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Labour LGBT fringe event 2008
Harriet Harman
Labour fringe covers religion, gay equality and school culture
"Harman touted the Conservative party as 'false friends of the gay community' and said that the Liberal Democrats were 'all over the place' in their stance on gays."
This week the Labour LGBT fringe event was held in Manchester as part of the party's annual conference.
Despite a small group of Christian fundamentalists who protested outside the conference room, more than 60 people attended the meeting. Organised by Stonewall, the gay equality organisation, and LGBT Labour, the fringe event focused on issues that are important to the gay community.
Top of the agenda was homophobia in schools. Deputy Labour Leader Harriet Harman urged LGBT people to take on positions of responsibility on school governing bodies in order to address the problem.
Labour party policy documents were said to address international human rights and homophobia, gay health inequality and in particular commitments to tackle HIV and AIDS.
Another area that was discussed was religion and the 'dangerous' views of the Church of England. Health minister Ben Bradshaw labeled the current religious arguments a 'depressing situation'.
The Equality Bill, which will pave the way for legislation requiring public bodies to actively focus on equality, was greatly celebrated. The white paper, due to be announced as part of the Queen's speech, will impact upon care for the elderly, as residential providers will need to consider the needs of LGBT service users.
Harriet Harman praised Stonewall for their contribution to the event, and hailed the charity as 'the model of an organisation of influence'.
Stonewall research, cited by the Labour party, found that of the one in five LGBT people who had been a victim of homophobia, 70% failed to report the crime. This was used to highlight the state of the public service culture.
Harman touted the Conservative party as 'false friends of the gay community' and said that the Liberal Democrats were 'all over the place' in their stance on gays. Both parties will also host an event with Stonewall at the conference.
The meeting ended on an emotional note. A 75-year old delegate congratulated the Labour party on their fight for gay equality and said:
"Before I die I want to know there is no child today who will gas himself because he has no-one to talk to."
