Urge U.K. Prime Minister to Denounce Anti-Gay/Anti-Trans MP

Roger Helmer a conservative member of the British Parliament has made a controversial tweet defending so called "reparative therapy" for gay, lesbian and bisexual people. He ignorantly compares sex-change operations to sexual orientation an offense that should be taken by the entire LGBT community being that sexual orientation and gender identity are not the same thing.

In his tweet he says:

"Why is it OK for a surgeon to perform a sex-change operation, but not OK for a psychiatrist to try to "turn" a consenting homosexual?"

His remarks not only show that he believes sexual orientation can be altered but it also goes to show that he considers a sex-change operation to be a choice. While electing for surgery is a choice in the respect that one is not forced to undergo the procedure, it is often a life-saving procedure for transgender people who would otherwise not want to live in a physical body that does not correspond with their gender identity.

Urge Prime Minister David Cameron to reject MP Helmer's controversial and dangerous suggestion that "conversion therapy" works.

camerond@parliament.uk

You can also contact the representative himself at roger.helmer@europarl.europa.eu

Organization Spotlight: Gay and Lesbian Association of Dentists and Doctors (GLADD)

The Gay and Lesbian Association of Dentists and Doctors (GLADD) is available for those in the United Kingdom looking for help/support/advice or to make social contacts with other LGBT dentists and doctors.

Web Spotlight: BiFest UK

BiFest is a one-day event celebrating bisexuality, for bisexuals and bi-friendly people. Originating in London, it has now spread to several other United Kingdom locations and seeks to expand further.

Web Spotlight: QueerUK

QueerUK is a guide and forum for the gay community within the United Kingdom. Features on the web portal include a message board, latest news, a guide, blogs, photos and more.

Organization Spotlight: LGBTory

LGBTory is a group affiliated to the conservatives and committed to standing up for LGBT rights and responsibilities at every level of the conservative Party as well as throughout the United Kingdom and the wider world.

Organization Spotlight: United Kingdom Intersex Society

The United Kingdom Intersex Association (UKIA) is an education, advocacy, campaigning and support organisation which works on behalf of intersexed people.

Leeds, United Kingdom Asexual Meetup

Members of the Asexual Visibility Education Network are organizing a meeting this Saturday May 9th. The group will meet over lunch and then join for a fun activity.

May 9th from 10.30-12AM, Wetherspoons in Leeds train station
Chinese buffet followed by a Museum/gallery/other free activity

Asexual meetups are critical to bringing together the asexual community, not just to band together to have a voice, but also for individual support.

End The Blood Ban in the U.K.

U.K. gay rights groups are calling on an end to the discriminatory policy of the National Blood Service in barring gay and bisexual men from donating blood.

The ban should apply to people who engage in risky activity but should not make assumptions based on sexual orientation. As it stands a monogamous gay man is banned, but a high-risk heterosexual has no obstacles in donating blood.

Please contact the NBS and tell them the policy needs to change in order to stop the discriminatory behavior and stigmatization of men who have sex with men, and to ensure that there are more blood donors in an already small pool of people who are willing to donate.

E-contact form for National Blood Service

Compliments & Complaints Form

Phone: 0845 7 711 711

U.K. National ID Card Petition Over Trans Safety

The draft guidelines for the National ID Card as they currently stand, with regards to transsexual people and others who choose to present in the gender opposite to that of their birth assignment them to: a Apply and pay for up to four different ID cards b Have two separate ID cards before a GRC can be obtained.

The Database will keep a record of the birth gender, contrary to Government agreement when the GRA(2004) was passed into law. This is despite the fact that many people cannot obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) and that it is illegal to disclose whether a person is in possession of a GRC without explicit permission.

4 groups of people fall into a dangerous areas: 1 A transsexual person who has obtained a GRC 2 A transsexual person who lives full time in their acquired gender but have not yet applied for a GRC either: a Because they are not yet entitled to apply for GRC b Because they qualify to apply for a GRC, but are unable to apply for reasons such as pre-existing marriage or lack of reqrd medical evidence c Because they choose not to apply for, or are unaware of the availability of, a GRC. 3 A person who lives part time in each gender 4 A person who lives outside the gender binary.

E-Petition to the Prime Ministers office.

Asexual Meetups in United Kingdom and Australia this Weekend

Asexual meetup groups are springing up across the globe. This Saturday, February 7th there will be meetings in York and London (UK) and in Sydney, Australia.

For more info on these meetups and other future and potential meets up, check out the AVEN Meetup Mart.

Please also feel free to list any additional asexual meetups here, or if you wish to put out info for people to contact you over a potential meetup.

Web Spotlight: Bi Media

Bi media is a news outlet for bi commentary; as well as to act as a publicity resource for bi projects in the UK by relaying press releases and other news items to the wider media.

Web Spotlight: Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association

GALHA provides a voice for the many non-religious in the lesbian and gay community in the United Kingdom and elsewhere and promotes a rational humanist approach to homosexuality and to lesbian, gay and bisexual rights as human rights.

Violence Inciter "Bounty Killer" Granted Visa by U.K.

Anti-gay reggae artist Bounty Killer is seen below saying violence inciting homophobic commentary. He says such things as "faggot, I kill every one of them", and "queers must die."

The U.K. has granted him a temporary visa and he is set to perform a show this Sunday at The Stratford. The police say the show will go on unless there is a riot which puts the public in danger, gay activists are afraid to protest the show due to unforeseen violence.

Human rights activist Peter Thatchell has been arguing against hate inciting violence for years now saying that: "There is a clear correlation between murder music and homophobic violence, especially in Jamaica, where the release of anti-gay tracks often coincides with a rise in queer-bashing violence." (Pink News)



Mr. Thatchell is urging us to contact the Jamaican High Commission in the United Kingdom.

Address:
1-2 Prince Consort Road
London SW7 2BZ
Tel: 44-(0)-207-823-9911