Proud London: keeping LGBT rights on the agenda
by Bon Bon
This Saturday, Progressive London hosts a session ‘Proud London’ at its annual conference, hosted by Ken Livingstone. For most of us being proud comes once a year, and involves sunshine, parades, and partying. So what is this rather seasonally-premature reason to drag ourselves out of bed on a Saturday morning?
Well, for a start, it’s LGBT History month. What better time to look back on the achievements of the past decade – many of which london helped to lead the way on. The previous Mayor established Britain’s first civil partnership register – paving the way for Civil Partnerships. And well before the bed and breakfast furore, and the Equalities Act, there was the campaign against Sandals – a holiday resort forced to change it’s policy refusing same sex couples after their ads were banned from London’s transport systems.
But perhaps more importantly, it’s also about making sure the clock isn’t turned back. Boris Johnson has already shown he doesn’t think much of the inclusivity agenda – abandoning the RISE festival anti-rascit message, and making cuts to Soho pride well before David Cameron got his axe out.
The Tory-led government’s cuts will have a disproportionate impact on LGBT communities at time when homophobic hate crime is rising.
From David Cameron’s refusal to sack homophobic minster Chris Grayling, to Boris’s axing of London’s annual Pride reception, and removing of the Greater London Authority from the Stonewall Employers’ list, the tories have shown they can’t be trusted to take the steps needed to ensure equality.
Alongside host of other sessions adressing everything from the cuts agenda to the environment, Proud London is an opportunity to work out how to respond to the cuts, raise awareness on campaigning against the rise in hate crimes, and keep equality top of the agenda.
The Progressive London Conference takes place at TUC Congress House, Great Russell St, from 10.30 – 5pm. Speakers at Proud London include:
Pav Akhtar, Director, UK Black Pride
Vicki Baars, NUS LGBT Officer
Deborah Gold, CEO, Galop
Cllr James Murray, LGBT Labour
Peter Purton, TUC LGBT and Disability Policy Officer
Other speakers at the conference include:
Ken Livingstone;
Frances O’Grady, TUC Deputy General Secretary;
Josie Long, comedian and student;
Jenny Jones AM, Green Party;
Emily Thornberry MP, Labour Party, Shadow Minister for Health
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