GLITA

UN Resolution for Decriminalisation of Homosexuality - Online Petition

2007-03-30T11:27:00.000Z

The 3rd Annual International Day Against Homophobia is on 17th May 2007.

To help support this and assist them in their aim of Getting a UN Resolution for Decriminalisation of Homosexuality, we have submitted the following petition to the PM Tony Blair, on the Number 10 website;

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/IDAHO-Petition/

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Campaign to the UN for a UN Resolution for Decriminalisation of Homosexuality.

On the 17th May 2007, an International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO), will again be campaigning for Governments across the World to petition the UN to bring forward a UN Resolution for Decriminalisation of Homosexuality. In this day and age there are nearly 80 countries in the world where it is a criminal offence to be homosexual. A resolution is proposed by Louis Georges Tin, the President of the IDAHO Committee for the UN to have a Universal Decriminalisation of Homosexuality to protect individuals' human rights.

We ask the United Nations :

To request a universal abolition of the so-called "crime of homosexuality", of all "sodomy laws", and laws against so-called "unnatural acts" in all the countries where they still exist.

We ask Tony Blair, to support the resolution, and ask him to bring the resolution to the United Nations next year as a supportive country."

Please show your support for this UN Resolution and sign the petition

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/IDAHO-Petition/

Vote on Sexual Orientations Regulations - TODAY

2007-03-21T12:54:00.000Z

Tonight, the Lords vote on the final submissions of the Sexual Orientations (Goods and Services) Regulations.

There has been a final amendment made to the regulations, that read:

"This House, having regard to the widespread concerns that the draft Regulations compromise religious liberty and will result in litigation over the content of classroom teaching, and having regard to the legality of the equivalent regulations for Northern Ireland, declines to approve the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007."

Peers will then be asked to vote to strike down the regulations.

Following Monday Evenings Commons vote, in which MP's voted 310 votes to 100 to accept the regulations, tonight is the final chance for the regulations to be struck down.

If they are not, then the regulations will come into force on the 30th April.

As Lords have no constituent's, we cannot advise our members to write to them specifically. Yet if you wish to contact any of the Lords to show your support for the regulations, please feel free to use the Email Action letter, and go to:

http://www.writetothem.com/lords

Where by you can enter Gay Rights or Sexual Orientation Regulations and a list of Lords who have specified interest or spoken in the house regarding these areas will show allowing you to chose to send an email to them.

Also this evening, a group of Christian lawyers (The Lawyers' Christian Fellowship) are planning a "prayer vigil" outside Parliament on the same night (between 7 and 9pm at Old Palace yard (the square opposite the St Stephen's entrance to the House of Lords).

As an "Official" Protest from the Gay Community hasn't been applied for, we cannot ask for you to attend in a counter-demonstration, yet there wasn't during they're last protest, during the discussion of the same regulations for Northern Ireland, and a small group of LGBT people were able to gather and show they're support for the regulations.

Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ)

2007-03-13T16:48:00.000Z

Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ)

We're proud to be associated with GALZ in Zimbabwe.

They are the leading LGBT rights group in Zimbabwe, and are also representative as a member of a coalition of African LGBTI groups launched in 2003 under the title All-Africa Rights Initiative (AARI).

They continue to battle against opposition from the Government in their right to exist, amid laws that include sodomy and even one that makes "physical contact between males that would be regarded by a reasonable person as an indecent act" a criminal offence.

There are also acts passed that provides that no person shall import, print, publish, distribute, or keep for sale any publication which is undesirable. A publication is undesirable if it is "indecent or obscene or is offensive or harmful to public morals or is likely to be contrary to public health."

GALZ work extrodinary hard against this, to campaign, provide support and enable other LGBT persons within Zimbabwe to recognise that there are others like them.

We asked Keith Goddard - Director of GALZ to provide some information on their aims and successes so far.

Current aims and objectives of your organisation
The vision of GALZ is the normalization of LGBTI people in society. Its mission is to build a democratic and accountable organisation and to strive for the attainment of full, equal rights and the removal of all forms of discrimination in all aspects of life for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender men and women in Zimbabwe and to inform, educate, counsel and support such people in matters relative to their health and well-being. The association was founded in 1990 and rose to prominence in 1995 when it attempted to participate in the Zimbabwe International Book Fair. It has since been involved in a number of high profile campaigns. Today, GALZ provides a number of services to its members in relation to health and general empowerment.

Current campaigns you are working on
The major campaign of GALZ for 2007 is Unspoken Facts which involves the publication of a plain-English version of the book by Marc Epprecht entitled Hungochani. The book successfully debunks the myth that same-sex sexual activity is unAfrican. It also makes links between homophobia and the spread of HIV.

The publication forms part of a larger media and general awareness campaign. During the year, GALZ will put together between four and five CD Roms of printable information, radio interviews and video clips which it will distribute widely but also target law enforcement agents and NGOs in the field of human rights, gender and health. One CD will be a toolkit for members to help them defend themselves from harassment by state and non-state actors.

GALZ is involved in the national campaign for access to affordable treatment for all people living with HIV/AIDS and its Positive Image Programme ensures that all HIV positive members of GALZ receive comprehensive health care including access to ARVs as and when prescribed by a medical practitioner.

Since 2002, and with the launch of its Gender Office, GALZ has been embedding itself within the women's movement in Zimbabwe and the association is now active during annual campaigns such as 16 Days of Activism.

On the regional and international front, GALZ is member of a coalition of African LGBTI groups launched in 2003 under the title All-Africa Rights Initiative (AARI). Through AARI, GALZ has started work around the African Commission on Human and People's Rights. In 2006, GALZ applied for observer status at the UN through ECOSOC and its application is up for review in May 2007.

Your past achievements
GALZ rose to prominence in 1995 when it attempted to participate in the Zimbabwe International Book Fair which had as its theme that year 'Human Rights and Justice'. Although GALZ was barred by government, the following year GALZ challenged another ban and won its right in the High Court to participate in all future ZIBF events.

In 1998, GALZ applied to participate at the 8th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches which took place in Harare. Although unable to obtain an endorsement from a local church, the process of applying led to months of discussion in the media about the issue of homosexuality and the church. GALZ was finally able to participate under the umbrella of a coalition of human rights organisations which had come together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the UNDHR.

In 1999, GALZ was involved in two parallel processes for the drafting of a new homegrown constitution. Again this generated much publicity and although the words sexual orientation did not appear in either draft, the phrase "natural state or condition" was widely interpreted to include LGBTI people. The government-led draft was rejected in a referendum in 2000. The version of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) has, so far, been rejected by government.

Although there is still a long way to go, GALZ has, over the years, made inroads into challenging homophobic attitudes and there is now growing tolerance of LGBTI, at least amongst younger people in urban areas who have grown up with the knowledge that gay and lesbian people exist within their midst. GALZ is well embedded in the HIV/AIDS and human rights movements and is a member of Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition and the Zimbabwe NGO Human Rights Forum.

For more information, visit their website
www.galz.co.zw/
www.icon.co.za/stobbs/galz.htm .

Don't allow the Religious Right to steal our Rights

2007-03-12T23:55:00.000Z

The fight for the Sexual Orientations (Goods and Services) Regulations has still much to do.

Following on from the Archbishop of Birmingham's decision yesterday to ask all Catholics in his Archdiocese to write to their Members of Parliament, to express their opposition to the regulations, we need to ensure that we also take this opportunity, ahead of the vote on accepting the regulations unchanged, to write to our Members of Parliament to express our support for them.

The Archbishop Vincent Nichols made the following statement on Sunday 11 March:

"I have this weekend asked Catholics in the Archdiocese of Birmingham to write to their Member of Parliament and express their views about two underlying issues in the Sexual Orientation Regulations published recently by the Government.
"Firstly, in considering adoption, these Regulations appear to enshrine the view that same-sex partnership and heterosexual couples are equally suited to meeting the needs of children and no distinction may be made between them on this basis.
"In this way the Regulations imply an understanding of the needs of children and of the shape of the family in which the claims of same-sex couples are placed above the firmly held beliefs of all major religions and long established custom.
"Secondly, the Regulations also imply that voluntary bodies seeking publicly funded cooperation with statutory bodies are expected to deliver Government policy even in sensitive matters of considerable moral significance. This marks a significant change in the pattern of cooperation in the public sector between Christian Churches or charities, and public authorities.
"A serious debate is needed to safeguard and promote the tradition of mutually respectful cooperation, for the common good."

Archbishop Nichols stressed that: "All involved in the work of the Catholic Adoption Agencies are now exploring ways which will permit the continuation of their work, in ways consistent with our Catholic vision. In this they will also work with the independent review to be set up by the Government. In the meantime, the Agencies continue to provide their services."
The Archbishop of Birmingham added: "These Catholic Agencies carry out work of exceptional quality particularly with the most vulnerable of children, inspired by the best interest of the child and by the highest motivations of Christian care and compassion. This precious service to children, and its faith-inspired direction and drive, must not be lost."

While we support the work that Catholic Adoption Agencies do for disadvantage children, the opposition form the Archbishop extends to the whole regulations, as opposed to the specific area of adoption, of which the Prime Minister and the Minister for Communities and Equality and already expressed their views that Catholic Adoption Agencies will be allowed a 'grace period' up to the end of December 2008, more than any other agency or service provider.

This whole statement shows again, as did the original campaign in February, that the Catholic Church are using Adoption Agencies, of which many in this country are in support for the work they do, to push their full discrimination against homosexuality, and these regulations in particular. We should also note that the current head of the Catholic Church in the UK (Cardinal Cormac O'Murphey) is due to retire this year, and also that the Catholic Church is the fastest growing religion in this country due to the increase of Eastern European Catholics into the country due to EU expansion. So speaking out now at this time against these regulations, pushes Archbishop Nichols chances of taken over such a large congregation into a more favourable possiblilty.

Nevertheless, we must make sure that we stand firm, make our voices heard, and ensure that come Pride season, of which many of us will enjoy, that nowhere in this country will any Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual will be turned away from any hotel, pub or restaurant during those celebrations purely for the reason of their sexuality.

Write to your MP, asking them to support the Sexual Orientation Regulations as they stand.

Save the 'Gay's The Word' Bookshop

2007-03-11T20:01:00.000Z

Gay's The Word is the only gay and lesbian bookshop in the whole country, It's currently under threat of closure.

Please read this letter from Jim and Uli, and do what you can...

Dear Friend of Gay’s The Word,
We’ve got some good news, and we’ve got some bad news. Some time ago we asked for your vote to nominate us for the Independent Bookshop of the Year 2007 Competition. Your wonderful response resulted in us getting longlisted, and we’re delighted to announce that we’ve now reached the Regional Shortlist. It’s a fantastic achievement and we’re really thrilled. A huge ‘thank you’ to everybody who voted for us.
It’s somewhat ironic that this news comes through as we are finding it an increasing struggle to cope financially. The bad news is that after 28 years of trading, we’re looking at possible closure in the next few months. Some of you may have seen the excellent recent article in The Times which highlighted the problem:
http://entertainmen t.timesonline. co.uk/tol/ arts_and_ entertainment/ books/article146 2206.ece
A combination of pressures including the Internet, rising rents, and the availability of some LGBT books in mainstream bookshops have all played their part. Fundamentally, it comes down to the fact that just not enough people are buying their books here anymore. Independent bookstores across the UK are having a difficult time but there isn’t a bookstore in the country that has our unique range of titles. We think it would be a real pity if Gay’s The Word, the oldest and only surviving independent gay and lesbian bookstore in the whole country, had to close.

We are, of course, much more than just a bookstore and also function as a community resource. Hundreds of people visit the shop every week to collect free papers, look at our notice board and pick up leaflets of interest. A number of discussion and support groups also have free use of the space for their meetings. We’re often the first point of contact for lesbians and gays new to London or coming to terms with their sexuality. It is perhaps this somewhat invisible aspect of what we do that we are saddest to see in jeopardy. We have tried to create a safe, non-threatening, non-judgemental space where people can come and browse, ask questions and get help and advice or just buy a book or card.
To survive in the 21st century we need to adapt and change. We have lots of ideas of how we might face these new challenges. These range from changing our structure so that we can access funding for some of our work, acquiring charity status, updating our computer systems so that we can establish a strong web presence to renovating the shop and developing our downstairs space as a resource for community events.
But to implement these longer-term ideas and initiatives we have to survive our present crisis. So how can you help?
Most important is that we get word out about our predicament. We ask you to forward this e-mail on to ten people, or anyone you know who you think should know (i.e. influential or well-heeled investors). It would be a tragedy if Gay’s The Word closed down due to the fact that people are simply unaware of our existence or the difficulties we are experiencing. So we ask you to spread the word: by e-mail, by phone, at the water-cooler, in the bars, clubs, cottages, saunas…wherever.
Support us! Five ways you can help support Gay’s The Word:

You can come into the shop and buy one (or two, or three) of our fabulous books.
You can pick one (or as many as you like) of one of our current top-ten titles, listed below, and order it.
You can send us a donation (cheques payable to GTW), or call up with your card details.
You can sponsor a shelf for £100. You will become an official ‘Friend of Gay’s The Word’ and your name will be officially listed as such in-store. We are calling this our ‘Cash For Honours’ promotion.
You can order a copy of the Gay’s The Word documentary film, which screened at last year’s London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival at the NFT, for £10.
We believe in our importance, relevance and future. We believe many people do. If you’re one of them, then lend us your support. Help save Gay’s The Word. Where there’s a will…there’s a way…
Our Current Top Ten Recommended Books:

Queer London by Matt Houlbrook – The award-winning social history of the gay metropolis, 1918-1957. £13
Bitter Eden by Tatamkhulu Afrika – An extraordinary novel set in a WWII prisoner-of- war camp that explores the themes of masculinity and desire. £11.99
My Undoing by Aiden Shaw – The hugely frank memoir about life and love in the thick of sex, drugs, pornography and prostitution. £8.99
The Night Watch by Sarah Waters – An astonishing novel set against the turbulent backdrop of wartime Britain from our favourite lesbian author. £7.99
Unspeakable Love by Brian Whitaker – A powerful and compelling insight into gay and lesbian life in today’s Middle East. £14.99
When Dreams Tremble by Radclyffe – Another gripping and seductive lesbian romance set in upstate New-York from the prolific and hugely popular award-winning author. £11.99
Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai – the tale of the first love of a 14 year-old boy, set in 1980’s Sri Lanka during the monsoon season. From the best-selling author of ‘Funny Boy’. £8.95
Skin Lane by Neil Bartlett – His first novel for a decade, Bartlett has devised ‘a fiendishly taut little psycho-shocker’ about a quiet man who is pushed over the edge. £10.99
Biceps of Death by David Stukas – A sexy, catty and downright hilarious gay detective novel. If you like Armistead Maupin, you'll love Stukas. £9.99
Drag King Dreams by Leslie Feinberg – The long-awaited novel about love and struggle in post-9/11 New York from the Trans activist and author of ‘Stone Butch Blues’. £10.99
Orders can be made by phone, post or e-mail. Contact details below.
Many thanks
Jim & Uli
Gay's The Word
Lesbian & Gay Bookshop
66 Marchmont Street
London WC1N 1AB
Russell Square Underground
Tel; +44-020-7278 7654
email; sales@gaystheword. co.uk www.gaystheword. co.uk
Open: Mon - Sat 10am - 6.30pm
Sun 2pm - 6pm
We send Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans and Queer books all over the world
We accept most major credit cards, cheques and postal orders.
Postage & Packing UK 15 %. Europe 20% Rest of the World 25%

The effects of book-buying online and the rise of the bookstore chains have also put the shop in peril, said manager Jim MacSweeney. Gay’s The Word needs to raise £20,000 within two months to stay in business and is looking for well-heeled donors or investors - and new customers.

The shop, which was founded by bookseller Ernest Hole, sells a range of gay-themed fiction and non-fiction from around the world, and is one of the most enduring symbols of gay life in London. But it has suffered from not being located in the gay centre of the capital, Soho.

In 1984, Customs officials raided the shop during the infamous Operation Tiger. Among the books seized were works by Gore Vidal, Allen Ginsberg, Christopher Isherwood and Tennessee Williams. “Customs thought gay bookshop meant sex shop, dirty macs,” says MacSweeney. “Not what we were about.”

Charges relating to the importation of indecent and obscene material were dropped after a high-profile campaign by civil liberties groups and questions in the House of Commons.

Store managers are considering whether to turn the bookshop into a charity or community interest company — part private company, part charity. Should it be saved, it may relocate to Soho. “At the moment, lots of gay men, especially younger ones, simply don’t know we’re here,” said MacSweeney.
Please do all you can

Sexual Orientation Regulations Welcomed

2007-03-07T23:04:00.001Z

Today Ruth Kelly, the Communities Secretary and Minister for Equality, has published the government proposals for the Sexual Orientation Regulations, which we welcome.

The regulations will protect Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals from discrimination in receiving goods and services throughout the UK, and we will be contacting our members in the forthcoming weeks to continue pressurising their MP's into passing these regulations without any concessions, especially to religious groups, including Catholic adoption agencies. We shall be reviewing the regulations in detail, and informing all our members with regard to what these contain.

Sexual Orientation Regulations Welcomed

2007-03-07T19:00:00.000Z

LGBT film and discussion: 'Dangerous Living'

2007-03-05T12:30:00.000Z

Just to inform all our members and readers about a forthcoming event:

Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World is the first documentary to deeply explore the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people in non-western cultures.

The film will be shown on Sunday, 11 March, at 1 p.m. at the Prince Charles Cinema, 7 Leicester Place, just north of Leicester Square, Tickets are available for £15/£10 concession through the Prince Charles Box Office by phoning 0870 811 2559.
In the last decade of the 20th Century, a new heightened visibility of lesbians and gays began spreading throughout the developing world and the battles between families, fundamentalist religions, and governments around sexual and gender identity had begun. But in the West, few people knew about this historic social upheaval, until 52 men on Cairo's Queen Boat discothèque were arrested for crimes of debauchery. That explosive story focused attention to the lives and trials of gay people coming out in the developing world and the film chronicles those events.

Dangerous Living is a Human Rights Watch selection, winner of the Audience Award at the Barcelona Film Festival, and an official selection of the San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.

This is a rare U.K. screening, and will be followed by a discussion with Brian Whitaker, the author of Unspeakable Love: Gay and Lesbian Life in the Middle East, and Linda Bellos, Director of Diversity Solutions. The event is funded by a grant from the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund supported by the Cohesion and Faith Unit of the Home Office and is an interfaith community outreach/fundraising event for Beit Klal Yisrael , The Safra Project and The Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement.

Join Glita

2007-02-08T16:00:00.000Z

Dear Friends,

As some of you know, I've been working on creating and working on a LGBT rights campaign group to help promote and maintain LGBT rights in here and around the world.

On Monday I launched my main website www.GLITA.org.uk, which is one of the main tools of my campaign group, and is also the link to my charity The Glita Foundation, which works in line with this.

While I know many of you support gay rights, even if you're not gay yourself, I also know that most of you have busy lives where you can't demostrate the fact or just disinclined to do so publicly, apart from attending Pride of course.

I was the same, always busy to go to the protests I wanted to, but I always managed to find time to forward on an email or a petition that was sent around portraying my gay rights ethos.

This is why I set up GLITA, it's a web based organisation, that takes actions and help promotes gay rights online, be it from sending emails to Ruth Kelly or your MP pushing for the Sexual Orientations Regulations, or signing petitions on gay rights abuses here and abroad, like Iran or Zimbabwe.

It's a easy way to show your support, and make the differences that many of us have been affected by, like being bullied in school, work or in the street, just for being who we are, we stand up for those rights and appeal for legislation, training, knowledge and understanding, so that we and others no longer have to suffer in silence or be ashamed. Even if you are not gay personnaly, you know someone who is, either myself or friends of mine, otherwise I wouldn't have your email address, and you can join us too, you don't have to gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender to join GLITA, you just want to have a better life for those who you know are, and those who you don't know also.

I've made membership of GLITA free to join, just go to the website: http://www.glita.org.uk/ and sign up, all I do ask is that if you wish to, you can donate funds via PayPal or by cheque.

All the money raised through this, goes to the charitable side, The Glita Foundation, which raises money, and donates it to other LGBT groups in countries where being gay is illegal and even a death sentence.

I've been working on agreements with groups in Iran, Zimbabwe, India and Jamaica, and have agreed with these groups to help provide support, funds and more importantly showcase their outstanding work to those in the UK, so others can help them achieve the freedom to live as we've managed so far. We'll be working with them jointly on some of their own campaigns this year.

There is so much more to be done, both here and in the World at large to help achieve and protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. We don't want more than equality, we're entitled to it, it's our human right to be be who we should be.

Some people say that individuals can't make a difference unless you have money or power and that you can only make small steps in life.

I don't.

Individuals do have power, if a lot of people take a small step at the same time, they can leave a giant footprint.

If you want to feel like you're making a difference, if you want to feel that you're part of something that's helped change something in the world, then feel free to join GLITA.

Launch of Gay History Month

2007-02-01T10:00:00.000Z

Today sees the start of LGBT History Month.

LGBT History Month is an opportunity for all of us to learn more about the histories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans gender people in Britain and Northern Ireland.

Until recently, most LGBT people preferred to avoid attention. Many still do. Even today, the penalties for those who refuse to conceal themselves, or fail to do so, can be severe. They can range from ostracism and victimisation to assault and even murder.

In the past, the silencing of LGBT people was often reinforced by legislation. The most recent example was Section 28, passed in 1988 and repealed in 2003, which was intended to restrict debate on homosexuality, particularly in schools.

There are a number of events to help celebrate LGBT culture and history, and these can be found at:

LGBT History Month Events

Response to Sexual Orientations Regulations - Catholic Adoption Agencies Opt Out

2007-01-30T09:00:00.000Z

Yesterday's announcement by Tony Blair that Catholic Adoption agencies wouldn't be exempt from the forthcoming Sexual Orientations Regulations are welcomed by GLITA.

We are concerned that the 21 month allowance for them to 'prepare for change' is too long. There shouldn't be a need for Catholic Adoption agencies to pass on knowledge and skills beyond a more reasonable 9-12 month period.

There is also the comment from Cardinal O'Connor this morning, that states he hopes that the agencies will be able to 'continue their work' beyond the 21 month allowance of redirecting prospective gay adoptive parents to other agencies, meaning that their agencies would have to fall within the law anyway.

Regardless of the allowance, this is a welcome step for the introductions of the regulations as they stand at the moment, without the possibility of any exceptions to the law, especially from religious groups, who have voiced their opinions quite forcefully in recent weeks.

The Sexual Orientations Regulations are in fact the third part of the The Equality Act 2006, which has already been approved for two thirds of the act, making it illegal for schools, businesses and other agencies refusing services on the basis of age, disability, gender, race or religion.

Therefore these regulations are to bring equality to gay, lesbian and bisexuals similar to those already passed for religious groups.

We welcome these regulations and will continue to ensure that MP's vote for the regulations unchanged next month.

GLITA

Introduction to GLITA

2007-01-29T08:00:00.000Z

Sometimes as a Gay Liberal, you feel that there many in the country feel that with the lowering of the age of consent, the abolishing of Section 28 and the introduction of Civil Partnerships that there is nothing left to fight for.

Sometimes as a Gay Liberal, you feel that there are those within your party that feel the same way, and even those within the gay community itself.

Sometimes you feel that for your voice to be heard above all those who drown out your arguments against flighting, that you need to start afresh, with new views, new policies and a new fight.

Then you find others who are willing to listening and fight alongside you.

This is how the Gay Liberal Independant Thinkers Association or GLITA for short came about.

We don't feel that attacking other gay groups are the answer, we belive that they bring the fight in their way, and we will bring the fight in our way.

We just ordinary gay people, standing up for our rights and beliefs in equality.