Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association

Gaud and Bennett – a play by Fire and Brimstone Productions. This is the story of DeRobigne Mortimer Bennett (1818–1882), the last man to be imprisoned for blasphemy in the United States. As editor of The Truth Seeker he constantly battled with the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice and its president, the soap manufacturer Samuel Colgate. Fire and Brimstone Productions is a group of freethinkers and their friends who arrange dramatisations based on events in freethought history. This play marks the abolition of the common law offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel in England and Wales.

IDAHO Panel Discussion – As part of the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) programme, our panel discuss support for LGBT asylum seekers in the UK and what can be done to support LGBT people in other countries. Some gay people who are returned to their country of origin face persecution, imprisonment or even death. The aim of the discussion is to find ways for politicians, campaigners and others to support these victims of persecution. Members of the panel are S. Chelvan (a barrister representing the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group), Nigel Warner (ILGA-Europe), Martin Lunnon (Amnesty International), Peter Tatchell (human rights activist) and Kizza Musinguzi (asylum seeker). There will be plenty of time for audience discussion and comment after panel members have given their perspective. Food and drink will be provided.

The meeting originally planned for this date was cancelled.

Poofs, Margeries and Green Carnations – David Haldane Lawrence speaks about homosexuality and the Victorian stage. The event is GALHA’s contribution to this year’s LGBT History Month.

Sex and Sexuality: A History of Censorship in the Cinema – a talk by Mansel Stimpson, co-editor and chief reviewer of Film Review Annual.

Did Christians Steal Christmas? – A talk by Robert Stovold on the pagan origins of Christmas, followed by mulled wine and mince pies. Cover charge £5.

GALHA is pleased to announce that the renowned journalist and social commentator Polly Toynbee is the guest-of-honour and speaker at our popular Annual Lunch. The lunch will be held in the private function room of Bertorelli’s Restaurant, Soho, London, where we will meet for drinks from midday followed by lunch at 1.00pm. The price is £28.50 per person for a full three-course lunch including coffee and service charge. To book, please contact Keith Angus (e-mail Keith.Angus@galha.org) for further details. Places are limited, so we recommend booking early to secure a reservation.

Incitement to Homophobic Hatred – A special public meeting to debate the proposed legislation announced in October by the Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw, which is intended to outlaw incitement to hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation. There has been a good deal of discussion both within and beyond our community about the merits of this legislation. Some people argue that it is legitimate for the state to criminalise attempts to spread bigotry against gay and other minority communities. Others say the proposed legislation would breach fundamental principles of free speech. In oral evidence sessions before the House of Commons Public Bill Committee on the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill, Ben Summerskill of Stonewall spoke in favour of the proposals while Gareth Crossman of Liberty and Don Horrocks and Louise Brown of the Evangelical Alliance opposed them. Our panellists are Peter Tatchell from OutRage!, Padraig Reidy, News Editor of Index on Censorship, and Ted Brown from Black Gays and Lesbians Against Media Homophobia.

Marlene Dietrich: An Affectionate Tribute. Marlene – movie star, cabaret artiste, war hero, atheist – and lesbian! Come and explore the many aspects of the greatest gay icon of them all. Terry Sanderson uses generous clips from Dietrich’s campest films, examines rare archive material of her medal-winning war work and then shows a complete performance on the big screen of her famous one-woman show, with which she toured the world. Recorded in Sweden in 1963, this is Dietrich at her peak, accompanied by Burt Bacharach and his orchestra. A rare opportunity to see this sizzling performance. Tickets £10. For more details and to book online, visit http://www.gayhumanist.com/marlene. To book by post, send a cheque payable to “GALHA” to Marlene, PO Box 130, London W5 1DQ.

GALHA’s first Annual Residential Weekend Gathering in Scotland takes place at the Best Western Bruntsfield Hotel in the beautiful city of Edinburgh. The Bruntsfield is a well-appointed three-star hotel with an AA-rosetted restaurant and free car parking, and is about 15 minutes’ walk from the city centre. Our special guest speaker after dinner on the Saturday evening is GALHA vice-president Patrick Harvie MSP. The price per person per night for dinner, bed and full Scottish breakfast is £56 if you share a twin or double room. A supplement of £15 per night is payable for single occupancy of a double room. All members of GALHA and their friends are welcome. For further details and a booking form, please contact Jim Herrick (e-mail Jim.Herrick@galha.org).

Visit GALHA’s stall at Brighton Pride.

Oxford Pride – GALHA had a stall at this event.

Pride London – GALHA had a stall at this event.

Birmingham Pride.

Launch of IDAHO-UK 2008 – Students on the Design for Graphic Communication course at the University of the Arts London have designed double-sided broadsheet posters to encourage UK campaigners to arrange events for this year’s International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) on 17 May 2008.

David Lammy, the Minister for Skills and MP for Tottenham, will speak at the launch event and present prizes for the winning posters, which will be on display. He is joined by Equality Minister Barbara Follett, and Linda Bellos, a former leader of Lambeth Council, who works on mainstreaming equality and diversity in the British Army and Metropolitan Police.

Candidates in the forthcoming London mayoral election are also well represented at the launch. Neil Young will read a message of support for the event and the IDAHO campaign from Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London. Other speakers are Richard Barnes, the Conservative Leader on the London Assembly; Brian Paddick, the Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate; and Sian Berry, the Green candidate.

IDAHO founder Louis-Georges Tin will explain the priorities for the 2008 campaign, Pastor Kiyimba Brown will describe how he set up an IDAHO chapter in Uganda, Ali Hili, founder of Iraqi LGBT, will highlight the gravity of the situation for LGBT activists in Iraq, and Bill Schiller of the International Lesbian and Gay Cultural Network will graphically describe the plight of the LGBT community in Belarus. Amnesty International will also be represented. Niranjan Kamatkar, Artistic Director of Wise Thoughts will look at creative ways to address homophobia and transphobia in the UK, and a representative from the East London Out Project will talk on “Lesbian Rights and Sexism”, the theme of this year’s IDAHO campaign. Finally, Sue Sanders will display the work undertaken by students for Schools OUT and LGBT History Month.

There will be time to relax, mingle and network in the luxurious setting of the Rootstein Hopkins Space, and a chance to see the students’ work, enjoy the canapés and wine, and undergo the Lorraine Bowen Experience. It is hoped that Ms Bowen will perform a song from her new CD Vital Organs.

The event takes place at the Rootstein Hopkins Space, London College of Fashion, 20 John Prince’s Street, London W1G 0BJ, from 5.00pm to 10.30pm on Thursday 13 March 2008. Admission is by invitation only – contact Derek Lennard (e-mail derek.lennard@idaho.org.uk). See the IDAHO-UK website for full details.

LGBT History Month – an opportunity for all of us to learn more about the histories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Britain and Northern Ireland, with events across the country throughout February. See the Events Calendar on the LGBT History Month website for full details.