Campaigners Call for Lobby of Airline

KENILWORTH, 20 OCTOBER 2002 — Campaigners are calling for a mass lobby of the gay-friendly British Airways after one of its directors – a Catholic peer – criticised the Government for wanting same-sex couples to be able to adopt children.

Baroness O’Cathain was asked by the late Baroness Young, an Anglican and House of Lords mouthpiece for the virulently homophobic Christian Institute, to oppose Government plans just before her death in September. O’Cathain led the recent opposition in the Lords, scuppering the legislation for the time being at least. The proposals would have allowed unmarried couples – including same-sex couples – to adopt. As it stands, only married couples and single people can adopt.

Leading the call for a lobby of BA is the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA). The group’s spokesperson, Dean Braithwaite, said “This is the third time since the Labour government came to power in 1997 that the House of Lords has scuppered pro-gay legislation and each time religionists of various sorts have been in the forefront of the opposition. On the adoption issue Lady O’Cathain was supported by leading Anglicans, Catholics, Muslims and Sikhs.

“We are trying to do something positive to counter this religious hostility. The action we are taking has a number of precedents. We lobbied the Laura Ashley company in 1999 after it appointed the homophobic US televangelist Pat Robertson as a non-executive director. We also lobbied the Egyptian authorities after 52 gay men were charged with ‘contempt for religion’ in 2001.”

A spokesperson for BA said the company was recognised for its equal-opportunities policy. “We would like to make the point that her political activities are unconnected with her work for BA," she said. “We are recognised for our equal-opportunities policies. We provide the same benefits for same-sex couples as for other couples, including travel concessions.”

The spokesperson was asked whether it was embarrassing for BA that O’Cathain is so against same-sex relationships.

“We are supportive of equal opportunities for everyone and Lady O’Cathain’s views are unconnected with that. We cannot tell her as a politician what to say.”

She said BA even offered the same pension benefits to same-sex couples as to opposite-sex couples, and this extended to the company’s healthcare scheme for employees.

O’Cathain became a BA director in 1993. She is also a director of Allders plc, BNP Paribas UK Holdings Ltd, South East Water plc, Thistle Hotels plc and William Baird plc.