Friday, April 30, 2010

Call for LGBT people of faith

The LGBT Trust, West Midlands Faith Forum and Aston University's Martin Luther King Center are all involved in an event to inform faith leaders about the experiences of LGBT people of faith.

These faith leaders will be senior people within Faith Communities. It is believed by telling real stories about real people we will have the maximum impact.

The idea is to interview people from Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish and Buddhist faiths to get personal stories and experiences about the experiences of being LGBT in a faith Community. These will then be used as material for actors to create dramatic pieces to be presented on the day.

All interviews would be conducted in strict confidentiality and no personal details would be taken.

Our voices are so often missing for the discourses about sexual orientation and this is an opportunity to have your voice heard.

Please contact the Reverend Chris Dowd on 07734155664 or email him at revchrisdowd@googlemail.com if you are able to help.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

IDAHO Events Spotlight LGBT in Africa and Italy

Improvvisamente l’inverno scorso (Suddenly last Winter)Two IDAHO sponsored events look at the state of things for LGBT people in Africa and Italy.

On the 14th of May there ia a Special international meeting: Homophobia in Africa Guests include Leo Igwe, who is coming to London especially to take part in activities to mark the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) has suffered constant harassment, physical attacks, and several periods of imprisonment in Nigeria for his staunch defence of LGBT Rights. He is the founder and executive secretary of the Nigerian Humanist Movement. Leo will be receiving the Nordic Rainbow Humanist Award at our other IDAHO event on 16th May. Also, Reverend Rowland Jide Macaulay, who is the founding Pastor of the House of Rainbow Metropolitan Community Church, Lagos, Nigeria. He has won several awards including 2007 Black LGBT Award as "Man of the Year" for his work in helping LGBT people of faith. More information on the Galha website here. Facebook event.

On the 16th Improvvisamente l’inverno scorso (Suddenly last Winter) Directors Gustav Hofer and Luca Ragazzi show their film – about the rise of homophobia in Italy – and talk about it as part of IDAHO and the Protest the Pope campaign. More information on the Galha website here. Facebook event.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Gay Games 2010: London Orca’s Countdown Kicks Off

London OrcaWith only 4 months to go until the Gay Games, London Orca water polo team are training hard both in and out of the pool.

Captain Ben Evans explains: "The Gay Games are a real focus for us - a wonderful opportunity to play other gay teams in a hugely enjoyable tournament. But we also play year round in straight leagues in London. For us as gay men and women it's important that we compete week in-week out in a sometimes rough team sport against people who might otherwise never engage with the gay community. It's a chance to challenge their stereotypes, and give as good as we get."

“While our focus in on achieving an outstanding performance in Cologne in July, we have a lot of work to do in the coming months with intensive training programs and a series of preliminary competitions” said Evans, “plus we are still welcoming new players to the team if anyone is interested in joining us on the podium at the Gay Games.”

To help promote the club, London Orca have recently produced a video introducing the club to potential new members:



The Gay Games commence on 31st July and will be held in Cologne, Germany. 12,000 participants from over 70 countries will be taking part.

For further information visit the London Orca page on the Out to Swim website.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Women's basketball team celebrate after trophy win

Players from London Cruisers women’s basketball team are celebrating after their recent win at this year’s annual Duessel-Cup.

Read the full article in the Pink Paper here.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

IDAHO is Coming Soon

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia; the biggest one-day event in the LGBT calendar, is on may 17th this year and every year.

Its UK co-ordinator, Derek Lennard would like to know if you are organising events for the day. The website is www.idahomophobia.org and UK events will go up on International Site in early May.

LGBT related Radio and TV Programmes, 24th - 30th April

We seek them out so you don't have to. This is our weekly non-exhaustive round up of upcoming LGBT programmes on the radio and television. Inclusion of a programme is not a recommendation.

Some of the programmes listed below will be available online on the respective network's websites.

Enjoy!

The soaps have queered up en masse. In Weatherfield, Sophie and Sian kissed and the sky didn’t fall in. In Walford, Syed and Christian have more than kissed and the sky is going to fall in. In Emmerdale, Aaron punched up his secret lover and tried to gas himself in the garage. It all blows up in Eastenders this week.

Listings (times given are pm unless otherwise stated)

Saturday 24th

Terrestrial
BBC1 - 6.20: Dr Who
BBC1 - 7.05: Over the Rainbow
BBC2 - 8.15: Malcolm McLaren: Artful Dodger. Tribute featuring the New York Dolls
ITV1 - 9: The Prisoner. Stars Ian McKellen
C4 - 3.55: Come Dine with Me
C4 - 11.40: The Aristocats. Eddie Izzard in a comedy documentary on how to deliver the world’s filthiest joke

Freeview
BBC3 - 7.05: Dr Who Confidential
BBCHD - 6.20: Dr Who
BBCHD - 7.05: Over the Rainbow
BBCHD - 8.25: Dr Who Confidential
ITV2 - 6am: Coronation Street Omnibus
ITV2 - 8.10: Emmerdale Omnibus
ITV2 - 11: Coronation Street Omnibus

Satellite and cable
Sky Arts 1 -10: Born to Boogie. T Rex
Sky 2 - 9am: Pineapple Dance Studios. Fly on the Wall series based on the idea that gay men being camp is entertaining in itself
Living - 8 &11am: Will and Grace
Comedy Classics - 9am & 1pm: Frasier
FX - 8: American Dad
FX - 9: Family Guy
Discovery Real Time - 4.30: Come Dine with Me

Film Channels
Classics - 3am: Giant. James Dean and Rock Hudson
TCM - 11.15: Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. Sheer brilliance

Sunday 25th

Terrestrial
ITV1 - 9.25am: Coronation Street Omnibus
ITV1 - 10.15: South Bank Show Revisited. Stephen Sondheim, who wrote the lyrics of West Side Story
C4 - 8: Come Dine with Me

Freeview
BBCHD - 8: Dr Who
BBCHD - 8.45: Dr Who Confidential
BBCHD - 11.05: American Dad
ITV2 - 6am: Emmerdale Omnibus
More4 - 5.05: Come Dine with Me
Virgin1 - 11: Sexcetera. Aspects of human sexuality

Satellite and cable
Sky2 - 8am: Pineapple Dance Studios
Sky2 - 6: Pineapple Dance Studios
Sky2 - 1am: Pineapple Dance Studios
Gold - 9.55: Absolutely Fabulous
Living - 8am: Will and Grace
Living - 11am: Will and Grace
Living - 6: Grey’s Anatomy

Film Channels
Classics - 3.50: Spartacus. Epic with homo-erotic moments

Monday 26th

Terrestrial

BBC1 - 8: Eastenders. The truth is out
BBC1 - 10.50: The Graham Norton Show
C4 - 8.20am: Frasier
C4 - 8.50am: Will and Grace
C4 - 12.35: Will and Grace

Freeview
BBC3 - 8.30: Eastenders: Christian and Syed. Interviews and footage
BBC3 - 10: Eastenders. Rpt from BBC1 show
BBC3 - 10.30: Eastenders: Christian and Syed. Interviews and footage
BBCHD - 8: Nigel Slater’s Simple Suppers. Food you can actually make
E4 - 9: Glee
More4 - 2.20: Come Dine with Me
Film4 - 9: X-Men. Ian McKellen as bad mutant to Patrick Stewart’s good mutant

Satellite and Cable
FX - 9.30: American Dad
Discovery Real Time - 8: Come Dine with Me

Tuesday 27th

Terrestrial
BBC1 - 7.30: Eastenders. The fallout
BBC1 - 11.30: The Graham Norton Show. Rpt.
ITV1 - 7: Emmerdale. Chas tries to help Aaron
C4 - 8.20am: Frasier
C4 - 8.50am: Will and Grace
C4 - 10: Shameless

Freeview
Dave - 9: QI
E4 - 11: Shameless. Gay 5-a-side anyone?
Film4 - 9: X-Men – The last Stand

Satellite and cable
Gold - 2.15: The Thin Blue Line
Gold - 8.40: The Thin Blue Line
Sky Arts2 - 2: Peter Grimes
Sky Arts2 - 10.20: Swan Lake
Discovery Real Time - 11: Come Dine with Me

Wednesday 28th

Terrestrial
BBC2 - 10: QI
ITV1 - 7: Emmerdale. Aaron snubs Chas but she is tenacious
C4 - 8.20am: Frasier
C4 - 8.50am: Will and Grace
C4 - 8: Three in a Bed. John and Andrew’s gay B&B
C4 - 11.05: Shameless. Rpt.

Freeview
BBC3 - 11.25: Eastenders: Christian and Syed. Yet again
BBC3 - 5.20am: Eastenders: Christian and Syed. Anybody would think they invented it!
ITV2 - 6am: Emmerdale
ITV2 - 9.25am: Emmerdale
E4 - 11.15am: Ugly Betty
More4 - 2.20: Come Dine with Me
Film4 - 11am: Appointment in London. 1952 movie with Dirk Bogarde

Satellite and Cable
Gold - 8.40: The Thin Blue Line
Comedy Central - 9am: Frasier
Comedy Central - 11: Sex and the City
FX - 9: Family Guy
FX - 9.30: American Dad
Discovery Real Time - 11: Come Dine with Me
Bio - 8: Ricky Martin (pre-coming out?)
Bio - 10: Elton John
Bio - 12.30am: Ricky Martin (pre-coming out?)
Bio - 4am: Elton John

Film Channels

Drama/Romance - 11.30am & 8: Mamma Mia!
Classics - 11.35: Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? This is one sick film!

Thursday 29th
BBC1- 2.15: Escape to the Country. Alistair Appleton
BBC1 - 7.30: Eastenders. Syed’s father-in-law comes to town with plans to send him into the next world
C4 - 8.20am: Frasier
C4 - 8.50am: Will and Grace
C4 - 12.35: Will and Grace

Freeview
BBC3 - 10: Eastenders. Rpt.
E4 - 11: Glee

Satellite and Cable
Gold - 8.40: The Thin Blue Line
Living - 8am: Will and Grace
Living - 9: Grey’s Anatomy
FX - 9: Family Guy
FX - 10: American Dad
Discovery Real Time - 8: Come Dine with Me
Bio - 4: Elton John

Film Channels
Classics - 9.35: East of Eden. James Dean

Friday 30th

Terrestrial
BBC1 - 8.30: QI
C4 - 8.20am: Frasier
C4 - 8.50am: Will and Grace
C4 - 12.35: Will and Grace
C4 - 8: Glee
C4 - 9: Embarrassing Bodies: Kids. Dr Christian investigates
Five - 9: The Mentalist
Five - 10: Grey’s Anatomy

Freeview
BBC3 - 9: Dr Who
BBC3 - 9.45: Dr Who Confidential
Dave - 10.10: QI XL
E4 - 11.15: Ugly Betty

Satellite and Cable
Gold - 2.20: The Thin Blue Line
Gold - 8.40: The Thin Blue Line
Living - 8am: Will and Grace

Radio

Saturday 24th
BBC Radio 2 - 1: Pick of the Pops. Dale Winton
BBC Radio 2 - 6: Going Out with Alan Carr
BBC Radio 2 - 8: Paul Gambaccini
BBC Radio 4 - 12.30: The News Quiz Sandi Toksvig and Sue Perkins
BBC Radio 4 - 4: Weekend Woman’s Hour
BBC Radio 4 - 11: Counterpoint. Paul Gambaccini

Sunday 25th
BBC Radio 2 - 11am: Weekend Wogan. Graham Norton guests
BBC Radio 2 - 1: Elaine Page. Stage musicals
BBC Radio 2 - 5: Paul O’Grady
BBC Radio 7 - 4.30: The News Quiz

Tuesday 27th
BBC Radio 4 - 11.30am: Charles Hawtrey, That Funny Man with the Glasses. Anecdotes and memories
BBC Radio 4 - 3.45: The Simple Life. Singles talk about their issues, including gay stereotyping

Thursday 29th
BBC Radio 4 - 2.15: Afternoon Play Bette and Joan and Baby Jane. Catherine Tate and Tracy-Ann Oberman play the two viragos in a dramatisation of the making of the truly horrific Whatever Happened to baby Jane?

Friday 30th
BBC Radio 4 - 6.30: The News Quiz

Local and web

If you want us to tell everyone about your radio broadcasts, email fenwicktony[at]hotmail.com

For a global classification of queer radio on line:
http://radiotime.com/Search.aspx?query=gay&so=26,52,78 and
http://radiotime.com/Search.aspx?query=Lesbian
Gay Internet Radio Live (G.I.R.L.) is on the air 24 hours a day with dance music from the US at www.gayinternetradiolive.com.

Wythenshaw 97.2 FM, a community radio station, airs a lesbian and gay radio magazine programme once weekly, according to Out North West Magazine published by the Lesbian and Gay Foundation in Manchester. Podcast http://www.tuesdaynightout.co.uk/

GayRadio-UK is a new online radio station in Blackpool and promises a variety of LGBT programming. The audio stream is at www.gayradiouk.com. Guests iunclude lesbian actress Amanda Barrie, gay icon Su Pollard and radical actor Richie Tomlinson. Daily programmes are uploaded at the most popular gay podcast site on the net, Feast of Fun www.feastoffools.net, with a speech based programme of LGBT guests, news digest and light-hearted discussion.

Galaxy North East
Monday-Friday 4-7pm: James Barr

BBC Radio Manchester - 95.1 and online
Every Monday 8pm: The Gay Hour, Ashley Byrne and Andrew Edwards

BBC London - 94.9 and online
Monday – Friday 3-5pm: Danny Baker. With Amy Lamé or Baylen Leonard

Gaydar Radio - Brighton, London DAB and online 24/7

Manchester’s gaydio www.gaydio.co.uk

Radio North Manchester 106.6 FM
Sundays - 11am: Passport. Also look out for their women's programmes

FYI Radio (gay youth radio) - online (currently only podcast but soon to grow to a fully fledged station) www.fyiradio.net

www.pinkeradio.com

Last Tuesday of the month - 6pm
Out in South London - local LGBT radio show with Rosie Wilby and guests
Listen online at www.southcityradio.org

Bisexuals tackle issues at first All-Wales event

Bisexual people have come together with friends and allies to address bisexual issues and to socialise in the first ever all-Wales bisexual event today, Saturday 24th April, at Cardiff University Students' Union.

BiFest Wales provides a space for discussing issues that affect bisexual people, including biphobic hate crime; biphobia in the workplace; living in a world seen as gay and straight and representations of bisexuality in the media.

A social space, community stalls and a craft area are complementing the workshops at this ground-breaking event, making it inclusive of people of all ages and interests. There is a free social event afterwards in Funky Buddha Lounge on Charles Street to tackle social isolation in a safe and friendly space.

Ele Hicks, BiFest Wales organiser and committee member of Bi Cymru/Wales and Bi Swansea, added “After the success of this year's event we are already planning for BiFest Wales 2011 and are listening to what people at the event are telling us they want to see in future. The local groups in Swansea and Cardiff have made a real difference to supporting bisexual people locally, but there are still many areas of Wales where bi people feel isolated and alone. BiFest Wales brings them together and tackles that isolation.”

BiFest Wales is entirely run by volunteers who wanted to see an annual event in Wales for bisexual people and friends of all sexual orientations to tackle the issues important to bisexual people and to get together in a friendly, networking space.

For more details of BiFest or groups, people can contact Bi Cymru/Wales by email: bicymru@yahoo.co.uk or via www.bicymru.btik.com

Friday, April 23, 2010

Bulletin No 71

The latest edition of the LGBT History Month bulletin is now available, as usual packed-full of news, information, notices of upcoming events and quotations.

To access the latest bulletin please click on one of the links below:
word document
pdf file
(you can also right click on the links and "save target as")

You can view all previous bulletins here or register to our mailing list here.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Georges Kanuma Dies

Georges Kanuma
1972 - 2010


The Burundian AIDS and Human Rights activist Georges Kanuma died on 14 April after a short illness.

- Burundi: Message of condolence for Georges Kanuma - Everyone Group
- Farewell to Committed Activist Georges Kanuma - Behind the Mask

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Writing The Century - "Once Upon A Time"

The BBC Radio 4 series that explores the 20th century through the diaries and correspondence of real people, returns with "Once Upon A Time" by Amanda Whittington - a "touching, coming of age drama set in 1979 based on the diary of a gay teenager living in a Nottinghamshire mining town".

Based on the 1979 diary of an 18-year-old miner's son, "Once Upon A Time" is the story of three teenage boys looking for love and acceptance, each hoping for their own happy, "walk into the sunset" ending.

Steven lives with his father, who knows and accepts his son is gay. The rest of the world isn't quite so accommodating. It's January 1st. Steven feels "confused, excited and frightened" at what 1979 might bring. His best friends are Chrissy and Gloria, two unemployed boys of the same age, who are living down the road as girls and dreaming of a glamorous new life.

All three live for the weekend, when they go to Nottingham's only gay club in search of adventure. The club is like Oz to their Kansas existence but it has its dark side. What Steven really wants is a loving relationship but, in his world, it seems like an impossible dream.

1979 was a vintage year for pop. In the first week of January alone, the Top 40 featured YMCA, Le Freak, I'm Every Woman, Hanging on the Telephone, Rat Trap and I Love the Nightlife. Such classic songs are the soundtrack to the young friends' turbulent lives.

The programme (in 5 parts) is aired this week at the end of Woman's Hour at 10.45am and again in the evenings at 7.45. It is available online for a limited period of time, here.

Friday, April 16, 2010

French booksellers discover first adult Rimbaud picture

Two French booksellers have discovered the only clear image of the 19th century French poet Arthur Rimbaud as an adult, after stumbling across it at a flea market.

Read the full article and see the picture on the Telegraph's website, here.

(it has now emerged that the picture is actually a fake - see comments below (in French) by the author of the hoax)

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Colin Farrell Condemns Homophobia

Hollywood actor and star of Alexander and The Phone Booth Colin Farrell condemned homophobia in his native Ireland.

Supporting Irish youth group BeLongToYouth's STAND UP anti-homophobia campaign, Farrell talked frankly about the bullying and abuse his brother Eamonn had to face on a day-to-day basis during his schooldays.

Colin Farrell’s statement:

"I can't remember much about the years of physical and emotional abuse my brother Eamon suffered. I was very small. The thing i do remember though, quite literally, is blood on his school shirt when he came home in the afternoon. The beatings and taunting were very frequent for my him and a constant part of his school years. I didn't understand at that time the concept of 'difference'. Back then, as now, he was just my big brother. If I did understand what difference was I understood it in the most pure and unaffected childlike way. To me then, as a child, difference meant being left out. Joy and laughter came with being included, being embraced , and belonging to.

People are often afraid of difference. They feel that anything that causes fear, should be turned away from. My brother represented fear for so many people, but caused joy in my life. From a very young age he made me laugh with his intelligence and wit, made me aspire to his strength and goodness. He was to be embraced. To many of the students of his school however he was to be feared. He was to be turned away from. I didn't understand it then, and I still don't know. As a race we humans are united and divided by emotions. The mother and father of all emotions, the queen and king are love and fear. Love unites, it brings us closer to an understanding of the possibility of beauty amidst all the confusion and pain that life can bring. Hate is a disease. It is fear's messenger and it makes us do terrible things in a shadow of our better selves, of what we could be.

Intolerance is not genetically encoded - it is taught. It is learned at home. It is learned in the classrooms and it is learned anywhere else we gather as a group. But it is usually learned early and added onto from there. If there is nothing to feared, there is nothing to hate. If there is nothing to hate there is no pain. My brother was so forceful in standing up for who he was, and for the good that he knew wa inside of him. Many people missed out on an opportunity, not only to enjoy him, but to enjoy themselves by embracing his "difference". They missed out because they saw him as a threat - not as a testament to the kaleidoscope and diversity of this beautiful world. Bullying is torture, it is another betrayal of basic human decency and its scars reach way into the future of its survivors. But the saddest truth is that not all children survive it. It is a potentially fatal societal illness and must be respected and not feared. Respected and dealt with as a very real problem and as an adversary of a potentially harmonious world, that should have no place for bullies or bullying."

Source.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Cameron says he will try to celebrate LGBT History Month

Answering questions put to him by readers of Pink News, Tory Leader David Cameron said he supports LGBT History Month and will try to celebrate it if elected to form a Tory Government. Asked if he would hold a reception to celebrate LGBT History Month in Downing Street, as Gordon Brown has for the past two years, David Cameron said, “I really don't think I can start putting things in the diary yet – we've got to win this General Election first and that's a massive task. But whether or not the Conservatives get elected, I would of course be delighted to mark LGBT History Month in some way”.

Answering other questions, Cameron said he would adopt a ‘zero-tolerance’ approach to homophobic bullying and that he understood Michael Gove wanted to introduce training for teachers on how to tackle it.

Crucially for many teachers and others exempt from the Criminal Justice Act, Cameron said he would ensure that people convicted of consensual sexual acts that would have been legal after the age of consent was equalised in 2000, would have their convictions quashed. Nick Clegg has made the same commitment.

He expressed concerns over the postcode lottery for gender reassignment and said ‘if’ it existed he would get Andrew Lansley to ‘look at it’.

Cameron also said he would make it harder for homophobic bullies who were excluded from school to return and that his allies in Europe were not homophobic, although he accepted that some were ‘socially conservative’.

Finally, he announced that if elected, his party will erase the historic convictions of all those found guilty of consensual gay sex.

LGBT rights campaigner and Green supporter Peter Tatchell has challenged David Cameron on his responses to questions written by PinkNews readers. In a Pink News article on Saturday, he said that Cameron's commitment to a zero-tolerance policy contained little that was specific and that he had not fully answered the question of a postcode lottery for people with gender dysphoria. On Sunday, Tatchell took part in a 50-minute meeting with Tory frontbenchers George Osborne, Theresa May and Nick Herbert, which he seemed to consider disappointing.

You can read the full set of questions and answers on the PinkNews website here.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

LGBT Europe Campaigner Sends Message to the Polish People

LGBT History Month and PRIDE Solidarity supporter Clare Dimyon, who is about to embark on her second tour of every Pride celebration in Europe on April 26th this year, is a friend and ally of Poland and its people. She has written this message in response to Saturday, April 10th's terrible incident:

"LGBT History Month expresses its condolences to ALL the people of Poland and to Polish people everywhere. The loss of the official aircraft taking 100 or more political and cultural figures to Katyń for the 70th anniversary commemorations is a modern tragedy which compunds the historic tragedy of the original massacre of 22,000 Polish officers and intellectuals taken prisoner by Stalin in the Molotov: Ribbentrop dismemberment of Poland in 1939. Stalin blamed the Nazis for the massacre and continued this propaganda throughout the Soviet era, compounding the grief of the Polish people, in particular relatives of those who perished. To compound this tragedy further, the 2010 commemoration was the first time in 70 years that Russia had made a formal invitation to Poland to commemorate the dead. Russia has yet to open the archives associated with the Katyń massacres so that Polish families can finally lay their loved ones to rest. At a conservative estimate 5% or 1,100 of those 22,000 men were gay or bisexual.

Our thoughts are with all Polish people, especially LGBT Polish people, as they grieve this terrible loss. Our particular thoughts are with all the bereaved but particularly the family of Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka (1950-2010) the former Deputy Prime Minister, who was outspoken ally and advocate for LGBT people. She died in the plane crash that killed President Lech Kaczyński, his wife and the 100 other Polish dignitaries."

To find out more about PRIDE Solidarity, go to this Facebook group.

Friday, April 9, 2010

The English Patient had a gay lover

The man who was the inspiration for the film The English Patient had a gay lover, letters have suggested.

Count Laszlo de Almásy, a Hungarian-born adventurer, was the inspiration for the heterosexual hero played by Ralph Fiennes in the film.

In the film, Fiennes' character is a womaniser but letters discovered in Germany show that Almásy actually had a gay relationship with a soldier called Hans Entholt.

The claim was made by the Heinrich Barth Institute for African Studies in Cologne, although it has not released any further details about the correspondence.

But a staff member from the insitute told Germany's Der Spiegel magazine that there was evidence he had several gay lovers, including "Egyptian princes".

Entholt, an officer in the Wehrmacht, died after stepping on a landmine.

The letters also showed that Almásy did not die of a morphine overdose, as the character does in the film and novel on which it is based.

Instead, he died from amoebic dysentery in 1951.

With thanks to PinkNews.

Equality Bill Becomes Law

With days to spare, the Equality Bill has gone through the House of Commons and that means it will now become the Equality Act.


Although the Lords knocked out the bit barring faith groups from refusing to employ LGBT people on the grounds of ethos, the rest remains intact. This includes the Economic Duty and Positive action, as well as giving same sex couples the right to celebrate their civil partnerships in religious premises.

The Bill will begin to take effect in the autumn and will be implemented in full over the next three years


Thursday, April 8, 2010

Clint Walters Dies

Clint Walters
1979 - 2010


The AIDS activist and founder of Health Initiatives for Youth UK, Clint Walters died on 04 April of a heart attack.

Read his obituary in the Independent here.

A memorial page on Facebook can be found here.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Barbara Burford Dies

Barbara Burford
1944 - 2010


The poet, writer and equality and diversity expert Barbara Burford died on 20 February. She was much loved and will be remembered by many. She is survived by her partner of 23 years, Joy Howard, and her daughter Sarah Burford.

You can read the Guardian's obituary here.