Ro's open letter

Father Ross K Bell
Tinkerbell Towers
5/4 Colonsay Close
Edinburgh
EH5 1BT

Dear Sir

I grew up in Fife struggling with my sexuality because there were so few support services or positive messages for me as a young gay man. It was in the age of Thatcher and her hate ridden policies, such as Section 28 of the Local Gov’t Act.

Therefore, as a gay man I am horrified when I hear young, and not so young, Lesbian, Gay Bisexual Transgendered and Queer folks suggest they may vote Tory.

Only the Labour party has a major commitment to supporting LGBTQ Communities and a proven track record of UK wide delivery. This gives a message of hope to young people who are growing up gay in the more isolated areas of Scotland.

Labour came to power in 1997 promising to change the law and change attitudes to towards the LGBTQ communitIES. Outdated prejudice for too long held back gay couples from enjoying the same rights as their straight counterparts and prejudice and misinformation made life hard for young people understanding their own sexuality and that of their friends.

The Government has made tackling bullying in schools a key priority, including homophobic bullying. They abolished “section 28” which inhibited teachers explaining homosexuality and protecting children from homophobic bullying. “The Safe to learn” package of guidance also includes specialist advice on cyberbullying, homophobic bullying and bullying involving children with special educational needs and disabilities and it makes clear to schools their duty to have strong anti-bullying policies and what tools the law gives them to deliver on this. Schools are required to have a clear and firm policy on tackling bullying – which includes homophobic and other bullying. This guidance was extended to cover preventing and responding to sexist, sexual and transphobic bullying.

In 2001, the national strategy for sexual health and HIV was a major milestone which placed sexual health and HIV firmly on the national agenda and set out an ambitious 10-year programme to tackle sexual ill-health and modernise sexual health services in England, we in Scotland need to follow.

The Labour Gov't have developed new ways of delivering cross cutting advise and support on sexual health including bringing social workers, youth workers, and others together to help provide advice and support.

The Equality Bill makes strides towards a life fairer for lesbian, gay, bisexual,transgendered and queer people by putting a new duty on public bodies which will mean public bodies need to think about the needs of everyone who uses their services or works for them. For example, a residential care home would have to consider the needs of same sex couples. It is to the Churches' and other faith communities' shame that they sidestepped being covered by this legislation.

The Labour record speaks for itself:

Introduced civil partnerships in 2004 which has to date benefited nearly 35,000 same sex couples;

Brought in a consistent age of consent (16) for both Lesbian, Gay and bisexual people and for heterosexual people.

Repealed Clause 28 of the Local Government Act 1988.

Lifted the ban on lesbians and gay men serving in the armed forces;

Outlawed discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in the workplace in 2003 and banned discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in goods, facilities, services and public functions in 2007;

Created a new offence making it unlawful to stir up hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation through the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.

Strengthened the law to protect transsexual people from discrimination The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 which made it easier for lesbian couples to access IVF and ensure that same sex couples can be both recognised as the legal parents of their children in the same way as heterosexual people.

The Tory Leader has not condemned the homophobia of Shadow Cabinet member Chris Grayling and has been less than vocal of his support of our LGBTQ communities. Even the founder of the LGBTory group, Anastasia Beaumont-Bott, has announced she cannot support the hypocrisy of the Tories and has stated she will be voting Labour.

All other members of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgendered and Queer communities should be following her example.

yours aye

Fr Ross K Bell