Nick Clegg and LGBT Lib Dems are calling for Marriage Without Borders - for marriages and civil partnerships to be available in the UK to people regardless of gender, and for same-sex partnerships to be recognised throughout Europe and internationally.
Cardiff Council's Schools and Lifelong Learning Service is to be awarded a new and innovative quality assurance mark for its performance in meeting the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality agenda. Cardiff's Liberal Democrat Council Leader Rodney Berman will be presented with the Rainbow Mark at an award ceremony at the Senedd today.
Every year Stonewall, Britain's largest lesbian, gay and bisexual equality charity, produces a list of Britain's top employers for gay staff - and this year Liberal Democrat-led Cardiff Council is celebrating reaching the coveted "Top 100" for the first time. The council was awarded 75th place, going up 94 places and is the only Welsh Local Authority to feature in the list, which also includes the National Assembly for Wales and North Wales Police.
Friends and supporters of LGBT freedom are urged to join Thursday's demonstration against the banning of Moscow Gay Pride and in solidarity with Russian LGBT groups. The London protest will take place outside the Russian Embassy on Thursday 2 March 2006, from 12 noon, to protest the banning of Moscow Pride by the Mayor of Moscow and threats of violence by Russian religious leaders. DELGA Chair Kelvin Meyrick commented, "DELGA gives its full backing to the protest, and I hope to meet many of our members and Lib Dem supporters outside the embassy."
With an estimated LGBT community of 13% - 17%, Brighton and Hove has long been seen as a gay friendly city. Lib Dem Councillor Paul Elgood has long been one the main LGBT community leaders for the area. The Lib Dems have selected two of their three local Parliamentary candidates, with Paul Elgood in Hove and Juliet Williams in Brighton Kemptown.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is to debate and vote today on a report on equal rights for Europe's LGBT community. The report includes recommendations for the legal recognition of same-sex relationships and the adoption of children in homosexual relationships. Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has called for full equality of marriage marriage as part of DELGA's Marriage Without Borders campaign.