LGBT rights
What's the graphic?
It's the rainbow flag, designed to reflect the spectrum of human sexuality. It was first used in June 1978 at San Francisco's Gay Freedom Day Parade and is now seen at events around the world. There are many variants of the flag but this one is the original and most widely used. (And, in my humble opinion, the best!)
Why is it here?
Much has changed since I was a teenager in the 1950s/60s, when gay sex was still illegal, blackmail was rife, and newspapers ran headlines about 'filthy perverts'. Here in the UK discrimination on the basis of sexuality (and gender reassignment) was made illegal by the 2010 Equality Act and gay marriage is now commonplace; Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) in schools is LGBT-inclusive and there are now many films and 'young adult' novels which feature gay characters.
But - and it's a big but - all is not well. Homophobic bullying continues to be a problem in schools; vicious hostility to LGBT people is damaging lives in Russia, Hungary, most of Africa and parts of the US; and far-right governments around the world are using hate as a political weapon.
Suggestions
Support Stonewall, which was formed in 1989 to campaign for the repeal of Thatcher's obnoxious Section 28 (see chapter 15 of my history for more on this) and continues to campaign on LGBT issues.
If you work in a school or college (or even if you don't), check out Just Like Us, the charity which works with schools to support LGBT students and their straight allies, provides speakers and produces free educational resources.
If you work in a primary school or are a parent of primary-age children, have a look at the books and resources produced by Pop'n'Olly which teach about equality and diversity and help combat prejudice before it can begin to form.
And if you're a gay teenager (and if it's safe to do so in your country), catch up with It Gets Better, an international movement which provides positive and reassuring messages for LGBT young people.
Britain and the European Union
What's the graphic?
It's the flag created for the Council of Europe in 1955 and adopted as the official emblem of the European Union in 1985.
Why is it here?
It's here because Brexit - the most grotesque act of national self-harm in my lifetime - is a disaster for our young people:
- economically - Cambridge Econometrics (January 2024) say Brexit cost everyone in the UK £2000 in 2023 alone and that by 2035 it will have cut Britain's economy by more than £300bn. Our young people will be paying for Brexit all their lives;
- socially - it's about what sort of people we are and how we relate to others;
- culturally - the loss of freedom to travel, work and play music across Europe;
- environmentally - Britain continues to use bee-killing neonicotinoids and other chemicals banned in the EU, dumps sewage in rivers, and flies meat from the other side of the world instead of shipping it across the Channel;
- healthwise - poorer food safety standards;
- ethically - lower animal welfare standards;
- educationally - the loss of Erasmus and of many European students from British universities; and
- politically - it has given succour to far-right forces across Europe and beyond.
Brexit was voted for overwhelmingly by the old. The young voted to stay in the EU. For their sakes, Brexit must be reversed. It's going to be a long haul back to sanity, and we need to make a start now.
Suggestions
Subscribe to The New European. First published after the 2016 referendum, the weekly paper was originally intended to last only for four issues. But it proved very successful and has gone from strength to strength. Regular contributors include Alastair Campbell, Matthew d'Ancona, Jonty Bloom and Patience Wheatcroft.
Join the European Movement, founded by Winston Churchill in 1949 to promote European unity in the wake of World War 2. With 22,000 members and 230,000 registered supporters, its aim is to see Britain back in its rightful place at the heart of Europe.
If you have any comments about these issues I'd be pleased to hear from you. Contact details are here.
Derek Gillard
March 2024
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