that’s wonderful. But when that belief treats a group as sub-human, and attempts to take away their fundamental rights, we can’t respect it.”
The candidate was due to attend a meeting on Friday morning to re-select him to stand as the Tory candidate in the forthcoming election. The meeting was postponed. Shortly after it was announced that he was stepping down and his decision to do so had nothing to do with the allegations.
The MP, according to TheyWorkForYou.com has almost consistently voted against gay and LGBT+ rights. In 2003 he voted to keep Section 28, in 2004 he voted no on Civil Partnerships and voted against same-sex marriage in 2013.
The MP said it had been his “privilege to serve the people of the Isle of Wight” but said that it was time for a “new generation” to take the mantle and represent the constituents of the Isle Of Wight.
In what’s being described as setting a “clear distance” between itself and the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party is launching its LGBT+ manifesto in a church.
The Green party has said it will commit to supporting LGBT+ asylum seekers.
Co-leader of the Greens Jonathan Bartley, said they were the party to ‘always stand up for LGBTIQA+ people’
The party has the only openly trans spokesperson in UK politics.
The Green party is vying for LGBT+ support today after it revealed that it would set out its LGBT+ manifesto in a London Church, a move it says which separates it from the Liberal Democrats. The launch is to take place at The Trinity United Reform Church in Camden, well-known for its progressive views and inclusivity.
Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, said,
“The Green Party has a proud history of leading the way when it comes to LGBTIQA+ rights. While other political parties struggle to say what they believe, Greens are clear – we will always stand up for LGBTIQA+ people.
“We believe in a fairer world, a more equal economy, human rights protected by law, recognition and representation for all gender identities and education and health services which care for and include everyone.”
Last week, the Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron was criticised after initially failing to answer questions on whether he thought, as a committed Christian, if “gay sex” was a sin. He was asked numerous times by Channel 4’s Cathy Newman, 11 times by an LBC reporter and once in the House of Commons. He finally revealed that he didn’t think it was a sin by saying in a BBC interview,
“I don’t believe that gay sex is a sin.
“I take the view though, that as a political leader, my job is not to pontificate on theological matters.
Aimee Challenor, Green Party LGBTIQA+ spokesperson, who is the only openly trans spokesperson of a UK Political Party, said,
“Let’s be clear, LGBTIQA+ rights are under threat. From Gay and Bi men being tortured and killed in Chechnya, to Donald Trump weakening protections in the US and the UK’s threat to repeal the Human Rights Act, 2017 has already been a concerning year for everyone who cares about LGBTIQA+ people.
“The Green Party is proud to stand against the erosion of LGBITQA+ rights and launch a manifesto which proudly fights for bodily autonomy for intersex people, legal recognition for trans and non-binary people, for PrEP for all that need it, and for greater protection for LGBTIQA+ asylum seekers – and more.”
A man in his 30s has been sentenced to 2 months for a transphobic hate crime in Surrey, UK.
38-year-old Darren McClean pleaded guilty to abusive behaviour towards a trans woman in Surrey. He was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court. He was handed a 2-month sentence behind bars on the 21st April.
On the 15th March McClean (Pictured) verbally abused Ms Philppa Baker, whilst she was shopping at a local supermarket in Caterham.
Ms Baker was buying groceries at the self-serve checkout when McClean started shouting offensive and transphobic comments at her. She approached McClean and asked him to stop however he continued and began taking pictures of her on his mobile phone.
McClean was eventually removed from the supermarket by security staff leaving Ms Baker shaken by the attack.
Following the incident, McClean posted images taken on his mobile phone onto Facebook where he continued to make transphobic and hateful comments.
Ms Baker said,
“The comments that were made to me were completely vile. He spoke with such hatred which I have not been subjected to previously. I was just minding my own business paying for my items when I was caught off guard by the abuse I received. I would like to thank PC Kara Lyford and Surrey Police for their support and reassurance throughout the case. ”
PC Kara Lyford said,
“Philippa was subjected to an awful ordeal whilst simply going about her day to day life. McLean not only verbally abused her but then proceeded to threaten her and take pictures of her without her consent. When she asked him to stop, he refused and continued to hurl abuse and made extremely offensive and unacceptable comments.”
“As a result Philippa has suffered a great deal and has feared for her personal safety. I would like to reassure the residents of Caterham and particularly our LGBT+ communities that we do not tolerate hate crime in any way. We take all reports of hate seriously and will take action. This sentencing result will hopefully give Philippa a sense of justice that she deserves.”
If you have been a victim of hate crime, please contact Surrey Police on 101 or use the online reporting system https://report.police.uk/
It seems as though one question has been following Tim Farron around for some time. Is gay sex a sin?
A simple question that has been fixated on by the media due to Mr Farron’s refusal to originally answer the question. Back in July 2015, during an interview for Channel 4 news, the newly elected leader of the Liberal Democrats refused to answer the question three times on whether he believed gay sex was a sin. Instead, answering with: “We’re all sinners.”
Now, nearly two years later, the question came up again as we head into a flash general election. After refusing again to answer the question to journalists, Tim finally told the House of Commons last week, during direct questioning that he did not think that being gay is a sin.
This still didn’t answer the direct question of gay sex being a sin or not and so, in a BBC interview this week, again Mr Farron’s opinion was sought on the subject. He replied,
“I don’t believe that gay sex is a sin.
“I take the view though, that as a political leader, my job is not to pontificate on theological matters.
“It seems to me that there is a general election on at the moment, we need to be talking about big issues.”
The general election will take place on Thursday 8th June 2017.
The BBC have announced that they are to broadcast a season of programming to mark the 50 years since homosexuality was partially decriminalised in the UK.
CREDIT: BBC
Led by programming on BBC Two and Four, with other content across BBC radio and online, the Gay Britannia season will feature bold and provocative stories, celebrating the LGBTQ community as well as challenging existing preconceptions and prejudices. The season will also cast a fresh light on the history of gay Britain, as well as highlighting just what it means to be gay in Britain today. Contributors announced today include Andrew Scott, Val McDermid, Olly Alexander, Sandi Toksvig, Susan Calman, Stephen K Amos, and Simon Callow.
On BBC Two, the season ranges from the compelling dramas Against the Law, starring Daniel Mays as journalist Peter Wildeblood who was found guilty of homosexuality in the 1950s in the explosive Montagu Trial and the first screen drama from best-selling British novelist Patrick Gale: Man in an Orange Shirt starring Vanessa Redgrave to important and timely documentaries such as Is It Safe to be Gay in the UK? which uses testimony and found footage to explore the rise of attacks on lesbian, gay and transgender people.
What Gay Did for Artcelebrates the contribution lesbian and gay people have made to popular culture, the visual arts, literature, theatre and film on BBC Two whilst Prejudice and Pride: The People’s History of LGBTQ Britain, presented by Susan Calman and Stephen K Amos on BBC Four, reveals the precious mementos and memorabilia that have the changed the lives of LGBTQ people over the last 50 years. Also on BBC Four, Gluck charts the modern British history of female homosexuality and its representation in culture, literature, fashion and art through the untold story of the celebrated artist Gluck who defied the gender and sexuality definitions of her time; and Mark Gatiss offers his and other writers’ responses to the 50th anniversary of The Sexual Offences Act in Queers.
On BBC Three, Olly Alexander, lead singer of Years and Years and a powerful voice on LGBTQ rights, explores why the gay community is more vulnerable to mental health issues, as he opens up about his own long-term battles with depression in Olly Alexander: Growing Up Gay.
Highlights on BBC Radio include Val McDermid presenting Queer Britain on Radio 4, exploring the many ways that the LGBTQ community was accepted, tolerated, despised and ostracised and how this was reflected across culture, society and politics. On Radio 2, a two-part series will celebrate out and proud LGBTQ performers who utilised their sexuality to push boundaries, defining the sound of their generation. On Radio 3, the drama Victim will trace the bravery behind the 1961 film of the same name that was the first English language film to use the word ‘homosexual’.
Patrick Holland, BBC Two Channel Controller, says
“This is a rich and compelling set of programmes that challenge us all. From the heart-breaking testimony of the men who lived through the years before partial decriminalisation in Against the Law and Patrick Gale’s intensely personal Man in an Orange Shirt to a documentary revealing the experience of people facing discrimination in the UK today, this season is a powerful examination of how far we have come whilst also exploring how much further we have to travel.”
In a flash poll taken by THEGAYUK, readers were split on whether a politician’s views on gay sex were an important consideration to them.
CREDIT: Ocus-Focus-bigstock
When asked if a politician’s views of what LGBT people do or don’t do in bed was a sin, an equal number of those surveyed answered yes and no. A flash poll undertaken by THEGAYUK showed that 47 percent of people thought that a politician’s views on the subject was an important factor to consider, whilst 47 percent did not. Six percent were unsure.
The poll comes after the leader of Liberal Democrats, Tim Farron was asked about his views on homosexuality. The committed Christian has been asked over and over on whether he considers homosexuality sinful.
“I tell you what, I am very proud to have gone through that lobby behind him there in the Coalition Government where the Liberal Democrats introduced gay marriage, equal marriage and, indeed, did not go as far as it should have done in terms of recognising transgender rights.
Replying to our poll, would be members of the electorate were keen to point out that “straight answers” to a simple question would be “refreshing” and that religious views would only be a problem if politicians wanted to “enforce that belief through politics”.
Guardian writer, Owen Jones however Tweeted,
“Tim Farron refusing to say whether gay sex is a sin is horribly damaging to young LGBT people struggling with their sexuality.
“So many LGBT people fear rejection by society. Hearing a national politician refuse to say whether gay sex is sinful causes hurt.”
Ever heard of Gisela Allen? Probably not. This morning, however, she became a viral internet sensation after a weird diatribe of what she wants and doesn’t want for her country, appeared in her local paper.
Gisela Allen is a UKIP candidate for a council seat in Garscadden/Scotstounhill, Scotland. After being asked by a reporter, “Why do you want to be a councillor?” for the Clydebank Post Allen laid out her wishes.
So what’s the take out from her wish list? She wants:
The death penalty, specifically the guillotine, (not hanging),
Mums to stay at home to look after their children,
The reopening of public toilets,
To close golf courses (they’re an environmental threat),
Children on horses,
No plastic bags, they’re threats to dolphins and animals…
The world was alerted to a horrifying assault on gay men in Chechnya in April 2017. This is how the story unfolded.
The story of the abduction, torture and killing of gay men in Chechnya, was reported thanks to the fearless investigations by Russian News outlet Novaya Gazeta. A journalist by the name of Elena Milashina broke the story that 100 men, suspected of being gay had been “rounded up”. The initial article, which was called, “Honor Killings”, suggested that some had been tortured and at least three had been killed.
The genesis
9th March
According to Milashina, the systematic roundup of gay men (or those suspected of being gay) began after an LGBT rights group in Russia, GayRussia, sought permission to run LGBT prides across the country. Permission was denied on the basis that the parades would go against Russia’s anti-LGBT law, which bans the “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” to anyone under the age of 18.
The justification for seeking official approval for Pride has been reported as a strategy to collate evidence for a case against Russia in the European Court of Human Rights.
The roundup
1st April
On and before April the 1st, men were rounded up, it was coined a ‘prophylactic sweep’ in Chechnya. At first, the region’s officials denied that any such roundup and detention was “lies and misinformation”. A spokesman for the leader of Chechnya, said to the Interfax news agency,
“You cannot detain and persecute people who simply do not exist in the republic,
“If there were such people in Chechnya, the law-enforcement organs wouldn’t need to have anything to do with them because their relatives would send them somewhere from which there is no returning.”
It was even suggested that the story was an April Fool’s joke.
It was reported that officials rounding up suspected gay men were using their victim’s mobile phones to trace and catch other men. Their phones were reportedly monitored for contact information. One man spoke about how a gay friend called him suggesting a meeting. The call was calm and didn’t arouse any suspicion. When he arrived it became clear that the call had been a setup. Six people were in waiting.
Mass Meeting
3rd April
A mass, televised meeting in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, showed over 15,000 people gather to protest the article in Novaya Gazeta. In a speech to the crowd, an advisor to Kadyrov called the newspaper “enemies of our faith and of our motherland.” The crowd, according to Human Right’s Watch, “adopted a resolution threatened retribution against the journalist”.
Concentration Camps
10th April
As news grew of the mass detention of these, news-outlets across the UK started to label the detention centres as “concentration camps”. Horrific details of abuse began to surface. Information about the abuse was coming in through second-hand and third sources because of the extreme taboo nature of being homosexual in Chechnya.
Ekaterina Sokirianskaia, Russia project director for the International Crisis Group, told the Guardian, “I have heard about it happening in Grozny [the Chechen capital], outside Grozny, and among people of very different ages and professions.”
Details have emerged of the conditions that those detained have faced. Reports of beatings, electrocution and placing the men into humiliating positions have all been revealed.
Protests
11th April
In the UK, the news was finally becoming mainstream. On the 11th April, it was announced that a protest would take place near to the Russian Embassy in London. The protest was backed by Pride In London. Around the UK, several other protests have taken place to show solidarity.
Muslim Charity Imaan LGBTQ reacts
11th April
Imaan LGBTQ strongly condemned the actions of officials in Chechnya on the 11th April. Taking to Twitter the group said that they, “condemn the reported actions of the Chechen authorities against its LGBT population”.
The group then called upon fellow Muslims everywhere to do the same.
“The detention and ill-treatment of over 100 gay men in Chechnya is extremely concerning. Reports have also suggested that at least three of these men have been killed. The statement by the regional Government, implying that such treatment towards LGBT people is acceptable, is particularly abhorrent. We condemn any and all persecution, and call on the authorities to promptly investigate and ensure that perpetrators of human rights abuses are brought to justice.
“The human rights situation for LGBT people in Russia has deteriorated significantly in recent years and we continue to voice our serious concern with Russian authorities at all levels. Russia’s international human rights obligations require them to protect citizens who may be at risk of persecution.
“We expect the Russian government to fulfill its obligations to this end, and to uphold the rule of law.’
Electrocution
13th April
News of the devastating abuse that some had experienced inside the camp started to be published. According to the Guardian, and one man they managed to interview about his treatment, it emerged that they were being beaten with wooden sticks, metal poles. The verbal abuse for being gay was endless. Some had metal clamps attached to their bodies and were given electric shocks.
Journalists fear for their lives
14th April
During an interview on the Victoria Derbyshire show on the BBC, it was revealed that the journalist who broke the story was in hiding and the management team of Novaya Gazeta feared for the safety of their staff.
Elena Milashina said that a ‘jihad’ had been declared on her and the staff at her outlet after 15,000 people met in the biggest mosque in Chechnya and denounced the paper and journalists who published the original story.
Milashina said,
“They reacted [to the story] in a terrifying manner… on April 3, in the biggest mosque in Grozny, 15,000 religious and various types of people came together and announced a Jihad on us… not just me personally, but all journalists at Novaya Gazeta.
“They said the people at the newspaper who raised this question have damaged the honour of Chechen nation and should be prosecuted.”
There is a precedent for their fears. In 2006 a journalist for Novaya Gazeta, Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead in her home. Another, Natlaya Estemirova was murdered in 2009.
