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NEWS FLASHES
INTERLAW FORUM
INTERNATION
OUTSPOKEN:
NEWS
MICHAEL
RUSSIA CASHMAN
LAUNCHES
This year’s gay pride event
in Moscow was once STONEWALL CO-
again banned by the city’s FOUNDER AND
homophobic mayor – Yuri PROMINENT MEP,
/<3E<3BE=@97<55@=C>4=@
Luzhkov – who has, in the MICHAEL CASHMAN,
past, labelled gay pride ARGUES THAT THE
:=<2=<�A5/G:/EG3@A marches as “satanic”. Pride INSTITUTIONS OF
events in 2006 and 2007 were THE EUROPEAN
similarly prohibited, with the UNION HAVE SHOWN, AND CONTINUE TO
mayor’s stance being backed SHOW, GENUINE CLOUT IN THE FIGHT AGAINST
by Russia’s religious and far GAY HATE – DESPITE SOME MEMBER STATES
right groups. Following the SEEMINGLY STILL GETTING AWAY WITH BLATANT
mayor’s decision, the leaders HOMOPHOBIA.
of all the major religions in
Russia wrote a joint-letter The European
to the Council of Europe’s Union has
Commissioner for Human enormous
Rights urging him not to potential
support gay people’s right when it comes
WE DO NOT YET
to march. to promoting
HAVE THE POWER OF
and supporting
EUROPE lesbian and
LEGISLATION BUT
The European Commission gay rights. The
WE HAVE THE POWER
has indicated that institution in
discrimination on grounds which I serve TO NAME, SHAME
BVS7\bS`:Oe4]`c[ SabOPZWaVSRa]:50BaW\bVS:]\R]\ZSUOZaSQb]`QO\ of sexual orientation, age, has led the
e]`Yb]USbVS`b]S\VO\QSS_cOZWbgO\RRWdS`aWbg�VOaPSS\ZOc\ QVSROb religion or belief will no fi ght against
AND GET OTHER
bVS<ObW]\OZ5OZZS`g /a^O`b]TbVSSdS\b�#eOa`OWaSRT]`Ab]\SeOZZ longer be covered in a scaled- homophobia
COUNTRIES TO ACT
eV]aSQVWSTSfSQcbWdS 0S\Ac[[S`aYWZZ ^WQbc`SRa^]YSO\RQcbOQOYS back anti-discrimination and intolerance.
directive, focusing instead Specifi c laws
ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG 1925-2008
primarily just on disability. passed by the
It appears to be concerned European Parliament and adopted by the countries of the
BVS/[S`WQO\O`bWab @]PS`b@OcaQVS\PS`U VOaRWSRT`][VSO`bTOWZc`S that a more ambitious bill EU ban discrimination in the work place and in vocational
/USR& VS^OaaSR OeOgObVWaV][SW\4Z]`WRO]\ ;Og & would not be supported by training. We have led the fi ght against the rise of racism,
@OcaQVS\PS`UQO[Sb]^`][W\S\QSW\bVS'#aPSW\UZOPSZZSRdO `W]caZgOa all member states, which anti-Semitism, attacks on the rights of women and
�<S]2ORO�T]`VWacaS]TT]c\R]PXSQbaO\RO�^`]b]^]^�O`bWa bT]`VWacaS could scupper the entire homophobia.
]T[SRWOW[OUS`gW\VWaO`be]`Y7\'$"eOabVSTW`ab/[S`WQO\ O`bWabb]eW\ proposal. EU legislation Often, when we raise these matters we do not yet have
bVS5`O\R>`WhSObbVS DS\WQS0WS\\OZS 6SeOaP`WSTZg[O``WSRb]bVS^OW\bS` already off ers protection from the specifi c power of legislation; but we have the power
AcaO\ESWZZPcbbVSgRWd]`QSRW\'#!OTbS`eVWQVbW[SVSVOR `SZObW]\aVW^a discrimination on grounds of to name, shame and get the other countries to act. And if
eWbVTSZZ]e[OZSO`bWaba1gBe][PZgO\R8Oa^S`8]V\a6SWaac` dWdSRPgVWa gender, race and ethnicity. necessary, where applicable in certain cases, the European
a]\T`][VWa[O``WOUS1V`Wab]^VS`O\R^O`b\S`2O``gZ>]bb]`T  Commission can even take the off ending countries to the
European Court of Justice.
...AND FINALLY
We exercised our clout at the beginning of the
Parliamentary term when we had to vote to accept the
European Commissioners. During the process of the public
YOUNG RICH hearing, it was revealed that the Italian Commissioner was
Singer Will Young, 29, was included in this year’s Sunday Times young music rich list, with more interested in the “sin” of homosexuality, and in taking
an estimated fortune of £10million. The gay Pop Idol winner was in joint tenth place, alongside a narrow view of the family and the role of women. In other
troubled singer Amy Winehouse and Craig David. The list, which consists of those under the age words, he was keen on doing the Vatican’s work rather
of 30 who have made their fortune through music, was topped by Dhani Harrison (the only son than upholding the values of the EU. We threatened to vote
of former Beatle George Harrison), with an estimated fortune of £160m. down the entire Commission unless he was withdrawn.
They thought we would back down. But we didn’t. And
GAY WONDER by taking this stand we placed lesbian and gay rights, and
Although he fi rst confi rmed he was gay in an article with The Independent On Sunday the connection with the rights of others, at the very top of
last year, mind-reader and hypnotist Derren Brown recently gave an interview to the political agenda.
The Sun newspaper in which he talked at length about his sexuality and his current We are now fi ghting the Commission President for an EU-
relationship. The 37-year-old, who is currently performing his ‘Evening Of Wonders’ wide law banning discrimination in Goods and Services. The
show at London’s Garrick Theatre, confi rmed that he had had a boyfriend for the past fi ght goes on. The Tory MEPs are opposing us. But we will
year, and that “it’s perfect”. On coming out, he said, “Coming out when you are in the fi ght for equality without their support.
public eye is one of those things that isn’t an issue to yourself, your friends or your family. But you have to make a statement In the end, we have as much clout as we are courageous
about it. You have to be open and up front – or you end up turning it into a dark secret in your mind.” enough to use.
Michael Cashman has been MEP for the West Midlands
RONALDO NETS TRANNIE HOOKERS since 1999; and President of the Intergroup on Gay
On arriving back at his Rio de Janeiro motel, Brazilian soccer legend and AC Milan player Ronaldo was embarrassed to discover and Lesbian Rights, a cross-party coalition of MEPs,
that three apparent street girls he’d “picked up” were actually male transvestites – one of whom allegedly then tried to blackmail since 2004. For more on Michael and his work: www.
him into handing over the sum of $30k (£15k) to keep things schtum. Brazilian police defended their blushing striker idol: “He michaelcashmanmep.org.uk and www.lgbt-ep.eu
just wanted to amuse himself, that’s no crime.”
&#
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