Livingstone Launches Gay Policies
April 20, 2008 by Staff · Leave a Comment
After a successful trip to Soho earlier this week Ken Livinsgtone has launched his lesbian and gay manifesto, “Making London the most lesbian and gay friendly city in the world”.
The document contains 20 key pledges for the LGBT community including a promise to working with schools and employers to stamp out homophobic bullying and homophobia.
There’s also a promise to support for the development of a LGBT museum. During the elections in 2004 the issue of a museum celebrating gay culture became a flash point between the Green and UKIP candidates.
Launching his manifesto Mr Livingstone said: “As Mayor, and throughout my political career, I have promoted rights for lesbians and gay men. If re-elected in May, I will work to ensure that London retains its reputation as a welcoming and safe place for lesbian and gay Londoners and visitors.”
“London is undoubtedly one of the great lesbian and gay capitals of the world and I want London to continue to celebrate lesbian and gay culture in all its aspects.”
Livingstone has also hardened his attack on Conservative rival Boris Johnson’s past comments on gay rights.
Speaking at the Stonewall hustings this weekend Mr Johnson clashed with members of the LGBT community including Pinknews.co.uk editor Tony Grew over comments equating Civil Partnerships to marriage between three men and a dog.
Mr Livingstone said “the job of the Mayor is to help take on and defeat every manifestation of bigotry and homophobia, not legitimise it with sentiments like those expressed by Boris Johnson in the past. Given what he has said about lesbian and gay people, as well as ethnic minorities, it is frankly astonishing that he should be coming to ask them to make him Mayor of this wonderfully open and tolerant city.”
Is there no limit to Ken Livingstone’s slimy trickery?
If he was really interested in “making London the most lesbian and gay friendly city in the world” then why has he refused to contribute to the funding of the 2008 International Gay & Lesbian Football Association World Championship, which is due to be held in London in August.
Livingstone has also refused to sign a letter of support for the IGLFAWC’s grant application to the lottery fund. The IGLFAWC says having the high-profile support of the current Mayor would increase the likelihood of the grant succeeding.
As it is this unexpected lack of financial support from the Mayor has contributed to the IGLFAWC being left with a funding shortfall.
The organisers need to raise just another £30,000 to cover their costs.
It’s good to know that there are billions and billions of pounds available to stage the high profile Olympics and Paralympics in 2012, but not a measly £30,000 for an event such as this, which is important to Londoners.
Why does anyone still believe a word this man says anymore?
The paralympics is a necessary sporting event, as disabled athletes are often unable to compete against able bodied athletes. Why do we need gay-specific sporting events? Are you suggesting that gay people like myself are unable to compete against heterosexual athletes? This kind of segregation does nothing to encourage mainstream communities to accept the homosexual lifestyle as valid and normal.
Ken hasn’t refused to fund the 2008 Gay & Lesbian World Championship. This is an unsubstantiated claim made by Peter Tatchell, without consultation with the World Championship organisers. The fact is that the organizers were encouraged to submit a proposal for funding to City Hall, but to date they haven’t. This was reported in the media over a week ago. See pinknews.co.uk article ‘Ken hits back over gay World Cup funding’. Ken Livingstone has been totally up front about the fact that he supports the World Championship coming to London. There is absolutely no ’slimy trickery’ here and it is disingenuous to suggest otherwise.