London meeting to fight homophobia

A determined meeting saw lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and their supporters, gather in central London to oppose homophobia on Tuesday of last week.

More than 65 people attended the meeting, which came after large vigils in London, Liverpool and other towns and cities against the rise in homophobic hate crime.

Hannah Dee from the Socialist Workers Party told the meeting, “We are not going to be intimidated off the streets or pushed back into the closet.” She linked the rise in homophobic attacks to the electoral gain of the fascist BNP.

Ellie Barnes, a teacher from Hackney, spoke about the way that the celebration of LGBT History Month in February had reduced homophobia in her school.

Tami Peterson of the NUS LGBT committee analysed how society needs homophobia to divide people. “We are all trying to work towards a society where it doesn’t matter who people love and how they love,” she said.

Other speakers included Weyman Bennett of Unite Against Fascism.

He told the meeting how the BNP was spreading racism and homophobia wherever it went, and how it must be resisted.

A discussion followed where many speakers stressed the need for united, militant action.