Less than 72 hours to stop the Ugandan “Kill The Gays” Bill

I have just signed an online petition demanding that the Ugandan President Musevini veto the “kill the gays” bill should it be passed in Parliament.  We have just learned the “kill the gays” bill – a death sentence for all LGBT people in Uganda – could come up for a vote in the next 72 hours if we don’t act now.

The Ugandan Parliament may vote as early as May 11 (Wednesday) on the “kill the gays” bill previously reported as shelved.  Religious extremists presented a petition to the Speaker of the Parliament, Edward Ssekandi, shortly after the bill was shelved in March.  Claiming 2 million signatures, the petition demanded passage of the bill.  Using the riots currently roiling the nation as a distraction, supporters of the bill may try to pass it before this legislature expires on May 18, 2011.

Conservative leaders are trying hard to push the bill forward before the millions like us who oppose it have a chance to speak out. If we can create a massive international outcry, theres a chance to stop this bill from becoming law.

This hateful bill appears to be a political diversion, a way to distract from the legitimate grievances of pro-democracy activists, who have been beaten, teargassed, jailed, and even killed in recent weeks.

There are only hours left to make sure your voice is heard.

Will you join me in demanding the Ugandan President Musevini veto the “Kill The Gays” bill should it be passed in Parliament?

Sign and share this urgent petition: http://www.allout.org/en/petition/uganda

Are you gay and need curing? There's an app for that

Yes, you read it right, there is an organisation, Exodus International, an organisation that promotes and endorses "conversion therapy" for gay people, launched an iPhone app earlier this month.

The Exodus app is intended to reach tech-savvy young adults, and deliver this dangerous message: you can be "freed from homosexuality" and have your sexual orientation "cured" if you're LGBT.


One, I have never heard such crap in all my life, you cannot be cured if you don't have a disease that needs curing.  Being gay is not a disease, believe me.
 
Michael Jones of Change.org explains;

Apple has been a strong ally to the LGBT community for years, even donating $100,000 to defeat California’s Proposition 8, the state’s ban on marriage equality. Just a few months ago, Apple actually removed another app from iTunes that labeled same-sex couples "immoral sexual partnerships."

Given the tragic wave of teenage suicides in the USA, all of whom have been LGBT (which must be halted) this awful app by Exodus International must be pulled, because if it encourages just one young LGBT person to commit suicide then the damage has been done.
From Change.org;

This new iPhone app is the latest move in Exodus' dangerous new strategy of targeting youth. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, LGBT teens who experienced negative feedback from their family were 8 times more likely to have attempted suicide, 6 times as vulnerable to severe depression, and 3 times more likely to use drugs (Caitlin Ryan, San Francisco State University, June 2009).

Apple doesn't allow racist or anti-Semitic apps in its app store, yet it gives the green light to an app targeting vulnerable LGBT youth with the message that their sexual orientation is a "sin that will make your heart sick" and a "counterfeit." This is a double standard that has the potential for devastating consequences.

Apple needs to be told, loud and clear, that this is unacceptable. Stand with Truth Wins Out -- demand that the iTunes store stop supporting homophobia and remove the Exodus app.

Please sign the petition HERE and add your name to the 34,000+ trying to persuade Apple to pull this homophobic and hateful iphone app.

This is the letter that gets sent out in your name once you sign the petition;

Please remove the dangerous "ex-gay" iPhone app
Dear Mr. Jobs:
I am writing today to ask you to remove the Exodus International application from the iTunes store.
Apple has long been a friend of the LGBT community, opposing California's Proposition 8, removing the anti-gay Manhattan Declaration iPhone app, and earning a 100% score from the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. I am shocked that this same company has given the green light to an app from a notoriously anti-gay organization like Exodus International that uses scare tactics, misinformation, stereotypes and distortions of LGBT life to recruit clients, endorses the use of so-called "reparative therapy" to "change" the sexual orientation of their clients (despite the fact that this form of "therapy" has been roundly condemned by every major professional medical organization), and targets vulnerable, suicide-prone LGBT youth with the message that their sexual orientation is a "sin that will make your heart sick" and a "counterfeit," contributing to and legitimizing the ostracism of these youth from their families.
Your company would never allow a racist or anti-Semitic app to be sold in the iTunes store, and for good reason. Apple's approval of the anti-gay Exodus International app represents a double standard for the LGBT community with potentially devastating consequences for our youth. This is unacceptable, and I urge you to take a strong stance against homophobia by removing this dangerous "ex-gay" iPhone app from the store.

It's time for Stonewall's Ben Summerskill to resign

I have written a piece on gay marriage for Liberal Democrat Voice today and my final piece is calling on Ben Summerskill to resign.

I believe his position is now untenable.

You can read the article here Opinion: What does Stonewall want if it isn’t gay marriage?

Clinton Cards answer back

Following my second blog post about Clinton Cards I received a strange, badly written and spelt tweet from someone claiming to be the Marketing Director of Clintons.

We then made contact, after a round or two of answerphone message table tennis.

It appears, allegedly, that my first message to Clinton Cards (first blog post) via their online contact system didn't arrive!

I say allegedly because I could see via Site Meter that the Clinton Cards website/IP address was used to read the first blog post.

Therefore, even if as they claim they didn't receive the message, why did their PR team not act on the blog post once they had read it?

I'm pleased that Brett Smith, the Marketing Director made contact and at least listened to my concerns, however I'm not entirely sure they will be acted on or developed.

Brett Smith stated it's a demand led market, to which I said its a chicken and egg situation though, no one will buy a product if you don't sell it!

I went on to explain that I'm not convinced that if I asked a member of Clinton Cards staff for their Civil Partnership range of products when they were out of stock, they would alert their store manager and then head office - to which he agreed.

So I asked how do we resolve that?

Brett explained they have a new exciting range coming out before Christmas, in what he claims is their wedding season.

In other words, we will take the money anyway.

I also asked about the Mr and Mrs branding, I didn't get an answer on that one.

So, all in all, I still remain unimpressed.

I think Clinton Cards don't understand the LGBT market, or community. I don't thing they see it as potentially lucrative otherwise they would invest more and not be so stereotypical in their wedding branding.

I give Clinton Cards 5/10 for belatedly replying, I give Brett Smith 10/10 for responding.

Overall Clinton Cards, 3/10, must do much better if they want to succeed in their LGBT goals and their website needs the overhaul it is apparently about to receive.

No reply from Conservative Council leader Kay Cutts over her snub of gay activist

On the 5th August I blogged about the leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Councillor Kay Cutts snubbing Ian Campbell who was to be presented with a youth citizenship award for his work promoting gay rights and fighting bullying and anti homophobia in schools.

You can read the original post HERE.

As I wrote at the time Ian is the youngest Mayor in the UK, aged just 23.

You will see from the original post that Councillor Cutts spokesperson claimed that she didn't have her photo taken with Ian Campbell because he was a Labour activist, nothing to do with him being gay.

Ian wasn't at the awards as a Labour activist, he was there for his work on LGBT rights and homophobic bullying.

Well I then emailed Councillor Kay Cutts on the 5th August and have yet to receive any acknowledgement or reply, I will be emailing again today and will continue to do so until I receive a reply.

I also wonder if Ian Campbell ever got an apology from Councillor Cutts - I suspect not.

Prime Minister David Cameron ordered an investigation into Councillor Cutts conduct and it was referred to party chairman Baroness Warsi, I wonder what conclusion she came to?

The reason I am pursuing this issue is this, there are not enough people in this country who take LGBT rights seriously or who for various reasons will put their heads up above the parapet and defend their sexuality.
 
Ian Campbell did just that at a young age, after coming out he was thrown out of his home but still that has not deterred him and he has campaigned in schools about homophobic bullying.
 
That deserves support!

Conservative Council leader Councillor Kay Cutts snubs gay activist

Ian Campbell was to be presented with a youth citizenship award by the leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Councillor Kay Cutts.

Now Ian Campbell who is gay, was to be presented with the award for his work promoting gay rights and fighting bullying and anti homophobia in schools.

Ian is also the youngest Mayor in the United Kingdom.  At the age of 23 the Labour Councillor was elected to the post of Mayor of Retford, also in Nottinghamshire.

In the past the Leader of Nottinghamshire Council has presented the winner with officials presenting the other awards.

Ian Campbell was chosen as joint Young Person of the Year in Nottinghamshire by a panel of judges including Nottinghamshire's chief constable and given the award at the end of last year.

According to the BBC News website:

The organiser of the Young People of the Year awards, Tony Gearing, claimed: "She was very off hand and had decided she wouldn't take part - despite pleading - with the photographs or with the handing over of the prizes."

It appears that Councillor Cutts asked Ian Campbell what the award was for, and once he had told her she withdrew her hand and was in a bit of shock.

However, as she wasn't available for comment it was left to a spokesperson to comment, who in my opinion has actually added even more fuel to the fire.

The spokesman said:

"The Conservative Party takes allegations of homophobia extremely seriously.

"(We) are satisfied that her conduct at the youth awards ceremony in question was exemplary and any suggestion to the contrary is completely inaccurate.

"None of her actions were in any way homophobic."

He then added Councillor Cutts had refused to be photographed with the winner because he was a Labour Party activist.

What?

The Conservative Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council has refused to have a photo taken with the Mayor of Retford, Councillor Ian Campbell.

Kay Cutts needs to grow up and apologise publicly and then donate money to a LGBT charity of Ian Campbell's choice.

Bassetlaw District Council is Conservative run, but chose to elect Ian Campbell as the Mayor - Ian won his seat from the Conservatives by just 15 votes.  So, in that part of the County the Conservatives are much more grown up than the leader of the Shire, Kay Cutts could well take lessons from her colleagues.

Ian was thrown out of his home when he came out, so I am sure this minor mishap will be nothing to him, but I hope he pursues it and shames Kay Cutts.

UPDATE Friday 6th August 17.37pm
Ian Campbell saw my original blog post and via twitter we have been chatting.

It appears that Councillor Kay Cutts has come out on the attack via BBC Radio Nottingham and has yet again today stressed that she refused to have a photo taken with Ian because he is a Labour Party activist.

Councillor Cutts - what a load of crap.

Go back and read exactly why Ian Campbell won the award, see what happened to him when he came out?

Ian Campbell's political allegiance has diddly squat to do with him winning the award and he was only at the ceremony because he won the award, nothing to do with being a Labour Councillor nor to do with him being the youngest Mayor in the UK.

Councillor Cutts either you are being homophobic, or just plain stupid?

Ian Campbell has stated on twitter to me (so it is in the public domain) that he will accept a full apology from Councillor Kay Cutts.

I think Ian is being great, I still think he should push for a personal donation to a LGBT charity, there is enough of them in Nottingham that would benefit from a donation of £100.

So readers, here is where you come in, if like Ian and I (different political allegiances) you think that Councillor Kay Cutts owes Ian Campbell a full and public apology, and if you like a personal donation of £100 to a LGBT charity of Ian's choice then email her today, in fact do it now!

Councillor Kay Cutts - Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council.  Just click on her name or here.

Conservative MEPs claim paedophilia is connected to homosexuality

Today during a Parliamentary hearing organised by Members of the EPP Group on the sexual abuse of children some of their members claimed paedophilia is connected to homosexuality, despite offering no proper evidence.  This is because their claim is completely unfounded.

Vytautas Landsbergis, Member of the European Parliament for Lithuania, former Head of the Lithuanian Parliament and member of the EPP group, said there was a connection between homosexuality and paedophilia. Children, he said, should therefore be protected from “homosexual propaganda” and “homophilic [sic] pædophilia”.

Anna Záborská, EPP Member of the European Parliament for Slovakia, later made a further remark on “adult men abusing young boys”.

Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, responded that such claims were unfounded, and that the European Commission condemns discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Unfortunately Vytautas Landsbergis and Anna Záborská are not alone with these atrocious homophobic views, similar comments had been made earlier this year by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Holy See (Vatican) Secretary of State. He had argued that “there is a relationship between homosexuality and paedophilia”.

It is really scary that people in such senior positions have these views and yet cannot back them up with fact.

The majority of LGBT people across the world condemn paedophilia.

Gay flashmob at a bad hotel

If you support LGBT rights and you are planning to go to San Francisco this summer please watch this first.

If you need cheering up today, then please watch this.

STOP - put the chicken sandwich down, move away, it could turn you gay!

That is according to the President of Bolivia, Evo Morales.

Ten out of ten to Pink News for spotting this one.

Speaking to a climate change conference President Morales said;

"The chicken we eat is loaded with female hormones. So, when men eat it, they tend to deviate from their manhood."

He added that he only eats non-genetically modified chicken to avoid becoming gay or effeminate.

And wait for it, it gets better.

President Morales also argued that eating treated chicken could also turn men bald.

"Baldness, which seems normal, is a disease in Europe. Almost everyone is bald and it's related to the food they eat. Among the indigenous people there are no bald men, because we eat different things."

Almost everyone in Europe is bald?

Honestly, have you ever read so much crap in your life?

I don't remember eating that much chicken growing up, our family favourite was mince and mash - take from that what you will........

Either there will be massive queues in the supermarket aisles this weekend or everyone will think the President of Bolivia is, well, just very mis-informed.

Tory LGB group in turmoil over Cameron's catastrophic gay times interview

I have to be honest, it's taken me a while to write this because I cannot believe how naive Matthew Sephton has been.  For someone who wants to be an MP, he perhaps needs to think a little more in life.

For those who don't know, Matthew Sephton is Cameron's Conservative candidate in Salford and he is also the Chairman of the LGB Tory group.

Now, you maybe you are wondering where this is going, well remember Cameron's catastrophic interview with Gay Times and Channel 4? 

If you don't know what I am on about (you must be the only one) you can read about it here or watch it here.

Well, young Matthew Sephton has got very upset about the treatment thereafter of David Cameron, from the likes of wicked queens like myself and others, especially Ben Bradshaw MP and those on the left for attacking "Dave".

Although Matthew goes on to say "the interview broadcast wasn't his best performance", which to be perfectly honest is an understatement, it doesn't excuse his naivety for circulating this email trying to get fellow Tories to jump in and defend Cameron.

It amuses me how when you attack the Tories they organise this controlled defence rather than letting the people decide.  Same old Tories, they don't trust you to make the decisions so like Matthew is doing, you get told what to to say and where to say it!

If you want to join an LGBT group that works to make a difference then join DELGA and help the Liberal Democrats ensure that neither the Tories or Labour try and 'own' the pink vote.

From: LGBTory Chairman manchester@lgbtory.org.uk
Date: 24 March 2010 20:05:54 GMT
To: Matthew Sephton matthew@sephton.org.uk
Subject: CALL FOR ACTION - inaccurate reporting and hypocritical Govt Minister without facts
Hello
You will no doubt have seen the coverage by now of DC's interview with GT. It's VITAL that we fight back wherever we can comment and that as many of us do so. Below are some places to comment. If you read the first article you'll see how hypocrite Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw either LIED or had no idea on the facts (funny considering that's what he was trying to have a go at DC for!). If you want any more information to back up your words, please look at the LGBTory Twitter feed from last night and today (www.twitter.com/lgbtoryuk) or email me back and I can provide you with more indepth info about one or more of the inaccuracies or misrepresentations that weren't able to be answered.

We CANNOT allow the left to monopolise this DC set-up and we have to point out that the Conservatives have made HUGE PROGRESS on LGBT issues under his leadership. Yes, the part of the interview broadcast wasn't his best performance, but, to be honest, just a few months ago even I probably would have found it difficult to know about many of these things too as I didn't think my sexuality was relevant (AND I'M GAY!). When I realised LGBTory was needed to ensure the left can never again feel they 'own' gay votes I realised I needed to know and act more.

1, 2, 3 and 7 (ConHome) are the most important to act on. PLEASE COMMENT AND ENCOURAGE OTHER CONSERVATIVES TO DO THE SAME! DON'T LET THE LEFT WIN!

(1) http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/03/24/gay-labour-minister-accused-of-hypocrisy-for-attacking-cameron/#

(2) http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/mar/24/david-cameron-stumbles-gay-rights#start-of-comments

(3) http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/David-Cameron-Becomes-Flustered-During-Interview-With-Gay-Times-On-Equality-And-Europe/Article/201003415580968?f=rss

(4) http://twitter.com/cathynewman

(5) http://twitter.com/iaindale and http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2010/03/gay-row-that-exposes-bradshaws.html

(6) http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=2627

(7) http://playpolitical.typepad.com/uk_conservative/2010/03/cameron-stumbles-during-video-interview-with-gay-times.html

Best wishes

Matthew

Cameron's Conservatives tells Republicans to embrace gay rights

I was reading this piece in The Guardian and to be perfectly honest, I really couldn't stop laughing.  Tory MP Nick Herbert is using his parliamentary recess time to go and tell the Republicans that they should embrace gay rights.

Nick Herbert will tell the Republicans that a Conservative government would "show leadership" on issues like homophobic abuse in sport and homophobic bullying, although he will not promise new legislation.

"We will also understand where we should give a lead and where there is a need for law," he will say. "Conservatives should never leap to legislate."

However, Liberal Democrat analysis of the voting record of Conservative MPs standing for re-election next year, including the Shadow Cabinet, has revealed the gulf between Nick Herbert’s words and his party’s actions when it comes to gay rights.

The voting records of current Conservative MPs who are standing again next year show that:

• One in six, voted in favour of Section 28 in 1988. A sixth voted against its repeal in 2003 including David Cameron and a third of the Shadow Cabinet
• One in ten voted against dropping the age of consent for gay men from 21 to 18 in 1994
• Almost one in five, voted against the Sexual Offences Amendment Bill in 1999 which aimed to reduce the age at which anal sex was legal from 18 to 16
• One in three voted to allow only heterosexual, married couples to adopt in 2002 including seven members of the Shadow Cabinet
• One in three voted against the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations in March 2007 which allows the Secretary of State to make regulations defining discrimination and harassment on grounds of sexual orientation.  This included thirty-three, or a third of frontbenchers and four of the Shadow Cabinet
• The Conservative Party opposed The Equality Bill 2008-09. Nineteen members of the Shadow Cabinet joined attempts to block the bill which will introduce a single 'public duty' requiring all publicly-funded bodies to pro-actively promote equality across the board and remove barriers to fair service provision

I do agree with Nick Herbert that Labour do not own the LGBT vote, but Cameron's Conservatives also need to start being a little bit more honest about their own history on this very same issue.

He will then go onto praise David Cameron for the way he has changed the Conservative party by making it more open to gay people and supportive of gay rights. . Obviously hiding his own voting record on the way.

I have blogged on this topic before - Gay friendly Tories are just wolves in sheep's clothing.

Gay friendly Tories are just wolves in sheep's clothing

We all know that with this being election year lots of groups are being targeted by political parties, well the Tories are trying to court the pink vote, or LGBT voters.

Well now the "shameful" Tory record on voting for gay rights issues is clear for all to see, and they aren't quite as gay friendly as you may think!

A quarter of David Cameron's shadow cabinet have previously voted against gay rights legislation in the House of Commons.

The research by the Liberal Democrats looked at issues including Section 28, adoption and the age of consent. It lists the voting records of current Tory MPs who will be standing in this year's general election.

One in six current Tory MPs standing for re-election voted in favour of Section 28 back in 1988.

A sixth voted against Section 28's repeal in 2003 including a third of the shadow cabinet. David Cameron, Francis Maude and William Hague were among them.

Yes, that's right, David Cameron voted against the repeal of the most anti gay piece of legislation ever - a complete and utter hypocrite!

One in ten of them voted against reducing the age of consent for gay men from 21 to 18 in 1994.

Almost one in five voted against the Sexual Offences Amendment Bill in 1999 which reduced the age at which anal sex is legal from 18 to 16. Seven of these, including shadow equality minister Theresa May, are in the current Cameron shadow cabinet.

One in three voted to allow only heterosexual married couples to adopt in 2002, including seven members of the current Cameron shadow cabinet.

One in three voted against the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations in March 2007, which allows the Secretary of State to make regulations defining discrimination and harassment on grounds of sexual orientation. This included 33 – a third – of frontbenchers and four members of the shadow cabinet.

Nineteen members of Cameron's shadow cabinet joined an attempt to block the Equality Bill which would introduce a single ‘public duty’ requiring all publicly-funded bodies to proactively promote equality.

Of the 31 shadow cabinet members, ten voted at least once against gay equality. One, the shadow Europe minister, Mark Francois, voted against repealing Section 28, allowing gay couples to adopt and 2007's Sexual Orientation Regulations. He also joined the attempt to block the Equality Bill.

The Tory record on supporting gay rights is nothing short of shameful. David Cameron cannot pretend a quick apology for Section 28 will make up for the entrenched and often bigoted views of his hand-picked frontbench colleagues in the House of Commons.

David Cameron and the Conservatives like to pretend that they have changed but they remain the same old Tories.

Can you imagine what will happen to gay rights if they win the general election later this year?

International Human Rights Day and Uganda

Today is International Human Rights Day and so I thought I would finally blog about the situation for LGBT people in Uganda.

The Ugandan Parliament is discussing the anti-homosexuality Bill, which violates the equality and non-discrimination provisions of the African Charter on Human and People's Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Uganda is a signatory.

These breaches of international humanitarian commitments undermine the right to privacy and individual liberty and thereby set a dangerous legal precedent which threatens the human rights of all Ugandans. They are part of a wider drift towards an authoritarian state.

President Museveni is fast turning into another Robert Mugabe and the world already has way to many of those. Late last month President Museveni said: "I hear European homosexuals are recruiting in Africa.

“We used to have very few homosexuals traditionally. They were not persecuted but were not encouraged either because it was clear that is not how God arranged things to be.”

I have been gay all my life and I have never recruited anyone, where do I get the membership forms from? I know I shouldn't make light of such a serious situation but this crap coming from the mouth of a President of a country is just unbelievable.

As Peter Tatchell says the new anti-homosexuality Bill, if passed, proposes the death penalty for 'aggravated' and 'serial' homosexual acts and extends the existing penalty of life imprisonment for anal sex to all other same-sex behaviour.














Membership of LGBT organisations and funding for them, advocacy of LGBT human rights and the provision of condoms or safer sex advice to LGBT people will result in a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of seven years for "promoting" homosexuality.

Surely, preventing the spread of AIDS should be something of importance to the Ugandan government? I am utterly appalled that this kind of legislation is being proposed and good on Peter Tatchell (not often I say that) for pushing this one into the public domain.

Pink News is reporting today the Ugandan government may drop some of the harshest parts of the Bill, wow that's so big of them! I would like the Queen as head of the Commonwealth to throw Uganda out for this ridiculous proposed legislation.

David Bahati, the MP for Ndorwa West who proposed this nonsense really should be bloody ashamed of himself, he claims this legislation will protect children, youths and traditional families, he sounds like he would fit in with the British Conservatives with that kind of clap trap, that was where they started with Section 28.

I applaud Gordon Brown for raising the issue with Presidnet Museveni at the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government conference in Trinidad.

It is time to take a stand against this homophobic hatred from a head of a country.

Make your voice heard today by emailing the Ugandan High Commissioner here in the UK, Joan Rwabyomere on info@ugandahighcommission.co.uk and together we can stop this nonsense.

EU pressure to stop churches refusing to employ gays

Only this morning I blogged about the homophobic stance taken by the Church of Scotland on allowing an openly gay man to undertake minister training, you can read the story here.

Now it appears that the European Commission will be putting pressure on the Labour government to drop the exemptions from equality legislation by religious organisations who currently have the right to refuse to employ LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered) staff.

This opt out has allowed churches and other religious organisations the option to refuse to employ LGBT people.

Although thankfully there have been some successful cases at employment tribunals where they have questioned the implementation and interpretation of the opt-out.
In today's Observer it is reported that the European Commission has written to the British government to warn them that it has not fully implemented EU directives that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexuality.

Who says the European Commission doesn't do anything useful?

The European Commission equal opportunities commissioner, Vladimir Špidla, told the Observer: "We call on the UK government to make the necessary changes to its anti-discrimination legislation as soon as possible so as to fully comply with the EU rules."

The ruling by the European Commission means that the government will be be forced to place new clauses into the Equality Bill which is currently making its way through parliament.

But it will still allow churches to refuse to employ a gay man as a priest for example but I do wonder where the answer to my previous blog post lies? Although employing a priest will be protected, assuming they are gay but what about the training first such as the Church of Scotland's position?

Homosexuality is not really acceptable

So says the United Nations General Assembly President Ali Abdussalam Treki, Libya’s Secretary (Minister) of African Union Affairs, who as the Assembly President, the equivalent of the Presiding Officer in Holyrood or the Speaker in the House of Commons, does hold a position of power.

I am utterly appalled and I appreciate you need to read his whole piece to get the full context, but it clearly shows a level of ignorance from very senior people within many organisations.

This all came about at a press conference to start the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly where one journalist asked about the UN resolution which calls for the universal decriminalisation of homosexuality.

One thing he did say which makes me really think this is pure homophobic hatred is "there are some countries that allow that, thinking it is a kind of democracy."

What a load of crap, so because I am gay and this country sees diversity and equality as a good thing, they only let me because it is democratic? Balls.

Again another big I am who does not understand, who probably has never met a gay person, well Ali Abdussalam Treki, let me know if ever you are in Edinburgh, or I will let you know when I'm next in New York and perhaps we can meet?

There is a funny side - only just - according to his CV, he is a veteran of diplomacy!

Seriously, what worries me with this chap, is what are his views on women's rights, violence against women and the spread of AIDS in Africa as well as his views on LGBT rights, what other things are we to learn about this man and how much power does he actually wield?

What does the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon think of his new General Assembly President and his homophobic views?

I the eyes and mind of Ali Abdussalam Treki homosexuality is not really acceptable, in my mind homophobia is not really acceptable either.