After a press release from Conservative Central Office made a commitment to mentioning 'gay' people, the final speech which was delivered today after Gordon Brown omitted any reference to the word 'gay'.
Caroline Lucas, Green Party Leader and Parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion
"While a press release yesterday stated that David Cameron would, in his general election launch speech, refer to '...the Great Ignored - young, old, rich, poor, black, white, gay, straight,' today any references to LGBT people in David Cameron's speech on London's South Bank today were omitted. It is clear that David Cameron neither has the courage nor the confidence of his party colleagues and membership to mention lgbt rights. 
"With the comments from Tory Shadow Cabinet Minister, Chris Grayling, about revoking the Goods, Services and Facilities Regulations and allowing homophobia to return to the provision of accommodation in B&Bs www.guardian.co.uk/uk/feedarticle/9017151, we are seeing, once again, the reactionary bedrock that the Conservative party is built on. So much for the New Conservatives, with their election promise of a 'fresh start' who ally themselves with anti-semites and homophobes in the European Parliament.
Caroline concluded: "The Green Party has proudly stood for LGBT rights and we put the struggle for LGBT rights at the core of our policies. We are the only mainstream political party with a specific LGBT Manifesto and we have 6 'cornerstone' policies which we will campaign on:-
1. Open up civil marriages and civil partnerships, without discrimination, to both same-sex and opposite sex couples.
2. Require all police forces to have LGBT Liaison Officers with paid time allocated within their work schedules to tackle homophobic and transphobic hate crime.
3. End the blanket, lifetime ban on gay and bisexual blood donors.
4. Amend the Equality Bill/Act to provide explicit protection against harassment to LGBT people.
5. Refuse visas and work permits to "murder music" singers and others who incite homophobic and transphobic violence.
6. Ensure safe haven and refugee status for LGBT people fleeing persecution in violently homophobic and transphobic counties.
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