Harriet Harman admits marriage equality still has "a long way to go”

Harriet Harman launched Labour’s LGBT Manifesto in London's Soho, last night, stating that marriage equality is a “developing area”.

news.PinkPaper.com
Saturday, 16 July 2011
16 April 2010
harriet harman 1240204c Harriet Harman launched Labour’s LGBT Manifesto in London's Soho, last night, stating that marriage equality is a “developing area”.

Kick-starting the event by distributing Labour leaflets to the local community, Harman went on to deliver a keynote speech on the party's achievements - and hopes for the future.

When we asked for her response to the results of a recent PinkPaper.com poll, which showed that marriage equality was the most important issue for gay voters, she told us exclusively: “We have introduced civil partnerships against a background of great controversy and now it’s very broadly accepted.”

But when we pushed for her personal opinion on the issue of granting gay people the same rights as heterosexual couples, she was less committal, simply saying: “I think we’ve still got a long way to go with what we’ve done here. I think that this is a developing area where the boundaries are constantly being pushed forward.”

Despite the LGBT Manifesto promising to “root out” homophobia and discrimination from public services, to tackle homophobic bullying in schools and include same sex relationships in education, there is no mention of further developing marriage equality.

LGBT Labour co-chair Simon Wright, said: "Only Labour can be trusted on equality - the Tories haven't changed. Only Labour will build a future fair for all.”

National Treasurer and Membership Secretary, Daryn McCombe, said: “We’ve fundraised over £13,000 to give to LGBT candidates who are standing for the party across the country.”

The evening ended with a public screening of the Prime Ministerial Debate at Bar Soho.

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- 25/04/2010 16:22:38

YOU CANNOT TRUST THE TORIES

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- 22/04/2010 13:00:53

The vast majority of we the British people do not support the tories. We do however need to vote tactically for proportional representation and a tory free UK.

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- 20/04/2010 22:20:10

Simon Wright is spot on when he says the Tories haven't changed sadly the Grayling issue proves that underneath the polished veneer they are rotten to the core.

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- 20/04/2010 22:10:23

I do not hate people who are tories I hate right wing nasty party politics. People are not their politics. Therefore I have no problem with tory people just their evil politics.

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- 20/04/2010 22:06:21

slide back under that rock toryboy you have no intention of voting labour or liberal. your a tory and in my opinion an enemy of lgbt rights. Never trust a tory.

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- 20/04/2010 16:06:27

your hatred makes you no better than the bnp, and people like you are the reason people wont vote labour, well done nut bag

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- 20/04/2010 15:58:37

Tories have always been against any positive legislation that improves the lives of LGBT people. NEVER TRUST A TORY.

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- 20/04/2010 15:18:30

slide back under your rock toryboy.

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- 20/04/2010 14:15:19

youre a fucking nut bag

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- 20/04/2010 13:16:51

I also positively call for people to vote liberal democrat, Labour and the Greens. If I was that obsessed I would be backing one party. I am however totally opposed to 90% of tory party views. Therefore my vitriol is a direct response to their attacks on our community over many many years. Grayling proved to me that nothing has changed. Up until then I was beginning to soften on them and thought just maybe they were beginning to change. I do not believe they have and therefore I will do all I can to help Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens to win. I have sent money to all these parties in marginal seats. That is how much I am committed to keeping the tories out.

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- 20/04/2010 12:22:38

I am a pacifist and do not agree with any violence and why used violence anyway..we are a democracy and I can encourage others to vote liberal and labour to defeat the nasty party tories. Slide back under your rock spawn of thatcher.

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- 20/04/2010 07:06:44

At least if any tories end up dead the police will know where to start looking.

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- 20/04/2010 06:58:36

Tories tories tories, fuck you need help. Give it a rest, its an unhealthy obsession.

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- 19/04/2010 17:09:51

The problem with civil partnerships is that the nasty party tories are saying that they may allow siblings to civil partner thereby undermining the special relationships gays and lesbians have with their partners. The tories see civil partnerships not as a committment to love but rather a contractual arrangement concerning property and finance. Finance and property are a consideration no doubt but Love is the reason why I signed my civil partnership. I do agree with the last comment that most straight people see civil partnerships as marriages. So I would hope that a progressive government would bring in equality.

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- 18/04/2010 23:34:39

I honestly don't think implimenting marriage rights would be a big deal. Most straight people wouldn't even NOTICE, considering civil partnerships are socially treated as marriages and referred to coloquially as such.

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- 18/04/2010 18:58:43

NEVER TRUST A TORY.

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- 18/04/2010 18:49:17

The election is slipping away from the tories.....yipeee. Looks a a mirror of 1992 when Kinnock though he had it in the bag. Cameron is the tory Kinnock.

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- 18/04/2010 18:48:00

Well at least you have slid from under your rock in the Green party article discussion. You are a tory after all. Why didnt you have the balls to argue the case for them. Its because deep down underneath all your hateful bravado you know what the evil nasty tory party are like and you despise yourself for your internalised homophobia. You can seek treatment for self loathing and hatred you sad little man.

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- 18/04/2010 14:35:24

Nothing to do with lack of individuality but knowing that the conservative party and indeed all conservative parties the world over are anti-lgbt. In every country the various right wing nasty parties try to stop progress. I am not in reality party political in that I would vote for any party except the BNP or Tories. I have consistently called on people to vote for the Liberals, Labour and the Greens. I have no problem with any political party who does not want to make me a second class citizen. Chris Grayling proved beyond doubt that the nasty party tories have not changed.

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- 18/04/2010 03:24:16

You haven't even the individuality to use your own words, you sad act. people like you can be wound up so fast. I make one little comment at the start of this thread and your all over it like a fly round shit. Baaaa baaaa baaaaa. How brain dead does someone have to be to take advice from the likes of you, you even think anyone you dislike or has another opinion must be a tory. U twat, go back to carving up your victims. I'm outa here. X

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- 17/04/2010 19:20:17

Your a hypocrite because you start off saying that because you live in a tory area your vote is unlikely to oust them. I live in a Labour area and my council tax is also very low and public services are excellent. Yes I despise the tories. I do not for one minute forget the vitriol and hatred they spewed on our communities I am exercising my democratic right to spew back on the nasty party. I would be careful with your nasty comments I am no serial killer however I make no apologies for hating and distrusting the evil nasty tory party. You are a tory no doubt about it but you havent the balls to say that you are.

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- 17/04/2010 15:14:14

cont'd from below; sad serial killers advice gleaned from pink papers website.

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- 17/04/2010 15:13:01

Unfortunately i live in a tory area, and my vote is unlikely to oust them as they've held it for as long as i can remember, they do not represent me on the one hand but i do have the lowest council tax and the public services are good, and despite opinions i don't get a kicking every time I'm out and about because of my sexuality. True that our priorities are not high on the tory agenda but your hatred for them is as vicious as the bnp line if you ask me. surely people will vote for the issues that will best serve them with what ever party, harriet harmen is red alright, red herring! Like millions, people would love to vote labour, but the idea of the same old saddo's throwing the same old scraps for another term is frankly more terrifying than any other party having a shot for a while, if mindless automatons are so mindless as to listen to arseholes like you and waste their rare shot at democracy. Who ever i vote for, it'll be because i've made my own choice and not listened to some

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- 16/04/2010 23:27:52

We Will keep the red flag flying here. Socialist and Proud.

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- 16/04/2010 23:18:32

I always tell people to vote tactically against the tories be it liberal democrat labour or other. I am unapologetic in my hatred of the nasty tory party. You pretend that you dont like them but everytime someone attacks them you come to their aid. Your a phoney and a tory and unlike you I will be voting for Labour on election day but if I was in a liberal-tory marginal lI would be out voting liberal democrat. Your a nasty piece of work imo surely a good contender for the nasty party.

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- 16/04/2010 21:15:46

My god, you could pin a red rosette to a dog shit and you'd vote for it. Who's mentioned the tories anyway, we all know they're shit. Same old crap below from some brain dead moron. How sad would people have to be to actually listen to you and have no mind of their own. Sick and tired of seing the same 'vote for anyone but the tories' comment on almost every article. I bet come voting day you don't even bother, your all gob and no bollocks. Just like harman!

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- 16/04/2010 16:35:08

You are absolutely right. The tories prospective home secretary Chris Grayling actually backed people breaking anti-discrimination laws. What signal does this send? Basically that lgbt people are second class citizens. Vote Labour, Vote Liberal and vote tactically to keep the tories out.

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- 16/04/2010 15:22:08

Great to see that Labour still see there is more to achieve. Cameron has said the Conservations are not interested in going any further with equality legislation in fact he and the rest of his gang voted against every piece of equality legislation put forward.

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- 16/04/2010 14:57:16

More than the tories ever did or will ever do. Labour and the liberals are good for LGBT rights. When did you ever hear a tory supporting equality. The chair of the ToryLGBT movement had to leave the tory party because of homophobia. As far as I know the chairs of Labour and Lib Dem LGBT are very much a part of their respective parties and not being hounded out by homophobes.

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- 16/04/2010 14:48:35

Hardly scraps and when you consider Labour position, they brought in civil partnership, ending the ban on gays in the military,scrapped section 28,allowed adoptive rights. The tories on the other hand put the boot into our communities for years and continue to do so with the recent Grayling episode. Even the ex-chair of the ToryLGBT has come over to Labour. Hardly a ringing endorsement of the tories or a critique of Labour. Naturally I think we need to keep pushing for full equality in the marriage front and I don't trust any politician of any political hue to do the struggling for us. LGBT people have won the arguments but to say that Labour reform is scraps is dishonest.

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- 16/04/2010 13:35:03

More scraps from harmen, thanks miss.

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