London conference to address homophobia and transphobia
A conference attended by human rights organisations, academics, faith communities and unions is to be held in London next week to address problems around homophobia and transphobia.
The Trades Union Congress-sponsored conference – Faith, Homophobia, Transphobia and Human Rights – follows up an initial meeting on homophobia in the faith community in 2007, which was supported by 52 organisations and attended by 250 delegates.
The conference aims to build an alliance between people of faith and those concerned with social equality.
During the day there will be a discussion on the use of faith to obstruct equality, and debates on loopholes in equality law in workplaces and schools, and the issue of homophobia and transphobia in faith schools.
TUC assistant general secretary and Equality and Human Rights Commissioner (EHRC) Kay Carberry said: “It is unacceptable that faith is still used as an obstacle to equality in some schools and workplaces in the UK.
“This conference is an opportunity for unions, academics, human rights organisations and faith communities to work together to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people are treated as equals – both at work and in the wider community.”
Speakers at the conference will include EHRC chair Trevor Phillips; Government Equalities Office and Ministry of Justice minister Maria Eagle; University of Oxford professor of divinity Marilyn McCord Adams; Vicar of Putney and University of Oxford Philosophy lecturer Giles Fraser; and University of Glasgow Islamic Studies lecturer Amanullah De Sondy.
