Louise Nousratpour, Equalities Reporter in London
Friday June 30, 2011
The Morning Star
TUC LGBT Conference: Gay rights activists called on the trade union movement today to fight for same-sex relationships to be made legal around the world.
The TUC lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender conference heard of the persecution and death that LGBT people still risk because of their sexuality.
Many countries still treat same-sex acts as a crime, while in some countries including South Africa lesbians are subjected to "corrective" rape to "cure" them, delegates at Congress House in London heard.
Conference welcomed the recent UN Declaration of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, which commits member states to respect and protect LGBT people's human rights.
It called on TUC-affiliated unions to work with sister organisations across the world to press for a universal decriminalisation of same-sex relationships.
Delegates honoured the memory of Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato, who was bludgeoned to death this year after a newspaper published photographs of him and other LGBT people under the headline "Hang them."
Same-sex acts are illegal in Uganda and an MP tried unsuccessfully to push for the death penalty.
Delegates praised Ugandan activists' success in defeating the infamous anti-gay Bill.
Unite delegate Adam Umney urged the TUC to step up its work with sister unions internationally against countries with anti-gay laws, including awareness campaigns and government lobbying.
Unison speaker Darienne Flemington said: "We must raise LGBT profile and exploit our contacts at ETUC, ITUC and groups like Amnesty to push for a universal decriminalisation of same-sex consensual relationships."
Conference also urged affiliates to support UK Black Pride - a not-for-profit organisation supporting LGBT black and ethnic-minority people as well as gay asylum-seekers fleeing rape and murder.
In her address, UK Black Pride director Phyllis Opoku-Gyimah highlighted the racism suffered by LGBT black people.
She welcomed delegates' commitment to reclaim the gay rights issue from the far-right English, Welsh and Scottish Defence Leagues.
Delegates had raised alarms in a debate on Thursday that fascist groups were whipping up Islamophobia over gay rights.
They vowed to "fly the rainbow flag" at counter-demonstrations.
Ms Opoku-Gyimah urged delegates to encourage their unions to affiliate to UK Black Pride and do more to recruit LGBT black members.
"We need to send a united message - no to public service cuts, no to fascism and no to Islamophobia."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment