Gay activists go Green
The Green party’s annual conference is set to be dominated by gay issues after human rights activist Peter Tatchell and Polish Green’s LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) spokesperson Bartek Lech, have agreed to speak.
Mr Lech, who has campaigned against nationalism and intolerance in Poland, will be speaking about personal and press freedoms in the country.
In particular he will be speaking about how homophobia is aired on the radio, whilst more liberal opinions are prohibited in the national media.
The prime minister of Poland this week claimed his country is being misrepresented by the press, and hit out at the Western media.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting in Brussels with EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Jaroslaw Kaczynski said: “Please do not believe in the myth of anti-Semitic, homophobic and xenophobic Poland this is a media thing – it is not real.”
Nigel Tart, the party’s spokesperson on LGBT issues, said: “Greens from all over Europe have been actively supporting fledgling Pride events throughout eastern Europe. We were horrified when the Kaczynski regime closed down Le Madame, a gay club which also housed the national headquarters of the Green Party.”
He added “For the prime minister to boast about the Polish gay scene in order to deny his government’s homophobia is just barefaced cheek!”
Mr Tatchell will be taking part in a public meeting entitled ‘LGBT rights in the UK: a new era for sexual equality or is there more to do?’ LGBT people and the law after the Equality Act.
The meeting is concerned with looking at whether or not there is more to do in the search for recognising members of the LGBT community as equal to others in the wake of recent improvements such as civil partnerships.
He will make a short speech to begin the debate. Both lectures will take place at Brighton and Hove town hall.
The speakers will host their events over the weekend of 22-24 September, later this month.
