Equality Bill discriminates

Equality Bill discriminates

Gays excluded from anti-harassment clauses

Stonewall supports exemption

London – 13 July 2009

"The Equality Bill should be renamed the Inequality Bill. While other
vulnerable groups are protected against harassment, protection is
denied to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. We are
explicitly excluded from the anti-harassment clauses of the Bill,"
said Peter Tatchell of the LGBT human rights group OutRage!.

"This legislation was supposed to harmonise and standardise all
equality laws, so that everyone has the same rights and protection.
Sadly, it enshrines in law discrimination based on sexual orientation
and gender identity.

"The leading gay lobby group, Stonewall, supports this discriminatory
legislation, claiming that homophobic and transphobic harassment are
not significant problems and can be dealt with under existing
legislation.

"Stonewall boasts that its stated purpose is to "promote equality,"
yet it is ignoring the unequal treatment of LGBT people in this Bill.
This collusion with discrimination reinforces the fear that Stonewall
has compromised its political independence and is too closely
identified with the Labour government.

"At the same time that Stonewall is laudably campaigning against
homophobic bullying in schools, it is supporting legislation that
effectively allows school authorities to harass LGBT pupils. Schools
are exempt.

"The so-called Equality Bill denies protection against homophobic
harassment by school authorities, by the owners and managers of
properties and by the providers of services. Such harassment is
outlawed on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, race
and sex but not on the grounds of sexual orientation.

"This omission gives a green light to homophobes. They won't face
sanctions for homophobic harassment under this proposed law.

"Exempting schools from the anti-harassment clauses is particularly
shocking and unforgiveable, given the widespread bullying of lesbian
and gay pupils. We urge the government to amend the Equality Bill
immediately.

"The legislation has an anti-transgender bias. Protection against
harassment is restricted to those people who are proposing or have
undergone gender reassignment, and transgender pupils in schools are
excluded from the Bill's anti-harassment protections.

"The definition of transgender people is too narrow. Those who are not
yet planning or have not yet undergone gender reassignment are not
protected by the Equality Bill. The legislation should be amended to
give protection on the wider grounds of gender identity, not the
narrow grounds of gender reassignment.

"The Equality Bill has the overall good intention of harmonising and
equalising all equality laws, to create a level legislative playing
field. But this positive goal is undermined by the government's recent
announcement that it plans to exempt faith schools from its action
plan to tackle homophobic prejudice and bullying. They will be allowed
to teach sex and relationship education in accordance with their own
religious values, which often include the idea that gay people are
sinners, unnatural, immoral and inferior human beings.

"Such values reinforce homophobia, which can lead to homophobic
harassment, discrimination and violence," said Peter Tatchell of
OutRage!

The discriminatory clauses of the Equality Bill:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmbills/131/09131.i-vii.html#top

Clause 28 - Provision of services – Ban on discrimination, harassment
and victimisation

Clauses 32, 33 and 34 - Disposal and management of premises by
landlords and freeholders etc. – Ban on harassment

Clause 82 - Schools – Ban on harassment