THEGAYUK

Tag: Politics

The latest news, interviews, and views from the world of LGBT politics in the UK and internationally.

  • Out and Proud IVAN MASSOW To Stand For London Mayor In 2015

    Out and Proud IVAN MASSOW To Stand For London Mayor In 2015

    London Live, the capital’s TV channel, interviewed entrepreneur and gay rights campaigner Ivan Massow on its lunchtime show the Headline Interview.

    The gay rights activist and entrepreneur Ivan Massow, 47, exclusively announced that he was standing for London Mayor in 2015. Ivan unsuccessfully ran for London Mayor 2003 as an independent candidate, but today announced that he was standing on behalf of the Conservative party. The former head of the Institute of Contemporary Arts, was once a political adviser to William Hague but left the Conservative Party over section 28 in 2000 and defected to Labour. Ivan recalls his memories of Margaret Thatcher, his argument with Tracey Emin and discusses his four key policies: devolution, transport, housing and a introducing a London card.

    Speaking about why he decided to run as mayor Ivan said,

    ‘Why I’ve got involved this time and what really drove me and rattle my cage, which was watching the devolution debate on television, seeing it all unfold with Scotland and hearing this vilification of London and realising, thinking to myself its great being in London, and I love being a Londoner – but it’s not that great here. We have incredibly expensive accommodation, incredibly expensive travel and food – it’s costly to be here. People travel for maybe an hour to get to work with a sweatshop of the United Kingdom producing vast amounts of money that pay for hospitals and schools all around the country. To hear this thing coming at us all the time made me want to get involved and do something about it.’

    The Headline Interview, London Live – Freeview 8, YouView 8, Sky 117 and Virgin 159

  • Singapore Rules To Keep Anti-Gay Laws In Place

    A challenge to the law that criminalises homosexuality has today been dismissed by Singapore’s highest court, meaning that it’s still a crime to be gay in the country.

    Lim Meng Suang and Kenneth Chee Mun-Leon, a gay couple brought a case against Section 377A of the Penal Code in 2012, arguing that the provision, which outlaws gay sex, infringed on their rights. After initial losses at the High Court of Singapore, Mr Suang and Mr Mun-Leon appealed, and their case was heard along with fellow appellant Mr Tan Eng Hong in July 2014.

    Private same-sex sexual activity between adults has been illegal in Singapore since 1938, with the Penal Code that the British exported.

    NOTHING WE CAN DO.
    In the written ruling, handed down today, the judges said, ‘While we understand the deeply-held personal feelings of the appellants, there is nothing that this court can do to assist them. Their remedy lies, if at all, in the legislative sphere.’

    Jonathan Cooper, Chief Executive of the London-based Human Dignity Trust, which provided technical legal assistance to support the challenge, said, ‘This decision means that every gay man living in Singapore remains an unapprehended criminal.

    ‘And the criminalisation of homosexuality does not only affect men. The culture of shame and homophobia it fosters forms a shadow of oppression over Singapore’s entire lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community.

    ‘The decision of the Court of Appeal to maintain the country’s anti-gay law – a poisonous remnant of British colonial rule – is a great disappointment, if not a surprise.

    ‘The Singaporean Constitution does not protect basic rights such as privacy and dignity and is therefore very limited in comparison to other Commonwealth countries we work in, which show more promise for legal challenges.

    ‘There is nowhere to go from the Singaporean Court of Appeal, meaning that this judgment is final. We must now look to the Singaporean Government, where strong leadership and progressive legislative change is required to pave the only path forward for LGBTI people.

    ‘The Singaporean Government must see, as the international business community will, that archaic homophobic laws frankly have no place in a modern hub of global finance and commerce.’

    ‘The stakes are high for multinational companies with a presence in Singapore, whose gay employees are currently at risk of prosecution simply for being who they are.

    ‘Employers with a commitment to equality and diversity face a difficult dilemma.’

  • Internet Trolls May Face Up To Two Years In Prison

    Internet trolls who target people with abusive or offensive material online will face up to 2 years in prison.

    Internet trolls who target people with abusive or offensive material online will face up to two years in prison and the police will have more time to investigate cases as part of the government’s commitment to protecting victims of crime.

    In the past a number of high profile celebrities such as Rylan Clark, Duncan James, Boy George and Joe McElderry have all suffered at the hands of online trolls.

    The government is changing the law to increase the maximum sentence for the offence of sending certain items with the intent to cause distress or anxiety. This will mean more serious offences can be dealt with in the Crown Court and there will not be a time limit for police and Crown Prosecution Service to bring a prosecution.

    THREE YEARS TO BRING PROSECUTIONS

    Alongside this, the government is also changing the law to allow up to 3 years, as opposed to 6 months as previously, to bring prosecutions against people for using the internet, social media or mobile phones to send menacing messages.

    Justice Minister Chris Grayling said,

    “The sending of abusive messages or material online can cause absolute misery for victims and we need to make sure that people who commit these awful crimes are properly punished.

    “We already have offences in place to deal with this appalling behaviour, but we’ve toughened up the law to make sure these crimes can be properly investigated and those who commit the most serious offences face a longer prison sentence.”

    Changes to the law will be made through the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, currently going through Parliament. This comes on top of a raft of government measures to support victims. Next year, victims’ rights to tell the court how their crime has affected them will be set out in statute; a new nationwide Victims’ Information Service will be set up to ensure better information and support; and millions of pounds will be invested in improving the court experience.

    Crucially, we will also develop plans to require advocates to undergo specialist training before taking part in sexual abuse or rape trials, which will make going to court easier and less distressing for victims. All vulnerable victims and witnesses will also be given greater opportunity to give evidence away from the court building, and we will work towards rolling out pre-trial cross examination for child victims nationally, subject to the evaluation of on-going pilots.

    The government also provides £4.4 million annually to fund rape support centres and has met its commitment to open 15 new support facilities across the country since 2010.

  • OPINION | Yes or No… Is Scotland going to go?

    On Thursday 18th Sept 2014, History WILL be made. Never in my lifetime have I seen as many people engaged in politics, some for the very first time, there have been many arguments, wild accusations and straight out lies from both sides, and there have been some very ugly scenes on the streets, It feels like a different country and sometimes it feels like the beginning of a new revolution.

    It is exciting, scary and sometimes downright awful, but a passionate fire in Scotland has been lit, and it is more powerful and brighter than ever, and whatever your view on it all, it can’t be denied what has happened amongst the people has been incredible.

    But what about the LGBTI community in Scotland, how will it affect us?
    On Mon 15th Sept 2014, The Pink News website, published the results of a poll of 2163 LGBTI people and 54% voted in favour of a Yes vote, When I tweeted I wanted people’s opinions for this article, the majority of people also said they are voting Yes, and again the majority of LGBTI people on my social networks also favouring a Yes vote.

    Why is the Yes vote so strong amongst the LGBTI community in Scotland?
    Since the Scottish Parliament was formed, it has taken incredible strides for equality for the LGBTI community, but Britain as you may or may not know has no written constitution, decisions can be made and over-turned just as easily depending on who is in power at any given time, eg. nothing is set in stone, what is law now could just as easily not be law in the next government.

    From an LGBTI point of view that would be disastrous for everyone, for everyone who has fought for equal rights.

    From a Yes point of view, Scotland will have a written constitution with today’s laws written and enshrined in it, that would be a sense of stability for LGBTI communities all over Scotland, we would be equal, it cannot be taken away, an incredible reward for the decades of fighting for the smallest of rights to being able to marry the person we love. It would be leading the way in equality rights.

    It is with this in mind the Rainbow Paper was published detailing why a Yes vote would be beneficial for LGBTI communities –

    What If No Wins
    If a No vote does indeed prevail on Friday morning, then LGBTI communities all over Britain should be aware that after the next general election in May 2015 and the Conservative party are still in power they may seek to review and repeal the Human Rights act, placing everything that everyone who has fought for in jeopardy. That is something that everyone should be aware of, no matter where they live in the UK.

    The Morning After The Night Before
    On Friday 19th Sept, Britain is going to be a very different place, and that IS scary, even if a No vote has succeeded, a fire has been lit not just in Scottish politics but all over the UK, and the Govt and Westminster have a right to be scared, we all want change, we all want something better and we can and should make it happen.

    If a Yes vote prevails, it is very important to remember that it is NOT because Scotland hates England and all that tiresome rubbish the media and scumbags of society are throwing about, Hadrians wall is not suddenly going to re-appear, it was just a chance for change, a chance to make life better, a chance to have your voice heard.

    Scotland will always quite literally be a part of Britain, it will just have its own voice, It will be your annoying brother, that deep down you love to bits, just as England will be the annoying older Brother that we also dearly love.

    I LOVE Britain, It is Great! Just because there maybe 2 Governments instead of 1, does not mean a thing.

    I will still count myself as British, just as I have always done no matter which way it goes.
    In the words of the legendary RuPaul: Can I Get An Amen Up In Here!

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, it’s management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • BNP Complains That BBC Bosses Want More Gay Drama

    A post on the British National Party’s Facebook complains that the BBC Drama Boss has promised to boost more gay characters in their output.

    (more…)

  • Section 28 supporter tops up Scotland’s YES VOTE campaign by £1 MILLION

    Sir Brian Souter, who famously supported keeping a section 28 clause installed in the Scottish legal system, has reportedly topped up the Yes Campaign with £1 Million.

    In 2000 when the Scottish Government were planning to repeal the Section 28 laws, which forbade the promotion of homosexuality to minors, by education staff, and local authorities, Souter became the leader of the Keep The Clause campaign. In Scotland, the clause was known as Clause 2A. A spokesperson at the time said that the transport tycoon was not undertaking the campaign for ‘personal glory’ but was fighting the ‘battle because he is a father and committed Christian’

    At the time gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell stated that ‘Brian Souter’s support for Section 28 is the moral equivalent of the business-funded campaign to maintain racial segregation in the Deep South of the USA in the 1950s.’

    HeraldScotland.com is reporting that Souter has now donated £1m to the SNP, as a ‘gift’ for Yes vote’.

    A spokesperson for the SNP said, ‘It’s a fantastic sign of confidence that Brian and others the length and breadth of Scotland are stepping up to the plate to do what they can so that we have the resources to take on the Westminster establishment and win the Yes vote.’

    In Feb 2013, Souter talked about the issue of same-sex marriage on Question Time. In 2011 he was nominated as Bigot Of Year by Stonewall.

    The people of Scotland will vote on whether they stay part of the UK or leave on 18th September 2014.

  • BREAKING: Uganda court strikes down anti-gay law

    The BBC is reporting that the Constitutional Court in Uganda has annulled the anti-gay law, which was introduced earlier this year.

    The law, which was introduced this year, has been widely condemned by world leaders, including President Obama, who called it ‘odious.’

    The UK’s deputy PM Nick Clegg, said that the anti-gay law, was ‘abhorrent’.

    The law, which included lesbians for the first time, could see anyone conducting same-sex relationships or promoting homosexuality facing life imprisonment.

    The gay community in Uganda have suffered huge harassment since the introduction of the anti-gay law, which was introduced by MP David Bahati and signed into law by the Country’s President Yoweri Museveni

    Activists reportedly cheered as the law was pronounced ‘null and void’.

    More to follow

  • Uganda Anti-Gay Law Null And Void

    The anti-gay law which was introduced earlier this year has been declared ‘Null and Void.

    Activists in the crowded court room reportedly cheered as the law was pronounced ‘null and void’.

    The BBC is reporting that the Constitutional Court in Uganda has annulled the anti-gay law, which was introduced earlier this year.

    The law, which was introduced this year, has been widely condemned by world leaders, including President Obama, who called it ‘odious.’

    The UK’s deputy PM Nick Clegg, said that the anti-gay law, was ‘abhorrent’. Many overseas aid givers had stopped payments over the laws.

    The law, which included lesbians for the first time, could see anyone conducting same-sex relationships or promoting homosexuality facing life imprisonment.

    The gay community in Uganda have suffered huge harassment since the introduction of the anti-gay law, which was introduced by MP David Bahati and signed into law by the Country’s President Yoweri Museveni

    Commenting on the decision of Ugandan judges in the constitutional court that the Anti-Homosexuality Act is unlawful because it was passed by parliament without a quorum, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said, ‘This is a major victory for gay campaigners and their straight allies in Uganda. They fought this law and won, against all odds. Congratulations to the Ugandan gay and straight civil society coalition that brought this legal challenge.

    ‘Human rights and the rule of law have prevailed against a homophobic, tyrannical parliament and president.

    ‘The judges have shown commendable independence and integrity by upholding the law, despite majority government and public support for anti-gay legislation.

    ‘It demonstrates that President Museveni may have nobbled many judges but not these ones,’ said Mr Tatchell.

    Dr. Dimitrina Petrova, Executive Director of the Equal Rights Trust, said, ‘We are delighted that the Supreme Court has struck down this pernicious legislation. The law violated many fundamental human rights of LGBT people in Uganda including the right to a private life, the right to dignity and the right to equality. We note that the legislation was found unconstitutional on procedural grounds rather than for its substance and so urge the government of Uganda not to attempt to re-enact the law.
    ‘As we celebrate this victory, it is important to remember that LGBT people in Uganda continue to suffer profound discrimination and gross inequality, not least through the criminalisation of same-sex sexual activity. We will continue to call for greater protection and respect for the rights of LGBT in Uganda, notwithstanding today’s decision.’

    ERT has been lobbying the Ugandan Parliament and President Museveni on the Anti-Homosexuality Act and Uganda’s treatment of the LGBT community since 2009. After a detailed study of the then Bill, the Equal Rights Trust produced a comprehensive legal analysis of the proposed law concluding that it violated not only a number of Uganda’s obligations under international human rights law but also the human rights protections within the Constitution of Uganda itself. ERT made repeated calls both to the Parliament and to the President calling for the proposed law to be abandoned in 2009, 2011, 2013 and again in January 2014 before the Bill’s assent.

  • Bachmann: Gays Working Towards Multiple Marriages And Child Molestation

    During a radio interview, US Republican representative, Michelle Bachmann said that gay people were pushing for multiple marriages and to repeal age of consent laws.

    In the interview, Michele Bachmann, who is infamous for her anti-gay views said that gay people not only wanted to be celebrated but to ultimately change laws to allow for multiple marriage and the repeal of age of consent laws, so that adults could have sex with children.

    https://soundcloud.com/rightwingwatch/bachmann-child-rape-result-of-gay-rights

    She argues that the gay community’s ultimate goal was too ‘not allow for diversity of opinion on this issue, because they don’t wanna be celebrated, they want to force everyone, to not only to agree with them but to also to have to finance their agenda.’

    Continuing she said that the gay community was working to, ‘abolish age of consent laws, which means we will do away with statutory rape laws so that adults will be able to freely prey on little children sexually. That’s the deviance that we’re seeing embraced in our culture today.’

    Earlier this week Bachmann said there was a ‘chance’ that she would run for Presidency again in 2016 after a failed attempt in 2012.

  • Speaker John Bercow: Time for the Commonwealth to do more for LGBTs

    The Speaker of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon John Bercow MP, in advance of the opening of the Commonwealth Games on 23 July, welcomed competitors from across the Commonwealth and wished the organisers a successful Games.

    As Glasgow readies itself for the Commonwealth Games, activists and allies are asking the public to remember that in 4 out of 5 countries within the Commonwealth it is still illegal to be LGBT.
    He commented,

    ‘I would like to offer the warmest welcome to the athletes competing in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. It is a fantastic sporting occasion, which I hope will be well supported, and it is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the spirit of the Commonwealth.’

    Mr Bercow is a keen sports player and recently published a book about male tennis players. He is an enthusiast of football and tennis, is an Arsenal season ticket holder and was a junior tennis champion. He regards it as part of his role in representing the House of Commons to support British sports, whenever possible.

    Commenting on the issue of LBGT rights, discrimination and the Commonwealth Games, John Bercow MP continued,

    ‘Sadly, there might be world-class athletes who will not be able to compete in the Games, as they will have been discriminated against on the basis of their sexuality; shamefully, it is estimated that 4 out of every 5 countries in the Commonwealth criminalise homosexuality. Surely, it is time for the Commonwealth to do more to support lesbian, gay, transsexual and bisexual people, to ensure they are not discriminated against, no matter where they live?’

    COMMONWEALTH HOMOPHOBIA
    Peter Tatchell has urged Alex Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister to condemn the ‘Commonwealth homophobia’. In a statement Tatchell said, ‘We are asking Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, to express his grave concern at the persecution of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and inter-sex (LGBTI) people in 42 of the 53 Commonwealth member states. We urge him to appeal to all participating countries to adhere to Article 7 of the Commonwealth Games Federation constitution, which prohibits all discrimination,

    ‘Countries that refuse to support Article 7 – or that perpetuate discrimination in access to sports facilities, training camps or team selection – should be barred from participating in the Commonwealth Games. If they are not prepared to abide by Article 7 they have no right to come to Glasgow or future Commonwealth Games.’

  • Gay Archie comic book to be banned in Singapore

    An issue of the ‘Archie’ Comic Books has been prohibited in Singapore, which features a same-sex marriage.

    Earlier in the week we reported that the ever-popular comic hero character Archie is killed in the final issue of the comic, after taking a bullet aimed at his gay best friend Kevin Keller.

    However authorities in Singapore have banned an earlier issue that featured a same-sex wedding in Archie: The Married Life Book Three.

    Male same-sex sexual activity is illegal in the Southeast Asian republic – although it is reported that the law is not generally enforced. Those convicted of male on male sexual activity could face up to two years in prison, fines or even canning.

    Archie: The Married Life Book Three has been taken off the shelves following a complaint to the Media Development Authority, which found it not to conform with ‘social norms’ and ‘breached their content guidelines’, reports Reuters.

    Three other books have been banned in Singapore over gay story lines, which include: And Tango Makes Three, which is a story inspired by two real life male penguins, who raise a chick in Central Park. The White Swan Express: A Story About Adoption, a book that focuses on a lesbian couple’s adoption story and Who’s In My Family: All About Our Families, which looks at different family groups.