Green Support for Gay Humanists

KENILWORTH, 22 JULY 2005 — The British-based Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) has acquired another prominent Green Party member as a supporter.

Patrick Harvie, a Green Party Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP), joins Darren Johnson, Leader of the Green Party Group in the London Assembly, on GALHA’s panel of vice-presidents.

Harvie hit the headlines when he put a motion in the Scottish Parliament condemning a homophobic remark made by Cardinal Keith O’Brien, head of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland. In an address at Holyrood’s prayer slot, Time for Reflection, the Cardinal attacked gays, claiming they were “captives to ... sexual aberrations”. Harvie’s parliamentary motion condemning the remark as “a gratuitous insult” attracted cross-party support. MSPs subsequently tightened the rules for speakers at Time for Reflection. They clamped down on offensive religious contributions by revising the guidelines to read: “[Contributions] will be consistent with the principle of equal opportunities for all and should not include remarks or comments which are discriminatory”.

GALHA ‘s secretary, George Broadhead, said: “Patrick Harvie’s robust and effective response to Catholic homophobia and his membership of the Humanist Society of Scotland prompted us to invite him to join our other thirteen prominent supporters and we give him a warm welcome.”

Other politicians supporting GALHA include Michael Cashman MEP, Dr Evan Harris MP and Lord Stratford (formerly Tony Banks MP).