Equality Alliance report No. 3

17 June 1998

Report by Romana Mewett

(Originally posted to the UKPFC-Forum mailing list)

Here is the latest on the Equality Alliance, I must apologise for being unavailable for most of this month due to unexpected surgery and a massive infection that followed. I am sort of OK and will be in Manchester this weekend for the Conference being held at the Town Hall as a member of the Equality Alliance and PFC’s liaison with them. If anyone has been trying to contact me, I will get back to them shortly, once I have read the backlog of my E-Mail. There are a couple of things that I thought should be posted and they are about the House of Commons Vigil on the 22nd of this month, and also the Alliance July Conference on the 18th July. I also apologise for missing the meeting last Sunday, I tried to get my medics to let me go, but they would not have it and I really should not be doing anything, but boredom and inactivity drives me nuts. Well here goes with the news:-

Mass vigil for Equality outside Parliament

Night of the Age of Consent Vote, 22nd June

The Equality Alliance (EA) is organising a vigil outside the House of Commons on the night of the Age of Consent vote, between 6 and 10 p.m.

The debate is scheduled to take place on Monday, 22nd June, starting at 3:00 p.m.. Voting on the pro-gay amendments, including the Age of Consent, is not expected until the evening.

The Alliance urges everyone who is able to get to Westminster on the evening of the vote to attend the vigil, to support those MP’s who are supporting us; and to give encouragement to those who may be wavering.

Recent reports have indicated that we can no longer count on an overwhelming majority of MP’s. The antigay lobby has mounted a very successful letter- writing campaign: and a number of MPs have reported that they have been receiving a large postbag opposing an equal age of consent, but few or no letters in support.

It is imperative not only that we obtain an equal age of consent, but to achieve this by as large a majority as we possibly can. This is in order to send a clear signal to the Government that there is support for legislative reform in favour of L/G/B/T equality. — Even with an equal age of consent, there will still be many inequalities remaining to be removed.

The Age of Consent amendment to the Crime and Disorder Bill has been tabled by Ann Keen.

Dr. Evan Harris has also tabled an amendment, to remove gay men from the Sex Offenders’ register, which has also been scheduled for debate on the 22nd.

For further information contact:

Helen Redwood, Action Coordinator: 07050-611903

Notice of Equality Alliance July Conference

Saturday 18th July, 10.30am registration (11am start)
University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1 £5 Delegate/visitor fee

The launch of the Equality Alliance coincided with new opportunities for progressing the battle for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality.

We have been catapulted into a whirl of activity around securing victory on the age of consent vote, pressing forward for repeal of Section 28 and ensuring that Pride carries a political message this year.

This next conference will allow us to take stock, to consolidate the Equality Alliance structures and to map out a campaign strategy for the coming months. We hope that your organisation will send delegates to this conference to continue building a united campaign to achieve EQUALITY NOW!

PROVISIONAL AGENDA:

• Saturday morning:
• Welcome
• Opening guest speaker
• Review of Equality Alliance activity
• Constitution
• LUNCH
• Saturday afternoon:
• Campaign strategy to next conference
• Workshops: PR, action, finance, lobbying, legal, admin, services/voluntary sector
• Elections to Executive Committee
• Guest speaker to close conference
• EVENING SOCIAL

CONFERENCE ARRANGEMENTS

1. The session on the constitution will take the final decision on voting rights and general makeup of the Executive Committee (EC). Meanwhile, we are encouraging organisations to make nominations for the EC in advance (SEE FORM BELOW). There will be a final opportunity to submit EC nominations on the day.

2. The deadline for amendments to the constitution will be Friday 10th July (no amendments will be taken on the day).

Non-conference business

Don’t forget to alert your members about the mass vigil being organised by the Equality Alliance on the evening of the age of consent vote (Done above).

If PFC wants to have its message to Pride projected onto the walls of the main stage together with a mention for the Equality Alliance we must move fast. It needs someone to make a video of 1 (one) minutes duration, very short and brief and to send it in by next Tuesday. This is very short notice and I can hopefully do it if necessary providing that I get a few pointers for content from the PFC Presidents. If anyone else would prefer to do it then E-Mail me at: qdrytgdr@aol.com and I will send the forwarding address to you.

The Equality alliance needs finance desperately - any donations can be sent to: Equality Alliance, PO Box 21340, London WC1E 7PE

NOMINATION FORM FOR STEERING COMMITTEE
NAME OF NOMINEE: _______________________________________________

Organisation:_______________________________________________________

Is there a particular expertise/resource that this nominee can bring
to the steering committee?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________


Return to: Equality Alliance, PO Boc 21340, London WC1E 7PE to arrive
no later than Thursday 16th July.

If anybody is interested in attending the Conference and would like a copy of the Draft Constitution of the Equality Alliance then please E-Mail me at the above address and I will send it on. I do not know how the TG Community feels about the Age of consent vote but the Alliance would really appreciate a good turnout from all the organisations involved with the Alliance, including PFC members and others. If anyone is supportive of the vote then could they please make the effort to attend on the 22nd June at Parliament.

Thats all for now, again I apologise for being out of action and incommunicado, but I am getting my legs and energy back and unless the fiends with the scalpel have another session with me (they will sometime, but when, I do not know), then I should be working for a while without problems.

Many thanks to you all, sorry I missed the meeting last Sunday.

Best wishes

Romana