News just in from Gino Meriano

Surrey Police introduces new LAGLOs

(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Liaison Officers)

Following PC Mike Patey’s announcement at this year’s Gay Surrey IDAHO event that Surrey Police was developing its own LAGLO training program and would be introducing additional LAGLOs to the force, 12 newly trained individuals have now progressed through an inaugural course and joined Surrey’s LAGLO team.

The 12 new members, a mixture of officers and staff from various Surrey Police departments across the county, are now part of an on-going development programme designed to build on initial training and maximise their knowledge and understanding of matters that specifically affect members of the LGB & T population.

Offering consultative and practical support or a dedicated point of contact, a LAGLO’s main purpose is to encourage and develop confidence, trust, and open channel’s communication with Surrey’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population. A LAGLO champions equality and diversity, promotes knowledge and understanding of the LGB & T population, identifies good practice to colleagues, and can offer support on various issues including hate crime, victim/witness liaison and care, partnership projects and community contact.

To achieve its vision of ‘Safe and Confident Neighbourhoods in Surrey’, Surrey Police recognises it must have the trust, confidence and support of all the communities it serves. It must also strive for an organisation that reflects those communities. The LAGLO program not only supports this vision, but highlights Surrey Police’s determination and commitment to developing a service that is truly equitable and fair.

If you would like to make contact with a member of the Surrey Police LAGLO team, you can do so by calling 01483 630474 or e-mailing laglo@surrey.pnn.police.uk

As part of an initiative involving Surrey Police, Surrey Fire & Rescue Service and South East Coast Ambulance Service, the ‘Pride in Partnership’ project will deliver elements of Surrey Police’s LAGLO training program to selected fire and ambulance staff. As well as broadening the reach of the LAGLO program, the project promotes unity and further encourages equality and fairness.

Our new TV channel launched on the 15th November 2009 is a channel dedicated to same sex couples, their families and friends.

The crew have been travelling around the UK filming the Gay Wedding Shows, Interviews with Gino Meriano and secured some of the best hit series around including The L Word, Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal, Sex and the City, Gossip Girl and more……

In addition we have some new programmes like Red Lion Square and I Now Pronounce You

Over 2010, the channel will grow and highlight everything a couple needs to plan their special day, some great interviews with real couples and weddings.

The group 

TVPolari launched at the end of November 2007 in 84 countries, 900 cities, across the world via the new IP set top box and across the world via the internet as well.

We now have 9 channels up and running  and these include TVPolari Lifestyle TLAMovie Channel , TopGayer TV, Lesbian Channel, Planit Gay Travel Channel, Gabbiworld, TogetherTV and a very separate Adult Channel.

 By the end of 2010 we aim to have 15 Channels under the TVPolari network including Scene TV, Charity TV, Political TV, Gay Local Business TV, Arts & Culture channel, Finance & Property Channel and a Gay shopping Channel  just to name a few.

Watch TogetherTV now on http://www.togethertv.tv

6 years on and still growing stronger

The 15^th November saw some of the best suppliers around the UK give one of the largest amount of visitors to the show a warm welcome, great entertainment, fantastic example ceremonies and a host of information like never before.

Not even the wind or rain could hold back our couples, who all contributed in making Brighton one of the best shows around and ended 2009 with a bang.

Overall the Gay Wedding Show 2009 proved a great event and one that is still being talked about around the UK, from London to Cardiff to Manchester and Brighton – plans are well underway for 2010 shows, new ideas and additions are being created to give same sex couples the very best in the Civil Partnership market.

Gino Meriano, Founder of the Gay Wedding Show comments “I would personally like to thank everyone that has supported our shows this year, it has been a great year and even in this economic climate the Civil Partnership market is proving to buck the trends of the opposite sex wedding market. It always excites me to see so much genuine support from our exhibitors who are openly pro active towards supporting same-sex couples and Civil Partnerships. I look forward to 2010 and seeing how the next set shows unfold”.

The Gay Wedding Show saw its partner company Pink Weddings launch its new project “TogetherTV” live at the show and broadcasting yesterday on  http://www.togethertv.tv – TogetherTV is our new TV channel aimed at same sex couples, their families and friends.

Believe it or not the team are already planning for 2010 and interest is high so our “Expression of Interest” is now open http://www.gayweddingshow.co.uk/interest.htm – get ahead of the queue now

See you next year

The government has admitted defeat over an amendment protecting free speech in homophobic hatred laws.

Last night, the House of Lords voted again to keep the amendment in the law, which is part of the Coroners and Justice Bill.

As the parliamentary session ended today, the Ministry of Justice was forced to admit defeat, saying the bill could no longer be delayed.

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said the government was “very disappointed” at the Lords vote, adding: “There is no doubt about the threshold of this offence. No ‘freedom of expression’ section is needed to explain it. The threshold is a high one.

“The offence only covers words or behaviour that are threatening and intended to stir up hatred.

“As this parliamentary session ends today we can no longer delay the passage of this Bill.

“It is with considerable disappointment, therefore, that the government has agreed not to remove the ‘freedom of expression’ section.”

The spokeswoman added that the government would seek to create an offence of inciting hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation as soon as possible.

The government maintained that the amendment was unnecessary but concerns were raised that without it, the bill could lead to religious people being prosecuted for questioning homosexuality. Some comedians also expressed concern that they could fall foul of the law for making jokes.

Gay Labour peer Lord Smith warned last night that allowing the amendment could lead to an increase in homophobic attacks.

Gino Meriano Blog : this is fantstic news and keeps showing an ever growing support around the world for legal rights and acceptance in society for Civil Partnerships

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has legalised civil partnerships ceremonies for gay couples, making it the first territory in the country to do so.

The bill, sponsored by the ACT Greens party, was approved today by legislators after an amendment was inserted banning straight couples from having a civil partnership.

This means the ceremonies will not “mimic” marriage.

Gay couples living in the ACT have been allowed to register their partnerships since 2008 but until now, have not been allowed to hold a ceremony.

The new legislation could be struck down by the attorney general, who has rejected two similar efforts in the last few years, but opposition is said to have quietened down.

Research released earlier this year by the University of Queensland found that 51.4 of 2,061 gay and lesbian people surveyed said they would prefer to be married rather than in a civil partnership and 80 per cent thought gay marriage should be legal.

Twenty-seven per cent said they wanted another form of legal recognition, such as a federally recognised registry

Although domestic partnerships are available for gay couples in some Australian states, giving similar benefits to marriage, the country’s prime minister Kevin Rudd has been steadfast in his opposition to gay marriage.

In August, around 2,000 demonstrators marched on the Labor Party’s annual conference in Sydney, Australia, to protest about the continuing ban on gay marriage.

From the Blog of Gino Meriano :-

ALBANY — The fate of same-sex marriage collided with the often-dysfunctional political process here on Tuesday as the State Senate delayed a vote on a bill that would make it legal for gay and lesbian couples to marry in New York.

After an entire day of deliberations, Senate leaders emerged from the governor’s office late Tuesday with only a vague agreement that the bill would come to a vote before the end of the year.

Gov. David A. Paterson had placed the bill on the agenda for an emergency session that convened Tuesday, and gay rights advocates had been aggressively lobbying for an immediate vote. But the legislation’s prospects have grown cloudier in recent days. Supporters have had difficulty securing the 32 votes they need for approval in the Senate, and a dispute between Mr. Paterson and legislative leaders over how to close a budget deficit that now exceeds $3 billion has held up votes on major legislation.

Mr. Paterson said he would continue negotiating with legislative leaders on budget cuts this week and would call lawmakers back to Albany on Monday and Tuesday of next week. He said he would again include marriage on the agenda, but it remained unclear whether the Senate would debate it next week or wait until later in the year.

“I think that the vote is closer than people think,” he said in an interview.

He added, “It is one of those rare types of legislation that you never know what people are going to do until it hits the floor.”

The delay leaves proponents and opponents of same-sex marriage with more time to lobby for votes, which they were both busily doing on Tuesday.

Republicans and Democrats said the marriage bill was still several votes short of passing in the Senate, where the Democrats have a 32-to-30 majority. About five Democrats remained either opposed or noncommittal, meaning that Republican votes were needed to secure passage. But not enough Republicans have committed to voting yes, legislators said. Supporters of the bill would like to to have 29 votes lined up from Democrats so they need only 3 Republicans, a goal they feel is more realistic than getting 5 or more Republicans.

As legislators negotiated over the budget and the marriage bill all day, business in the Senate was at a standstill. Senators entered the chamber shortly after noon and took up a resolution honoring veterans. It was one of only a handful of noncontroversial measures that they took up.

With no agreement on how to close the budget deficit, many senators have been unwilling to put the same-sex marriage bill up for a vote first.

“We’ve always said the D.R.P. is the priority,” said Senator Pedro Espada Jr., the majority leader, referring to the governor’s deficit reduction plan. “We also know there’s a great expectation surrounding marriage equality. And my personal view is it should come up for a vote. As for when, let’s just put it this way: In my view I think it will follow the D.R.P.”

But the political dynamic surrounding same-sex marriage has changed in the last week and a half, making it harder for supporters to win votes. Voters in Maine last week repealed a state law that would have permitted same-sex marriage; and a pro-gay-rights Republican in a Congressional race upstate dropped out of the race a few days before the election after conservatives attacked her in part for her liberal social views.

Those developments have emboldened opponents of same-sex marriage in New York, who in conversations with senators in recent days have pointed to the recent elections as a reason to vote no.

“A lot of our job was done for us by the electorate in Maine and the electorate in the north country,” said Dennis Poust, communications director for the New York State Catholic Conference, the political arm of the state’s bishops. “Why is it beneficial for Republicans to take on this very controversial issue right now? It’s not. And we’re making sure to remind them of what happened last Tuesday.”

Alan Van Capelle, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, said gay rights advocates would hold the Senate to its pledge to vote before the end of the year. He said he trusted senators “to honor the commitment that was made.”

Danny Hakim contributed reporting.

Gay rights advocates have claimed a victory in Washington where the latest tally shows the state’s voters opted to allow increased rights for gay couples.

According to the latest unofficial returns, 72 per cent of the vote had been counted by yesterday afternoon, where the ‘approve’ campaign was running at 52 per cent.

AP reported that this vote makes history as it is the first time a state’s voters have approved a gay equality measure at the ballot box.

Referendum 71 will expand the state’s current domestic partnership law, essentially giving gay couples all the rights of marriage.

These include the right to use sick leave to care for a partner and rights related to adoption, child custody and child support.

The move will also give gay couples new inheritance rights.

It was due to come into power in June but was put on hold due after Protect Marriage Washington collected the 120,000 signatures needed for a referendum.

Washington has had domestic partnerships since 2007 and it is estimated that almost 6,000 have been carried out.

Gino Meriano comments “It would seem our ongoing issue is still not being addressed”

Equality Bill

Question

Asked by Lord Ouseley

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received from members of the public and organisations representing the interests of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people about the Equality Bill not providing them

26 Oct 2009 : Column WA103

with protection against harassment, though it does protect against harassment on the grounds of race, gender and disability; and how they intend to respond. [HL5679]

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon): We considered carefully the arguments and evidence provided in response to our public consultation on our proposals for the Equality Bill for extending protection against harassment and set out our assessment of these in the government response to that consultation published in July 2008.

Since then we have continued to engage with interested parties and to consider any further evidence they may supply. To date none of this information has presented a convincing case that additional protection is needed.

In particular Stonewall, the Employment and Diversity Forum and Citizens Advice have put forward examples to illustrate why they believe that specific protection against harassment should be extended in the Bill. Officials have met these organisations to discuss the arguments presented and the dialogue between them is ongoing.

Sources close to Portuguese Prime Minister José Sócrates, who is forming a new government following September elections, said Oct. 23 that legalizing same-sex marriage will be one of the new team’s first actions.

“The measure is part of the official program of the party and according to government sources, the move will be done as soon as [formation of] the government is complete,” writes correspondent João Paulo from PortugalGay.pt.

Sócrates’ Socialist Party captured 97 of Parliament’s 230 seats. With 31 additional votes from members of the Left Bloc and the Communist Party, both of which support gay marriage, Sócrates should be able to pass the bill easily.

THE case of a Christian marriage registrar who claims Islington Council discriminated against her for refusing to conduct same-sex civil partnerships is now expected to go to the highest court in the land.

Lillian Ladele maintains that her religious belief that gay couples are “sinners” means she cannot officiate at ceremonies.

The Christian lobby group backing her said this week it would file for a landmark Supreme Court hearing if necessary.

“We’ll take it to the Supreme Court if we need to – and there’s the European Court of Appeal after that,” pledged Christian Institute spokesman Mike Judge.

Ms Ladele, who lives in Skinner Street, Finsbury, took Islington Council to a tribunal in May 2008 and won – but the Town Hall appealed and the decision was overturned at a second hearing in December last year.

The dispute was heard for a third time in the High Court on Monday and Tuesday, with both sides saying they would challenge any decision that did not go their way. Ms Ladele, 49, sat next to her mother in the public gallery reading from a small black Bible.

Her barrister, John Dinghams QC, joined Helen Mountfield, for Islington Council, and Karon Monaghan, acting pro bono for campaign group Liberty, before Lord Justice Dyson in the Master of the Rolls’ courtroom.

Ms Mountfield said Ms Ladele was punished “because of her actions, not her religious beliefs”.

She told the court it was important to send out a “proper message in a democratic society” in what was the “first case of its kind in the country”.

She added: “The London Borough of Islington is democratically elected. They have given thought to their employment policy. More than half of its residents put Christian as their chosen religion. This has never been about a lack of respect for Christianity.

“But if God ordained that women should stay at home, and an employer says that is his sincerely held belief, should he then be allowed to exercise that right?”

Ms Monaghan said Liberty was keen to help Islington win the case so as not to set a precedent for other employment disputes. She said: “It would permit parasitic claims. People will begin to say, ‘well, they have accommodated this appellant – why not me?’”

She added: “There are very many faith-based systems grounded on patriarchal norms that have disadvantaged women – but it is no part of Liberty’s case that religion is relegated to sexual orientation.”

Civil partnership ceremonies – officially recognising gay couples – became part of the registrar’s job description in 2005. Another Islington Town Hall registrar, Theresa Davies, has also been relegated to desk duties because she refuses to conduct civil partnerships and has written to every member of the House of Lords for support.

Mr Dinghams said his client believed she should not have been forced to conduct the ceremonies. He made repeated reference to a breach of her confidence, accepted by Islington, when Ms Ladele’s decision to opt out of civil partnerships was leaked by a Town Hall manager to Islington’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) forum.

He told the court: “Why should one right be allowed to trump another – especially when the public is getting the same, first-rate service?

“Islington’s aim is to provide CP [civil partnership] ceremonies without discrimination. Why are they trying to obliterate her religious beliefs? That is the effect of it. She should not be required to change her views.”

Judge Dyson said: “We reserve our judgment and we hope to come back to you as soon as possible.”

Barristers said they expect a judgment before Christmas.