Picket the Bigots protest from 12.30 on Monday 8th October in Victoria Square outside the Campaign for Marriage rally in Birmingham Town Hall.

Open statement – Homophobic bigots not welcome in Birmingham

Despite the majority of public opinion and support from MPs being in favour 4 to1 of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights, the “Campaign for marriage” (C4M) is holding an anti gay marriage rally to galvanise opposition to equal marriage on Monday the 8th October at 1pm in Birmingham Town H
all. The rally has been officially advertised in the Conservative Party Conference fringe guide and promoted by the Daily Mail. All three platform speakers do not just oppose equal marriage – they back ‘gay cures.’ This is about turning the clock back on LGBT rights full stop.

David Cameron claims the Tories are different from the homophobes who introduced Section 28 under Thatcher. Yet, since poor local government election results, the bigots have been allowed to come out of the woodwork. Some Tory ministers now oppose marriage equality. Cameron is giving Tory MPs a “free vote” so homophobic Tories will vote against it. This comes against the backdrop of government cuts and austerity, which are hitting LGBT people disproportionately hard.

We are concerned that the Conservatives are not prepared to take on homophobia in their party or at senior levels of the church as they believe this would alienate their traditional voting base.

We oppose the rally and call on all student and trade unions, community groups, campaigns and faith groups to join a “picket the bigots” protest from 12.30 on Monday 8th October in Victoria Square outside the Campaign for Marriage rally in Birmingham Town Hall.

Supported by

PCS National PROUD Committee
PCS Midlands PROUD
West Midlands Love Music Hate Homophobia