This week saw the 20th World AIDS Day and the 25th anniversary of the Terrence Higgins Trust.”Photo: The Bell Hotel, Stroud
Some 17,000 people have died of AIDS in the UK in the past 25 years. It is a shock to learn that the last 2 years has seen the highest number of people newly diagnosed with the syndrome. Safe sex messages aren’t permeating throughout our community and in the climate of budget cuts access to treatment could become more and more difficult.
Concerning another matter I have belatedly written to the Chair of the new Equalities and Human Rights Commission, Trevor Phillips, as the new Commission looks set to fail in upholding the equality of LGBT Communities. Other Greens have also objected - see article here and a Green party letter here.
Here below is my letter based largely on the Green part's letter linked above:
Dear Trevor Phillips,
I am writing to you because we are concerned about the appointment of one of the Commissioners to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.
As I am sure you are aware that Dr Joel Edwards, is General Director of the Evangelical Alliance which opposes the new government LGBT hate crime legislation and even submitted evidence in October in front of the House of Commons Justice committee examining the need for the new legislation. Dr Edwards has described homosexuality as “sinful” and has organized protests against the introduction of the Sexual Orientation Regulations, which as you know, provide equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual people when accessing services.
The heinous homophobic murder of Stroud's Jody Dubrowski in Clapham led many of us to campaign for specific homophobic hate crime legislation. Do you not agree that it is surely dangerous to have homophobic opinions held high by the public body purportedly addressing equalities? Are you also saying that a Commissioner who was LGBT and who expressed racist or sexist opinions should be tolerated?
Many of us have pushed for the creation of an offence of homophobic hate crime, the introduction of the Sexual Orientation Regulations and the Goods, Services and Facilities Regulations, the repeal of Section 28 and an end to the unequal age of consent. Homophobia should not go unchecked.
I urge you to review Dr Edwards’ position. Dr. Edwards should be encouraged to do the honourable thing and step down, as true equality for the LGBT Communities is clearly not part of his vision.
Yours Sincerely, Philip Booth
You can also write: chair@equalityhumanrights.com
2 comments:
Well done, Philip. I will write a letter as well. I am interested to know whether you have received an answer yet.
What sort of Orwellian nightmare are we living through when a blatantly homophobic person is invited to be a Commissioner for an Equalities Commission?
A deeply unsatisfactory answer today:
Dear Mr Booth
Thank you for taking the trouble to write to Trevor Phillips, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, expressing your views about the appointment of Joel Edwards as a Commissioner.
Joel Edwards was appointed to this position by the Secretary of State for Equalities, Harriet Harman. Joel is well qualified as a faith leader and a senior figure in the black community.
The Commission aims to represent a wide range of views and opinions and we welcome a lively and diverse debate. No two Commissioners share the same views on every matter and every Commissioner has their individual disagreements with aspects of law, government and Commission policy.
However, the remit of the Commission is to promote equality in all of our areas of business and there can be no exceptions to this. The views of the Commission regarding sexual orientation remain unchanged and these have been expressed by our chairman on several occasions.
Please be assured that the Commission will uphold the law in all cases.
Thank you again for writing to us.
Yours sincerely
Sarah Peazer
Correspondence Secretary to the Chair
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