Campaigners to tell Cameron to ‘come out’ for gay rights
Gay rights campaigners plan to hold a street party outside Conservative Party election headquarters on Sunday to ask leader David Cameron to ‘come out’ for gay rights.
They say Mr Cameron’s party has been sending “mixed messages” on gay rights, including shadow home secretary Chris Grayling’s recent statement that bed and breakfast owners should have the right to bar certain guests.
Mr Cameron has mentioned gay people and civil partnerships in recent speeches, and said in an interview that he supports changing the current lifetime ban on gay men donating blood.
But critics have attacked him for his party’s European alliance with a Polish party which has been accused of homophobia and his support for faith schools has concerned campaigners against homophobic bullying.
The event has been advertised on a Facebook group, where almost 1,000 people have said they will attend.
Organiser Peter Tatchell said: “Right now, the Tories don’t have any official lesbian and gay rights policies.
“The Conservative Party annual conference has never voted for gay equality and there are no gay rights policies in any Tory policy document. The Conservatives are offering the gay community no new measures to remedy the remaining vestiges of homophobia.”
Lesbian environmental activist Tamsin Omond, who is co-organising the event, added: “David Cameron talks about gay rights but he hasn’t got any specific gay rights policies. He isn’t saying what he would do for gay people if he became prime minister. We want to know.
“Sunday’s street party will be a lot of fun. We hope David will join us. This is his big opportunity to end the confusion and outline his policies to ensure gay equality. We want him to join us – and to bring Chris Grayling too.”
Mr Tatchell and Ms Omond delivered a pink fluffy invitation to Tory headquarters earlier today.
