[PR/News] [UK] Harriet Harman ignores Peter Tatchell's letter about Equality Bill
Stephanie Stevens
[9/30/09]
Harriet Harman ignores Peter Tatchell's letter about Equality Bill
By: John Howard
OutRage!'s Peter Tatchell issued a statement today revealing that
Harriet Harman, minister for Women & Equalities, has ignored a letter
he wrote to her protesting at the exclusion of LGBT people from the
anti-harassment clauses of the Equality Bill.
"The government is ignoring all requests to explain why its Equality
Bill explicitly denies lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people
protection against harassment," Tatchell writes.
"Protection is offered on the grounds of race, gender and disibility,
but not on the grounds of sexual orientation or transgender identity.
Why are we excluded? It is time Labour gave us an explanation.
"I wrote to the minister for Women & Equalities, Harriet Harman,
nearly two months ago. Despite reminders, she has failed to offer any
answers. Her stonewalling is disrespectful and disappointing. It is an
insult to the whole lesbian, gay and transgender community to refuse
to explain why we are excluded from this legislation.
"These exclusions are not accidental omissions. They are explicitly
written into the Equality Bill."
Tatchell's original letter to Harman, of August 10, accompanied
OutRage!'s news release claiming that omissions in the Equality Bill
gave "a green light to homophobes".
Noting that the Bill outlaws harassment on the grounds of age,
disability, race and sex, it asks: "Why does it specifically and
uniquely exclude harassment on the grounds of gender reassignment and
sexual orientation - and, in some instances, on the grounds of
religion or belief? Why the differential treatment?
"Since this bill is intended to create a uniform legislative frame
work, all forms of harassment should be covered by its clauses. There
should be no exemptions."
It points out that the legislation denied protection against
homophobic harassment by school authorities, by the owners and
managers of properties and by the providers of services. Singling out
education, it says: "By excluding protection against harassment in
schools on the grounds of gender reassignment and sexual orientation,
this legislation is sending a signal to schools that the harassment of
of LGBT pupils need not be taken seriously."