Duty of decency to fight LGBT discrimination
14 March 2008
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Green councillors on Brighton and Hove City Council received unanimous support for their motion on Thursday night declaring commitment to “fight lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) discrimination and eliminate hate crime”.
The motion was proposed by Councillor Bill Randall the Green councillors’ spokesperson on LGBT issues, to urge councillors and officers to step up their work with the LGBT community, the police and other agencies to fight discrimination and eliminate hate crime in the city.
Bill asserted that the Council must “re-double its efforts… to ensure the city’s LGBT people, like all citizens of Brighton and Hove, can live a life without fear, harassment and violence.”
Supporting the successful motion, Phelim Mac Cafferty (pictured left), Green LGBT media spokesperson said, “The motion was drawn up by Bill to reassert Council support for the LGBT population.
"It's intended to publicly articulate Green concerns for the welfare of the city’s LGBT population.
“Greens have been an important part of the political process which has made Brighton one of the world’s most LGBT-friendly cities in the world.
"Bill's speech details the harsh realities which still permeate too many’s experience of Brighton.
"The message from Bill, all of our Green councillors and the Green Party's LGBT Group is clear: the work is far from over.
"However this motion- which received unanimous support from all councillors- keeps alive the issue of fairness for LGBT people.”
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The full text of Cllr Bill Randall’s speech is below:
“In bringing this motion before council I have no wish to rake over the coals of recent controversy.
My purpose is to give all councillors the opportunity to reassure Brighton and Hove’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans community and visitors to this city that this council will not tolerate homophobia in any form and is committed to working with the LGBT community, the police and other agencies to fight discrimination and eliminate hate crime.
The LGBT community in Brighton and Hove numbers about 35,000, roughly 17 per cent of the adult population, and it adds a special ingredient to the vibrant mix that marks Brighton and Hove out from all other UK cities.
Furthermore, LGBT people make an important economic, social and cultural contribution to the life of the city.
In the public sector they work in the police and other emergency services, the health service, the education service and for this local authority.
They work across the private sector, running their own businesses and working for others, and they make a huge and invaluable contribution to voluntary sector work in Brighton and Hove.
The pink pound is enormously important to the city’s economy. More money is spent in Brighton and Hove during Pride weekend, for instance, than in any other weekend during the year.
Research by Brighton University showed that in 2004 Pride attracted more than 100,000 people, 69 per cent of them visitors who spent £1.1million in the hotels and guest houses and another £4.5 million having a good time in our fabulous city.
At the same time, members of the LGBT community face the same problems as everybody else. They have to juggle their finances, find somewhere affordable to live and gain access to health and care services.
A great many young LGBT people, for example, make their way to Brighton and Hove believing it will be a safer and relatively tolerant place to live. When they arrive some find the homelessness and exploitation catalogued by Barnados and others in the recent report Tipping the iceberg.
At the other end of the age spectrum, many older members of this community, who may have lost partners and have no family ties, face isolation and uncertainty. They, too, have problems finding suitable housing and gaining access to services.
Often LGBT people have to deal with these problems against a background of harassment and discrimination, for while Brighton and Hove justifiably prides itself on being liberal and tolerant, a nasty and stubborn streak of homophobia still exists.
Last month the report Count me in too, revealed that 70 per cent of the city’s LGBT community had experienced hate crime raging from verbal abuse to serious assaults during the past five years. Persistent harassment can have serious implications for the mental health and wellbeing of LGBT people, said the report.
The good news is that most people surveyed for Count me in too felt the police response to hate crime had improved.
There is other good news. Through its equalities policies this council seeks to make sure that all minorities are given a fair deal, and other public and private sector enterprises have adopted equalities policies.
But we still have a long way to go. The experience of my colleague Cllr Rachel Fryer, who is dealing with a pernicious case of harassment of two LGBT council tenants, confirms that all services can do better in responding more quickly and firmly to hate crimes.
I urge this council and others to redouble their efforts. Leaving aside what might be called the business social case for tackling homophobia and hate crime, as a council we have a duty of decency to ensure the city’s LGBT people, like all citizens of Brighton and Hove, can live a life without fear, harassment and violence.
With Brian Oxley, Paul Elgood and Simon Burgess I am a patron of the organisation that has raised funds for a memorial to honour the victims of HIV/Aids in Brighton and Hove.
Today we have the opportunity to demonstrate that this example of cross-party support for the LGBT community is an expression of a much deeper commitment across this council. Unanimous support for the motion will send out a message that this is, indeed, the case.”
Notes to editors:
Media: for further information, please contact Lizzie Deane Green party External Communications Coordinator on 07899 843206.HOMOPHOBIA: NOTICE OF MOTION PASSED BY BRIGHTON AND HOVE CITY COUNCIL
“This council confirms its united opposition to homophobia in all its forms in Brighton and Hove and commits to working with the police and other agencies to prevent and deal with hate crimes against the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans community in the city.”
Proposed by: Councillor Bill Randall, Seconded by: Councillor Amy Kennedy
[ENDS]
