The IDAHO campaign in the UK this year has been much bigger than in 2005, with many more events (over 40), covering a much wider area of the country, with messages of support from representatives of the Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Green parties, an IDAHO-UK Website (www.idaho-uk.org), an “early day motion” in the House of Commons, which thus far has been signed by 84 Members of Parliament, a “launch meeting” with Louis Georges Tin as the keynote speaker attended by over 100 people, and last but by no means least IDAHO-UK’s pivotal role in protesting at the threatened ban of Moscow Pride. GALHA, the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association has again played a major role in supporting this growing campaign. (www.galha.org).
If there has been a theme for the campaign in 2006, it is that IDAHO is for May 17th, but the commitment to gay rights as human rights continues all year round.
Here are some examples.
Liberal Democrat President, Shadow Attorney General Simon Hughes joins protest on May 17th outside the Home Office in London in support of LGBT asylum seekers who have fled homophobic persecution in countries like Pakistan, Uganda, Sudan, Cameroon, Jamaica, Iran, Belarus, Algeria, Iraq, Nigeria and Egypt.
Demonstrators from GALHA (Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association), Outrage and Iraqi LGBT make a stand to “stop deporting gay refugees” as part of a major IDAHO event in 2006.
Derek Lennard, IDAHO UK Co-ordinator said “It is right that we should chose to mark IDAHO in this way, as this focuses on a very important issue, but Mr Hughes has pointed out that the Refugee Convention does not specifically mention sexuality, and he offered on May 17th to work with campaigners and other Members of Parliament, to lobby the Home Office to change its guidelines to recognise the rights of LGBT asylum seekers. We will certainly do this and hope that it will lead to positive changes well beyond May 17th.
A major concern in the UK has been the under reporting and increase of homophobic crime. This has also been addressed in several IDAHO –UK events. (see below).
The 17th May 2006 was the second annual International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO). To coincide with this, Ealing Hammersmith and Hounslow Gay Men’s Project (with Hounslow Community Safety Partnership) launched the new Homophobia Reporting Kiosk at The Birdcage pub in Chiswick.
The kiosk is a stand-alone point with a display screen that allows anyone who has experienced homophobic or transphobic crime to report the incident to the Police. This report can be sent to them electronically to be investigated further, or if preferred, can be sent anonymously.
The kiosk is the first of its kind to be used for this purpose in the UK and is currently stationed at The Birdcage pub in Chiswick. Key speakers at the event included Simon Mitchell, Head of EHH Gay Men’s Project and Partnership Lead on Homophobic and Transphobic Crime for London Borough of Hounslow and Simon Phipps, Superintendent for the Metropolitan Police based at Hounslow.
The launch was well attended and promises to be a valuable tool in combating homophobic and transphobic crime in the borough.
The picture shows members of Aurora, supported by senior police officers, surrounding a visual display of 4 major aspects of world homophobia, and commits the group to address these problems.
Croydon’s IDAHO event was organised by Aurora, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) police focus group in which police meet with the community to work on LGBT issues. In a moving ceremony, participants gave graphic examples of the following issues.
School bullying - 2 horrendous local examples were given. Aurora pledged to promote anti-bullying initiatives in local schools.
Murders and mob violence against gay people in Caribbean and African countries, and the depth of prejudice that gay people receive from their own communities in this country.
Aurora undertook to work on the issue of black gay people in Croydon and welcome more of them in Aurora.
Some of the many judicial killings of LGBT people in Iraq were highlighted and the distrust of gay Muslim asylum seekers in the police and justice system in this country.
Aurora undertook to communicate to LGBT asylum seekers the specialist services available to them.
The rise in the murder of transgendered people across the world was also addressed, and Aurora pledged to pursue two more transgender policing issues in the next few months.
Immediately after the ceremony, Aurora members met to design an action plan based on the above objectives.
Another example of an IDAHO event highlighting the issues on May 17th but then committing to address the issues all year round.
In the picture above the Mayor of Oldham, Kay Knox, Chief Superintendent Caroline Ball and Alan Higgins Director of Public Health proudly display signed pledges to “Stamp out Homophobia”-in the background is information about IDAHO 2006. The Stamp Out Homophobia in Oldham campaign was launched on May 17th and will continue until Oldham Gay Pride in July 2006.
The above display was part of a staffed information stall in a major shopping centre, and the rainbow flag was flown from several public buildings in Oldham.
The campaign in Oldham was organised by the Racist Crime and Incident Taskforce and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Forum.
Meanwhile in Waltham Forest, East London a police superintendent and the Council Leader also pledge to make an effort to stamp out homophobia, looked on by campaigners from ELOP. “East London Out Project”.
ELOP’S launch to stamp out homophobia, held outside Waltham Forest Town Hall attracted over 85 people despite the driving rain! This was followed by a “Zero Tolerance-Stop Homopobia IDAHO Rally and Candlelit vigil.
During the proceeding weekend they handed out 10,000 Zero Tolerance-Homophobia Ribbons across the Capital, and issued information and advice about homophobic violence .
It’s absolutely clear that the work of ELOP in this area will go on way beyond May 17th