The August Bank Holiday is home to the Manchester Pride Big Weekend, one of the biggest events in the UK's LGBT calendar. Lib Dems from around the country will be enjoying the celebrations, and representing the Lib Dems' unbeatable record on LGBT equality in the Parade and with a stall in the Lifestyle Expo.
The Lib Dems joined the Manchester LGBT Pride parade today for the first time in many years - though of course plenty of us have been there under other banners each year! The marching group were joined by Lib Dem leader on Manchester City Council, Cllr Simon Ashley.
In a resolution sponsored by Liberal Democrat MEPs, the European Parliament has voted by a large majority to condemn new anti-gay legislation in Lithuania. The British Tories, however, abstained in the vote, showing their hypocrisy regarding their attitude to the gay community.
Today the European Parliament in its Plenary in Strasbourg adopted a resolution initiated by members of the Lib Dem (ALDE) group on the Lithuanian law on the "Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effects of Public Information". The resolution asks the Agency for fundamental rights to give an opinion on the law and the amendments to it in the light of the EU treaties and EU law and also reaffirms the importance for the EU in the fight against all forms of discrimination, and, in particular, discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Lib Dem Conference kicked off this evening in Bournemouth. DELGA have a busy conference with the LGBT social night, a joint fringe meeting with Stonewall, a stall in the exhibition area all week and our AGM electing the team to lead us into the 2010 General Election.
Two of the three Lib Dem leadership candidates have submitted articles for the latest DELGA newsletter explaining why members should support them in the election for a new party leader (all three were asked to do so).