ALL WELCOME – Free Admission

The Gay & Lesbian Humanist Association is hosting a panel discussion
around the
threats to prosecute the Gay Police Association (GPA) following their
advert linking religious belief to homophobic incidents.

The panellists will consider the issues the advert raises and discuss
the rise of
religiously-motivated homophobia in general and the increasing clash
between religion and gay rights.

Evangelical Christian, Rev George Hargreaves – who is planning to
bring a private prosecution of the GPA – will join the panel. This
will ensure a lively debate around one of the most important issues
facing the LGBT community today.

The panellists will include a representative from the Gay Police
Association, Ted Brown of Black Gays & Lesbians Against Media
Homophobia and Savi Hensman of the Lesbian & Gay Christian Movement.

The Gay Police Association advert pictured a Bible next to a pool of
blood with the text:

"In the last twelve months, The Gay Police Association has recorded a
75% increase in homophobic incidents, where the sole or primary
motivating factor was the religious beliefs of the perpetrator."

Was the advert justified? What is the extent of religiously-motivated
attacks on gay people? Does the advert incite religious hatred? Is
there a basis for the prosecution? Are too many people – both
religious and gay – being investigated for simply speaking their
minds?

Come along to Conway Hall on Friday 13 October and find out!

There will be a period for the panellists to be challenged by the
audience, so join the debate.

Background:

Evangelical Politician Seeks Private Prosecution of GPA

LONDON, 28 September 2006

The Gay & Lesbian Humanist Association has learned that an evangelical
Christian politician will be seeking a private prosecution of members
of the Gay Police Association following the Crown Prosecution
Service's determination last week that the group would not be
prosecuted.

Rev George Hargreaves, the leader of Operation Christian Vote, a
fundamentalist Christian political party that unsuccessfully contested
seats in the 2004 election, informed Ken Macdonald QC, Director of
Public Prosecutions, that he was seeking "request for leave to enter
into a private prosecution in the matter of the GPA's advertisement".

Hargreaves is known to have links with the religious right in the US.
Ahead of his 2004 election bid, he flew to the Unites States to
consult with Christian political strategists. He has also worked with
Stephen Green of Christian Voice in an effort to censor "blasphemy" in
the media [2].

Despite the GPA maintaining in a statement that the advert was never
an attack on all faith groups, noting that "The intention of the
advertisement was to cause public debate about an issue that has
remained taboo for centuries. An issue that is now having a serious
and detrimental effect on the lives of hundreds of law-abiding gay men
and women each year and which, on the basis of our records, is growing
at such an alarming rate that it could soon become a serious social
problem," Hargreaves is adamant that he will pursue a private
prosecution:

"I was therefore dismayed to learn that the Crown Prosecution Service
has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to pursue a
prosecution against the officer(s) who facilitated the publication of
the advertisement," he wrote to Ken McDonald QC.

"I believe there is a case to answer in this matter, and that there is
sufficient evidence to prove the necessary legal test set out in the
Public Order Act (not least the evidence of the 40,000 people who
lodged official complaints with the police). I also believe that it is
not in the public interest for this case to be dropped - to do so
would give the impression that Police officers are above the law," he
continued.

Hargreaves will be seeking to prosecute several officers in the GPA in
their personal capacities.

George Broadhead, secretary of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist
Association said: "Some evangelical religious groups have realised
that there may still be mileage in this issue and are seeking to spin
it out further.. It no longer has anything to do with spontaneous
outrage or offence, this is now a carefully organised campaign aimed
at silencing critics. I hope that it will be recognised as such and
that the CPS will not be drawn into the manipulative politics of
right-wing religion. This kind of campaign is a danger to free
expression and I hope the authorities will not collude in it. The CPS
should send Hargreaves away with a flea in his ear, and tell him to
stop wasting the valuable time and resources of public officials with
his senseless rabble-rousing."

It is expected that the Christian Lawyers Association – which also
condemned the GPA advert – will be supporting Hargreaves in his effort
to pursue a private prosecution.

It should be noted that the conviction of Gay News editor Denis Lemon
for "blasphemous libel" in 1977 was the result of a private
prosecution [2] brought by the secretary of the National Viewers and
Listeners Association, Mary Whitehouse.

Ends


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WEBSITE www.galha.org

Affiliated to Amnesty International & the International Humanist &
Ethical Union

GALHA President: Maureen Duffy. Vice-Presidents: Michael Cashman MEP;
Patrick Harvie MSP; Dr Evan Harris MP; Dr James Hemming; Darren
Johnson; Sir Michael Levey LVO, FBA, FRSL; George Melly; Maryam
Namazie; Taslima Nasreen; Claire Rayner MBE; Dr Harry Stopes-Roe;
Barbara Smoker; Professor Rob Tielman; Angela Willans.