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Cashman and Tatchell Lead Gay Humanist 30th Birthday Celebrations
 

■ Michael Cashman MEP at GALHA celebrations:  “Unless we can separate religion and politics, we will never advance.” photo: UK Gay News

LONDON, July 12, 2009  –  Over 120 people crowded into London's Bishopsgate Institute on Friday to celebrate the 30th birthday of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA).

Peter Tatchell praised GALHA as “a voice of reason and evidence-based thought” in the face of bigotry and fundamentalism, and warned that “religious fundamentalism is now the single biggest threat to women’s rights and LGBT rights around the world”.

He urged the community to try to recapture some of the energy and idealism of the Gay Liberation Front, which was inspired both by the Stonewall Riots and by the early law reformers.

“Collectively and cumulatively, we have moved mountains thanks to these efforts,” he said

“The GLF never argued for mere ‘equality’.  Our agenda was about changing society, for the benefits of gays and straights alike.

“We challenged traditional notions of masculinity and femininity, and of the patriarchal nuclear family.

Stressing that direct action could achieve results alongside traditional lobbying, Mr. Tatchell also highlighted the importance of solidarity: “Gays and lesbians should support all oppressed communities, even when they don’t always return the favour.”

Michael Cashman MEP, the president of the European Parliament’s all-party ‘Intergroup’ for gay and lesbian human rights, asked the question “Why are we still fighting for gay and lesbian rights in 2009, and why will we still be doing it in 2029?

“It is because hatred never goes away.  It merely shifts its focus.”

Mr. Cashman also warned that “gays and lesbians too often think that rights once won, can never be taken away”.

He pointed to the struggle that was going on to secure human rights across Europe, and the key role of the European Parliament, for example in requiring all EU members to respect rights for minorities including LGBT people.

The opposition to LGBT rights in the European Union was, often as not, religiously motivated.

“Unless we can separate religion and politics, we will never advance,” he insisted.

Mr. Cashman left the audience with the thought that “religion and faith are perhaps the most private experience that any of us can ever have, apart from an orgasm that is.”

Friday’s celebrations also saw the presentation  to Sue Sanders of School’s Out and LGBT History Month of the first Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE)/Derek Oyston Award, in conjunction with GALHA, for services to the gay community.

The award, “in recognition of her outstanding work for School's Out and for establishing and maintaining LGBT History Month”, was presented by Ray Gosling, vice president of CHE.

Ms. Sanders spoke of the enormous strides that had been made since the days when teachers could be sacked simply for being gay.

“I can't tell you how much it means to receive an award like this from the community,” she said before paying tribute to the work of the late Paul Patrick and to other members of the organisation.

Messages of congratulation on reaching the 30th anniversary – and support – were read out from the British Humanist Association, the National Secular Society, The South Place Ethical Society,  the Council of Ex Muslims, and from GALHA Vice President Dr Evan Harris MP.

Adam Knowles, GALHA’s youngest committee member, said he saw much hope in the younger generation, too often dismissed as “disconnected”, or even “apathetic”.

“Democratic, rational, questioning and fundamentally optimistic, in many ways they are already humanists in all but name.  Our job is to go out and recruit them,” he said

GALHA secretary David Christmas commented: “This wonderful event highlights what we have already achieved but also that there are so many more battles to be fought and won all over the world.  This in turn shows why there is still likely to be a need for organisations like GALHA in another thirty years time.”

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