12 November 2009

LGBT Labour has called on the Government to try again to introduce their legisation on gay hate in the new session of Parliament that starts next week - after Conservative peer Lord Waddington's wrecking amendment was again supported by the House of Lords.

The Lords' amendment has been defeated by Labour MPs in the Commons four times -and had been going back-and-forth between the two chambers as the end of the parliamentary session approached.

Last night the Lords again voted to support it, and today, the last day of this parliamentary session, the Government admitted defeat in their battle with the Lords in order to protect its legislation.

All Conservative MPs in the Commons this week supported Lord Waddington's amendment, which is designed to wreck new laws designed to protect lesbians and gay men from homophobic hatred by allowing people with extreme views to be exempted from the new law on the basis of religion.

LGBT Labour co-chair Katie Hanson said:

"The Government's protection from homophobic hatred is a important right for lesbians and gay men - and so we are very disappointed that the new law will have an exemption in it for people on the basis of religious views. We do not want to let this rest. We will be urging the Government to re-visit this law in the new session of Parliament and finally scrap this amendment from the Lords - to make sure there are no exceptions to protection from homophobic hatred."

ENDS

For more information call James on 0793 907 3845