Graham Watson MEP, Leader of the Liberal group in the European Parliament, has secured the backing of the European Parliament in attempting to save the life of an Iranian women, who if deported back to Iran from the UK, will be imprisoned and almost certainly face being stoned to death. Her apparent crime, as a lesbian woman, is her sexuality.
DELGA Chair Jen Yockney today urged LGBT and trans organisations to lobby Jack Straw to ensure transgender people gain similar protection from incitement to hatred to that proposed for lesbian, gay and bi people. Jen said, "If you're a member of such an organisation please press them to submit evidence; if you are directly involved please make sure your group tries to present the arguments as best and as quickly they can. It will be much harder to get legislative time separately for trans people's protection."
Evan Harris MP, President of DELGA, has called for a combination approach to tackling incitement to homophobic hate crimes in the Commons debate on the new Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill today. He argued that as well as the legal approach to tackling incitement we need to have more thorough and inclusive sex and relationships education in schools, and deal with homophobic bullying more strongly, to achieve the wider social change needed.
Sir Menzies Campbell announced his resignation as Liberal Democrat party leader at 6.30pm today.
Ed Davey MP gave the Stop Homophobic Bullying campaign a welcome boost at a meeting at Leeds University today. Members of the university Liberal Democrat Society joined Ed Davey on the union steps to officially launch their part of the campaign, unveiling posters revealing the Lib Dem Youth & Students campaign slogan, "Homophobia is Gay."
The YouTube video that Bristol West Lib Dem MP Steve Williams made to raise awareness of the "stop homophobic bullying " campaign is the third most popular Lib Dem video on the internet.