[Miguel]

http://www.ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/07/March/2101.htm

Cashman slams Tory Leader

LONDON, March 21, 2007 – Fundamentalist Christians are set to demonstrate outside Parliament this evening as the House of Lords debate the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007.

The Government intends to bring-in the Act next month. It will outlaw discrimination against gay people in the provision of goods and services, though Prime Minister Tony Blair has said religious agencies would be given a 21 month transitional period to prepare for the new laws.

“This protest is an attempt to preserve the right of religious organisations to discriminate against lesbian and gay people” Peter Tatchell of Outrage! commented this morning.

“It is a dishonourable protest in support of a dishonourable cause – homophobic discrimination,” he added.

Conservative peer, Baroness O’Cathain will tonight attempt to rescind the regulations.

“If the zealots succeed in overturning the new regulations church schools will be able to expel gay pupils; faith-based nursing homes will be allowed to refuse gay patients; and religious charities like night-shelters will be free to turn away homeless gay people,” added Mr Tatchell.

“The opponents of the Sexual Orientation Regulations are promoting a highly selective and homophobic interpretation of religious morality.

“They are singling out homosexuality from all other so-called ‘sins’, and demanding the right, on religious grounds, to discriminate against gay people. But they are not campaigning for the right to discriminate against other ‘sinners’, such as adulterers, unwed mothers, thieves, murderers or rapists – only gays.

“The government’s new regulations merely extend to gay people the anti-discrimination laws that already protect women, black, disabled and religious people.

“These fundamentalists are demanding that religious organisations should be exempt from the law. They want to permit religious doctors, schools, hoteliers and charities to turn away gay people - in the name of ‘freedom of religion’.

“Tonight’s protest is the latest attempt to import into Britain the dishonest, dirty ticks of US Christian fundamentalism.

“The protest leaders claim the sexual orientation regulations will ‘curtail freedom of religious belief and expression’; alleging that believers who condemn gay sex as a sin will face criminal charges. This is nonsense. The regulations do not concern beliefs or opinions.

“An other lie put about by the fundamentalists is that the regulations would force all schools, including faith schools, to ‘promote homosexuality’. As Lord Rooker pointed out, this is untrue. The regulations are not about the content of the school curriculum.

“These falsehoods are typical of the many ‘Big Lies’ on which the religious fundamentalist campaign is based. It has succeeded in frightening many Christians, who have now rallied to the ignoble cause of homophobic discrimination. They have been hoodwinked,” said Mr Tatchell".

The Sexual Orientation Regulations passed through the House of Commons on Monday, with almost half of Conservative MPs voting to block the legislation.

Conservatives forced a vote, but leader David Cameron voted with the Government.

Openly gay Labour MEP Michael Cashman said yesterday that it was “shaming that so many of Cameron’s front bench colleagues opposed theses guidelines”.

“This is proof of what I have been saying for over a year,” Mr. Cashmen continued. “The Tory Party has not changed and, despite Cameron voting in favour, the majority of his shadow cabinet failed to support him.

“This is particularly alarming because if Cameron ever did get the opportunity to form a Tory Government these very people would make up his cabinet.

“At the last Conservative Party conference, Cameron made a big play on why it was right to support equality measures for gay and lesbian people. He therefore owes everyone an explanation as to why nearly half of his Conservative MPs failed to do just that [on Monday].”