LONDON, January 14, 2006  –  The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) has today warmly welcomed the lead taken by its energetic vice-president, Michael Cashman, in fighting the Catholic-inspired homophobia in Eastern European countries.

On Monday, the European Parliament, in its first plenary session of 2006, will be given a report by the European Commission on homophobia in the Union – and MEPs will then debate the issue.

Michael Cashman, the current president of Parliament’s Intergroup on gay and lesbian issues, is one of many MEPs calling for tough action against EU member states that fail to uphold the human rights of gays and lesbians.

“We need to fight across Europe for similar equality but worryingly, many European countries are not nearly at this stage,” Cashman said yesterday.

“Gay pride marches are still being banned, political and religious leaders are using the language of hate and menace and police are failing to protect peaceful demonstrations and break up violent unrest by homophobic groups.”

Polish president Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz last year claimed that homosexuality is “unnatural” and gay pride marchers were arrested for attending “illegal demonstrations”.  Marcinkiewicz also called for the abolition of a Polish organisation fighting discrimination against gays and lesbians. Meanwhile, Latvia and Lithuania have both proposed legislation banning same-sex marriages.

MEPs have ordered the European Commission to explain what sanctions will be taken against countries that persistently breach the principle of respect for human rights.

“There seems little doubt that in Lithuania and Poland, where some 90 per cent of the population are Roman Catholic, Vatican-inspired homophobia is making the running,” commented George Broadhead, GALHA’s secretary.

“Having suffered a crushing defeat in Spain, the Vatican under the sway of the present medieval-minded pope, is determined to see its opposition to gay relationships and gay law reform upheld in these eastern European countries.

“It is heartening however, that with humanists like Michael Cashman taking a leading role, MEPs are doing their utmost to protect gays and lesbians from such evil reactionary forces.”

■  Homophobia is the first item on the agenda of the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg which starts on Monday (January 16) at 4pm (UK time) - 5pm Central European Time or 11am Eastern Standard Time in USA.  Streaming video coverage is available on the internet on the Parliament's web site. Select your European language and then the "EP LIVE" tab towards the top of the resulting page.  Any vote on the issues debated throughout the plenary session will be taken at 11am UK (12noon CET; 6am EST USA) on Thursday January 19.

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Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) website