A marriage registrar was harassed for refusing to conduct same-sex ceremonies, a tribunal has ruled.
Lillian Ladele, who said the civil partnership ceremonies went against her Christian faith, hailed the decision as a “victory for religious liberty”.
The tribunal ruled that Miss Ladele was discriminated against on grounds of religious beliefs and was harassed.
Islington council said it was “disappointed” and was considering an appeal against the ruling.
Until December 2007 registrars in Islington effectively worked on a freelance basis and could swap with each other to avoid same-sex ceremonies14 But since then they have been under direct control of the local authority which, it is claimed, has led to far less flexibility about the registrars’ responsibilities.
Miss Ladele said she was being effectively forced to choose between her religion and her £31,000-a-year job as a result.
She said she was picked on, shunned and accused of being homophobic for refusing to carry out civil partnerships.
Miss Ladele said: “I am delighted at this decision.
“It is a victory for religious liberty, not just for myself but for others in a similar position to mine.
“Gay rights should not be used as an excuse to bully and harass people over their religious beliefs,” she said.
Councillor John Gilbert, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Human Resources, said: “We’re clearly disappointed with the result, as we consider our approach was the right one.
“We are now considering the judgment carefully in order to decide whether we should appeal.
This is a disaster for several reasons:
- I’m sorry her religion prohibits her from treating all citizens as equals, but that really is her problem.
- She wasn’t performing same sex marriage, in the UK we still can’t get married.
- When do religious views that require discrimination stop becoming acceptable? I’m not sure a fundamental Muslim would be allowed to refuse service to a woman in the UK solely on the basis if her being a woman.
- She’s not the victim although she has taken on that role very convincingly. New found gay rights in the UK are at risk from this ruling.
- She whines that she was effectively being forced to choose between her job and her religion and YES she was. If her chosen religion restricts her ability to perform her job that is her own choice. Get another job.
Written by TechStickle on July 12th, 2008 with no comments.
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Three gay rights protesters say they were punched while being forcibly removed yesterday from a conference at which rebel bishops were trying to attract recruits to a network for Anglicans who believe all same-sex relationships should be condemned.
The protest, led by Peter Tatchell, comes as the Anglican communion goes through what is possibly its greatest crisis in 450 years, with many senior clergy predicting that a split in the Church is almost inevitable.
Yesterday’s meeting, at All Souls Church, London, followed a conference in Jerusalem of Anglican bishops from around the world who are defying the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, because they believe he has failed to follow the biblical line on homosexuality.
The General Synod of the Church of England is also in danger of being split this weekend in an equally passionate dispute over whether to permit women bishops.
“We were punched and physically ejected,” Mr Tatchell said yesterday. “We were very polite. We folded up our banners and tried to walk into the conference. They did not say a word to us, they just started punching and shoving.”
After they were turned out, the protesters unfolded banners with slogans saying “Church of Hate! Stop Crucifying Queers!”, “Defend gays, fight Christian bigots” and “Anglicans Repent Your Homophobia”.
Written by TechStickle on July 3rd, 2008 with no comments.
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A member of the House of Lords who used his Roman Catholic faith to frustrate his own party’s gay rights legislation has died.
Lord Stallard of St Pancras was 86. He was known throughout his career as Jock, a reference to his upbringing in Lanarkshire, Scotland.
A left-wing presence on the Labour benches, he was first elected to represent St Pancras North at the 1970 general election.
Just four years, when the party returned to government, Albert Stallard became a PPS to a minister of state at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and was quickly promoted to minister for housing and construction. He also served as a whip.
After being passed over for selection for a re-drawn seat of Holborn and St Pancras in 1983 in favour of younger Labour candidate Frank Dobson, Stallard was appointed to the House of Lords.
There he opposed compulsory sex education in schools, the 1990 Embryology bill and along with many peers of his generation, felt homophobia was not just acceptable but the teachings of his religion.
A devout Roman Catholic, during debates in the Lords on the equalisation of the age of consent in 2000 he compared homosexuality to child abuse and attacked the Blair government for threatening to impose the will of the Commons on the Lords by way of the Parliament Act.
“The one thing I cannot come to terms with is the concept that homosexuality must be equated with heterosexuality and that homosexual couples must be equated with married couples,” he said.
“That is not the case and … the heterosexual relationship must be emphasised.
“That is the basis of the society that I know and the basis of the society that I espouse and one that I shall continue to espouse.”
He also admitted during the same debate:
“I have to accept that I come from a different world, background, education, environment and beliefs from some of my younger friends.
“Now there is a much wider gap between the generations than was ever the case in the past.
“Those of us who still hold firm to Christian morals and beliefs find it difficult suddenly to overthrow them and become so lackadaisical of anything that is decent.
“That seems to be the conduct of the new generation–the “www dot com” thing.”
Lord Stallard is survived by his wife Sheila and two children.
Written by TechStickle on April 1st, 2008 with no comments.
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A Scottish Bishop has attacked the “gay lobby” for what he percieves as their attack on Christian values.
The Right Rev Joseph Devine, the Bishop of Motherwell, told a Glasgow audience that the gay lobby presented “an image of a group of people under persecution”.
In the fourth of the Gonzaga Lectures held at the city’s St Aloysius’ College, Bishop Devine also spoke about sectarianism, praising joint-campus schools and noting the significant rise of Polish Catholics in Scotland.
He vowed to “fight on against the forces of secularism” saying this was “more dangerous as a threat because it is much more insidious”.He said: “The homosexual lobby has been extremely effective in aligning itself with minority groups. It is ever present at the service each year for the Holocaust memorial.
“We neglect the gay movement at our peril.
“I want to ask you if you are able to see the giant conspiracy that’s taking place before our eyes?”
He said: “It’s a very small group of people, but very active and organised, and extremely indulgent. The opposition know exactly what they’re doing. We don’t.”
What outrageous paranoia! How can an intelligent man come out with such crap.
And as for the quote that Gay people are ever present at the Holocaust memorial - sadly, another example of ignorance and the ignoring of Gypsies and Gays who were victims of the Holocaust.
Written by TechStickle on March 14th, 2008 with 3 comments.
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Plans to make inciting hatred against gay people a crime have been announced by Justice Secretary Jack Straw.
The law would cover gay, lesbian and bisexual people and may be extended to cover disabled and transgender people.
Mr Straw said it was time for the law to recognise society was “appalled by hatred and invective” directed at people because of their sexuality.
He told MPs the changes would be made as amendments to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill.
He said: “It is a measure of how far we have come as a society in the last 10 years that we are now appalled by hatred and invective directed at people on the basis of their sexuality.
“It is time for the law to recognise this.”
Written by TechStickle on October 10th, 2007 with no comments.
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See the banned Gay Times adverts full size
Tube chiefs banned an Underground advertisement for Gay Times because it was considered too raunchy.
The poster campaign, which was approved by advertising watchdogs, is aimed at celebrating the 40th anniversary of the legalisation of homosexuality.
But London Underground refused to allow the image of a scantily-clad male and what appeared to be his partner to be used on the network, arguing one of the models was in an “unnecessary state of undress”.
Another poster with the same man in a less revealing pose was finally approved with the campaign kicking off today.
A spokesman for Gay Times said: “In our opinion, their refusal is totally unjustified considering some of the heterosexual ads on display at the moment.
“By having a couple in a natural pose, consumers can infer that they are a couple.
“The freedom issue is all about celebrating this fact, and the fact couples of the same sex have the same rights as heterosexual couples.
“The use of naked imagery throughout times has been used to promote a sexual liberation, and finally, after 40 long years of struggle, gay men and women now have full legal equality, something worthy of celebration.” The rejected image will be the cover of the August issue of Gay Times, on sale today.
Gay Times editor Joseph Galliano said: “It’s an intimate picture, not sensationalist. The irony is we are using the image to promote our August issue marking the 40th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality.”
Written by TechStickle on July 17th, 2007 with no comments.
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Masterfoods USA, part of Mars Inc., has reacted quickly to concerns over the allegedly prejudice-fueling ad campaign for Snickers. The Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation complained to the maker of Snickers that their ad campaign was promoting homophobia. The ad had its first screening during Super Bowl XLI on Sunday.
“This type of jeering from professional sports figures at the sight of two men kissing fuels the kind of anti-gay bullying that haunts countless gay and lesbian school children on playgrounds all across the country,†Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese said in a statement.
GLAAD spokesman Marc McCarthy said Tuesday the group believed “this kind of prejudice was inexcusable.†“Mars needs to apologize for the deplorable actions of its Snickers brand,†GLAAD president Neil Giuliano.
Apparently, the gay-themed campaign revolves around two men who come to kiss each other nibbling from both ends of a Snickers bar. What follows is a reaction of disgust, different in each ad variant. Three alternate endings to the commercial were posted on a special Snickers website created by Mars, Inc. In all three the men, two mechanics, do something to “neutralize†the accidental homosexual kiss. The alternate endings have them ripping off chest hair, the two John Does drinking motor oil, fighting with wrenches or being joined by a third mechanic who asks, “Is there room for three on this love boat?â€
Written by TechStickle on February 8th, 2007 with 1 comment.
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The federal government of Australia is to bring forward legislation that will ensure that foreign children adopted by a same-sex couples will not be recognised as having two parents.
An amendment the Family Law Act will bar any legal recognition in Australia of adoptions by same-sex couples which have taken place in other countries.
Senator Andrew Bartlett and gay activist Rodney Croome drew attention to the proposed new law on their blogs.
Senator Bartlett, leader of the Australian Democrats since 2002, said:
“To use children and their relationship with their adopted parents as political pawns in an election year is setting a new low.
“After all, it won’t even prevent an adoption, it will just leave children who have been adopted with reduced legal and social recognition and protection, and a less stable family environment.”
The Senate is about to start a new session, and the government have proposed the Family Law (Same Sex Adoption) Bill.
The brief explanation for the Bill’s purpose is:
“To amend the Family Law Act 1975 to indicate that adoptions by same sex couples of children from overseas under either bilateral or multilateral arrangements will not be recognised in Australia.”
It is the latest attempt by the federal government of John Howard to restrict the rights of gay and lesbian couples.
Written by TechStickle on February 5th, 2007 with no comments.
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So while Benedict sits clean shaven, prawn sandwich in one hand, and pointing fingers with the other, why should anyone else have to put up with his misinformed personal insults?
PinkNews.co.uk’s Marc Shoffman asks whether the Pope should follow up his apology to Muslims with a retraction to every other community he has hurt.
So the Pope has met Muslim groups today offering his “total and profound respect” for their community.
His apology comes after referring to a historical quote claiming the prophet Muhammad brought only evil to the world. Ok maybe a bit extreme but Benedict didn’t say it himself, yet a few burning effigies later and he is on his knees to the Muslim world, begging for forgiveness.
At the risk of seeing pictures of myself burned to death, I must ask all these angry Muslims to join the queue along with the gays, women, Jews and all those living in the 21st Century.
What about all the Jews the pontiff may have once intimidated as a member of the Hitler Youth? Or the women he enrages when he condemns abortion and contraception?
What about the bigotry he encourages every time he refers to the biblical belief that homosexuality is sinful and ignores disease, poverty and war to set up conferences particularly to address the life threatening issue of gay marriage?
If Pope Benedict XVI is going to apologise to the Muslim community he must be consistent and apologise to the gay community for every hate crime he encourages, to women for attempting to remove their right to choose if they want to have a baby, to every single parent he insults when he says a husband and wife is the only natural family structure.
While the Bible appears to condemn homosexual sex, it also condemns uninformed judgment, shaving and once banned eating shellfish.
So while Benedict sits clean shaven, prawn sandwich in one hand, and pointing fingers with the other, why should anyone else have to put up with his misinformed personal insults?
Source: Comment: Where is the gay community’s apology?- from Pink News- all the latest gay news from the gay community - Pink News
Written by TechStickle on September 26th, 2006 with no comments.
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Entsch demands legal rights for gay couples
Samantha Maiden, Political correspondent
August 14, 2006
QUEENSLAND Liberal backbencher Warren Entsch is set to reignite the debate over legal discrimination against gays and lesbians after finalising draft legislation to deliver equality to same-sex couples.
Challenging John Howard to remove all forms of legal discrimination over welfare, superannuation and Medicare, Mr Entsch confirmed yesterday he would consult Coalition MPs this week over his private member’s bill.
A former crocodile farmer, Mr Entsch remains an unlikely warrior for gay rights, but has secured the support of MPs on both sides of politics including rebel Liberal backbenchers Petro Georgiou and Judi Moylan.
He said yesterday a “Russian bride” procured over the internet would have more rights to welfare and superannuation than a long-term gay partner.
“At this point I am wanting to remove all legal discriminations,” he said yesterday.
“For example, if I am a veteran and come back from Iraq or Afghanistan and am suffering from a range of battlefield-related disorders, my wife is entitled to a pension. If I decided I wanted to invest in a wife from Russia, she would be entitled to my pension. However, if I had a homosexual partner for 15 years, I would come back having served with distinction and when I did he wouldn’t be entitled to a cracker.”
Mr Entsch said gay couples encountered discrimination over eligibility for the Medicare safety net, superannuation and welfare.
“But this is not about looking for extra financial benefits for same-sex couples,” he said. “If you go to Centrelink in a same-sex relationship they will only pay you as a single. In that respect, those in same-sex relationships are worse off.”
Mr Entsch has written to all federal MPs saying he was “alarmed to discover the extent of the discrimination that exists in federal government legislation”.
His campaign for an end to legal discrimination against gays and lesbians has secured the support of Treasurer Peter Costello, who remains an opponent of gay marriage.
The Prime Minister confirmed the Government’s decision in June to overrule the ACT’s civil unions for same-sex couples, but said he would support moves to remove legal discrimination.
In Perth, gay and lesbian protesters yesterday urged Mr Howard to remove discrimination against same-sex couples.
Written by TechStickle on August 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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