• 10 Things Gay People Still Need

  17/09/2013

  Once the law changes and we have access to marriage, is that it? Will equality have been achieved? Will we suddenly have become full citizens? Will the job be done?

  Here’s my run down of what we still need.

  • We need it to be impossible for the authorities to accept a plea less than murder in a suspected homophobic killing where the defendants admit killing the deceased with a hammer in his own home. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-24122514. I guess that means a review of hate crime legislation at least in Northern Ireland.
  • We need to be safe when we travel – that means building on the good work that this country has done in terms of foreign policy, but a review here wouldn’t do any harm either. Oh, and trade deals do need to be linked to human rights. (Yes, LGBT rights are human rights, where have you been?)
  • We need to keep working for marriage equality. We’re getting a step towards it – a massive step towards it, but it ain’t equality and equality is what we are after, right? Interesting question for the various gay rights organisations this – will they still work towards equal marriage once this legislation has gone though. They know this is a pragmatic compromise – will they keep up the fight? – and no, I’m not talking about mixed-sex civil partnerships.
  • We need an urgent comprehensive review of all religious exemptions from legislation.
  • We need better age appropriate sex education in schools.
  • We need access to education free from prejudice.
  • We need further work done by companies and institutions on supporting gay folk at work especially in order to develop access to leadership positions where LGBT people have not found these easy to access.
  • We need appropriate representation in the media.
  • We need the Archbishop of Canterbury to commit to supporting his senior gay clergy and work to undermine the systems which keep so many of them in lacy but impeccable closets.
  • We need Hollywood to understand that we don’t all end up dead or heartbroken – Brokeback Mountain, I’m talking about you.

  Have I missed anything?

  LGBT, the gay agenda

Previous Posts

• Daily Service

  09/12/2006

  Don’t forget that St Mary’s choir is on the Daily Service on Monday morning. You have from now until then to work out how to tune in on 198 Long Wave.

• What are these tardises?

  08/12/2006

  [Is tardises the correct plural of tardis?] Anyone know what the strange tardis-like aluminium things are that are appearing on the streets of Glasgow? There is one not far from here and another on St George’s Road. I keep expecting the Doctor to appear from one of them. Mind, I’ve never been a Dr Who…

• What am I reading?

  06/12/2006

  Oh, thank you for asking to be sure. I’ve just finished re-reading Wise Blood by Flannery O’Conner, one of her two novels, each so devastating. I started it yesterday when my weekend began. So very dark. She captures faith based mauvaise foi so very precisely.

• Delights

  05/12/2006

  Watching the cat doing her morning yoga Swimming in an otherwise empty pool The river at the Botanics An Icelandic Carol An “aha” moment causing someone’s face to melt so unexpectedly