Jean endorsed by LGBT activists

Regular readers may remember a previous post about the work that Jean has been doing to highlight and stand up against homophobia in Eastern Europe. It is that work, as part of an extensive record of work on LGBT issues in the European Parliament, that has earned the endorsement of UK Gay News in the last few days.

For more details on Jean's record on LGBT issues, you could click the links above - or read on below....who better than Peter Tatchell to explain?

"I am backing Jean Lambert and the Green list in the European elections. They have the best policies on LGBT issues and Jean has a proven record of effective, inspiring campaigning in the European Parliament" said LGBT human rights campaigner and Green Party human rights spokesperson, Peter Tatchell.

"Green Party MEPs are committed to promoting LGBT equality across Europe and to defeating homophobic and transphobic discrimination within the UK. Jean is a member of the LGBT Intergroup in the European Parliament. She led calls for new Europe-wide anti-discrimination legislation, to protect EU citizens against discrimination on grounds of age, sexual orientation, disability and faith or belief. Currently the EU laws on gender and race are stronger than those on other grounds. The Greens believe that all types of discrimination should be covered equally."

"Together with her fellow UK Green MEP, Caroline Lucas, Jean has publicly condemned the homophobic attacks on LGBT Pride marches in Latvia, Poland and Russia. She also advocates the recognition of same-sex marriage throughout the EU.

"Jean campaigned to secure the recognition of UK civil partnerships in France. She has been outspoken in defending LGBT refugees fleeing persecution in homophobic countries like Iran, Jamaica, Iraq and Uganda.

"She was also instrumental in persuading the European Commission to add a new clause to the financial agreement for structural funds, which resulted in EU funding being withheld from a journalism school linked to the anti-Semitic and homophobic Radio Maryja in Poland".

Jean stands up for LGBT rights

Many readers of this blog would no doubt have seen Green Party member and Parliamentary Candidate, Peter Tatchell, being arrested in Moscow for the "crime" of speaking out about institutionalised and widespread homophobia in Russia. Alas, the attitudes that Peter highlighted in Russia are just the tip of the iceberg across Europe - and, sadly, an indication of prejudiced attitudes that still exist here in the UK as well. Jean has been doing lots of work on equality in the Parliament, as a member of the Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights, and is joined in her activism on the issue by Joseph Healy, who is fourth on the London Green Party's European list on June 4th, and a prominent member of the Party's LGBT working group.

Below is the most recent press release from Jean on this issue. By re-electing her to the European Parliament, we will be ensuring a strong voice to speak out against prejudice in the name of Londoners.

SHAME ON HOMOPHOBIC STATES: GREEN MEP BACKS REPORT ON LGBT RIGHTS

- Renewed call for equality for LGBT people after Moscow violence
- Greens host event for London Eastern European LGBT community

Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP, has welcomed a report which names and shames countries around the world where state-sponsored homophobic laws exist.

Homosexuality is illegal in 80 countries around the world, and in five countries it is a crime punishable by death, according to State Sponsored Homophobia, the third annual report from ILGA, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.

Jean, who is a member of the European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee and the cross-party Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights, said:

"This report serves as a reminder of the terrible choice that LGBT people all over the world face: to risk persecution, imprisonment and even death because of their sexuality, or to deny their sexual or gender identity to escape unbearable discrimination. This fundamental abuse of human rights is suffered by too many people. Greens have been at the forefront of efforts to improve protection against all forms of discrimination across Europe, and we have made important progress. But there is still a long way to go.

"Last December, 66 countries signed the United Nations Statement against the criminalisation of homosexuality. It's a sad truth that these states are significantly outnumbered by those 80 countries where homosexuality is illegal. It's up to us to exert pressure on leaders at all levels to end this persecution which stems from homophobia."

The 2009 report from ILGA follows a report from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, which found in March that homophobia and discrimination against LGBT people were still widespread across Europe.

Eastern Europe is an area of particular concern, and in March the Green Party's LGBT Group pledged to work alongside Polish Greens to help tackle homophobia in the region. This Wednesday, Joseph Healy, from the Green Party's LGBT group, is hosting a meeting with members of the Eastern European LGBT community in London.

Events took place last weekend to mark IDAHO 2009, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. In Moscow, the scene of brutal attacks by far-right extremists in the past, sources reported that police used violent and oppressive tactics to break up the peaceful Slavic Pride march. Between 30 and 40 people were arrested. Peter Tatchell, the longstanding human rights campaigner and Jean's Green Party colleague, was detained but released without charges.

In Riga, the first Baltic Pride march took place in peace, after an earlier attempt by the city authorities to cancel it. Representatives from Pride London, which is twinned with the Riga event, joined the march.