Green Party LGBT News

Greens at the front of fighting for legislative equality for LGBT communities	15 August 2007
Summary Hate Crimes Petition on the Prime Minster's Website Greens at the front of fighting for legislative equality for LGBT communities The Green Party has set up a petition on the Prime Minster's Website calling for the introduction of specific legislation for homophobic and transphobic hate crime.

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Hate Crimes Petition on the Prime Minster's Website

Greens at the front of fighting for legislative equality for LGBT communities
The Green Party has set up a petition on the Prime Minster's Website calling for the introduction of specific legislation for homophobic and transphobic hate crime. Commenting on the calls for the new legislation, Amy Kennedy, Councillor for Preston Park commented: "It is unacceptable that there is a disparity in current legislation between racially and religiously motivated hate crimes, and hate crimes which are driven by homophobia and transphobia. The former is recognised and punished, while the latter is all too often dismissed. I call for a change in the law to re-address this imbalance, and for the strongest action possible to be taken against perpetrators of LGBTphobic Hate Crimes, in line with the current sentences laid out for other hate crimes".

In outlining the latest campaign by Greens for LGBT Equality, Phelim Mac Cafferty of the LGBT Group in the Green Party stated: "The torture and heinous murders of Jordi Dubrowski in Clapham and David Morley on London's South Bank in 2005 sent shock waves through the LGBT communities and led many of us to campaign for specific homophobic hate crime legislation. So Greens welcome any consideration by Jacqui Smith, Home Secretary, that she will push for the creation of an offence of homophobic hate crime for lesbians, bisexuals and gay men. For this reason, we have set up a petition on the Prime Minister's website calling on him to introduce homophobia and transphobia hate crime legislation now.
The petition is at: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/LGBT-Hate-Crime/

Phelim continued:
"We hope that the petition will be as successful as the previous Green petition set up in January to prohibit discrimination in the provision of goods, services and facilities on the grounds of sexual orientation, which gathered over 7,000 signatories.


"The Green Party has stood historically for a specific amendment to be made to Criminal Justice legislation with regard to hate crimes, we also want specific reference made in the law to target incitement of hatred primarily on the grounds of sexuality but as importantly on gender identity. We believe that often some of the worst discrimination and violence is felt by trans people and for that reason Greens will push for their protection in law also.

"In addition, as the law is only one way in which we will strive for equality and in keeping with our LGBT election manifesto from the local elections this year, we continue to campaign for sufficient investment (with the police and other crime-prevention agencies) in specific research into hate crime prevalence and perceptions of safety within the LGBT community so that hate crime trends reduce.

"Greens also want to harmonise hate crimes legislation so that homophobic and transphobic crimes are dealt with on a par with racist crimes. In particular, this would outlaw the performance, sale, promotion and broadcasting of music and other arts which incite hatred and violence towards any oppressed group. We also campaign for police forces to adopt and implement action plans on homophobic and transphobic hate crimes."
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