BBC survey seeks your ideas and input on LGBT issues

Tell the BBC how to improve its portrayal of LGB people

London - 3 February 2010

The BBC wants to hear your opinion. It is conducting research into its portrayal of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) issues and people.

It wants your views on its LGB output in comedy, news, documentaries, sport, entertainment, film and dramas on BBC TV, radio and websites.

You can give your views via this BBC online survey HERE.

Please make your opinions heard. Don't leave it to homophobes to monopolise and distort the survey results.

Below is a Guardian article setting out some of the flaws in the BBC's past and present coverage of the LGB communities. These might be some of the issues that you want to mention when completing the survey.

Note: Trans people and issues will be the subject of later, separate BBC research and opinion polling.

Please forward this email request to any LGB or straight friends who you think might be interested in contributing to the survey.

Thanks for helping ensure that there is positive feedback to the BBC, so that its coverage of LGB issues and people improves.

Hats off to the BBC for action at last


BBC research into lesbian, gay and bisexual portrayal offers hope


Peter Tatchell welcomes the BBC's belated initiative to examine coverage on TV radio and websites. Article here from Guardian.

The jigsaw of identity: one person, many pieces (2009)

For Diversity Against Discrimination.

The jigsaw of identity: one person, many pieces (2009)

Released on the occasion of the Equality Summit in Stockholm, 16–17 November 2009, this film explores the theme of identity within the context of our societies where prejudices and stereotyping are commonplace and promoting the values of a diverse society remains a constant challenge. Through looking at the lives of three different personalities at ease with the many aspects of their identity and their place in society, the film inspires viewers to reflect upon how they see themselves and how others see them.

I'm not a racist but.....

A thought provoking article here from the generally excellent OurKingdom blog.


"I'm not a racist but...."

Many voters are 'against immigration' and against foreign aid (they say things to me on the doorstep along the lines of: "We should take care of our own; that's enough"); and yet they insist that they are not racists. This includes many Tories and the whole of UKIP - and many ordinary voters.

I've tried to introduce the idea of national minorities into the debate which has followed. Hope some take note.

Derogatory terms against the Cornish

The Equality and Human Rights Commission respond to the Celtic League.

The Kernow Branch of the Celtic League has received a reply from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) regarding a complaint the branch made in November 2009 about abusive comments directed towards Cornish people.

In his letter to former branch secretary Iwan Lemoine, the Regional Manager of the EHRC, Qaiser Razzak, said that in order for any remedy to be available in domestic (UK) legal proceedings, the Cornish would need to be defined as a `racial group' under the Race Relations Act, which has not yet been done.

In his response Mr Razzak says that:

"The Commission would like to look into this issue further as part of our Good Relations mandate. In this regard I would welcome an opportunity to meet you and discuss this matter in more detail"

In addition Mr Razzak said that with respect to the issue of derogatory or insulting comments against the Cornish, the Commission does not condone such conduct whether or not any group "have been recognised as a "racial group" under the Race Relations Act."

The full letter response can be found below.

"12/01/2010

Dear Sir,

Re: Complaint of use of derogatory terms against the Cornish

Thank you for your e-mail of 22 November 2009 and subsequent communications regarding the above complaint and the reference to the Cornish as "inbred" by the media and other individuals.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission ("the Commission") was established under the Equality Act 2006. It works to eliminate discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, race, religion or belief, gender and sexual orientation. The Commission also has mandate to protect and promote understanding of human rights.

The Commission condemns the use of any derogatory words or comments to describe a group or individuals on account of their race, colour, nationality or ethnic origin. In the Commission's opinion, negative comments regarding racial groups are offensive and reinforce the stereotyping of those particular groups.

Racial discrimination provisions are contained in the Race Relations Act 1976 ,where s.3(1) defines a "racial group" as a group of persons defined by reference to colour,race,nationality or ethnic or national origins, and references to a person's racial group refer to any racial group into which they fall.

To date, case law has not established the Cornish as a "racial group", for the purposes of the Race Relations Act, so currently, it is not clear whether any claim of racial discrimination against Cornish people would be successful.

It is worth noting the position under the Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities. This is an international treaty whose aim is to protect the existence of national minorities by creating appropriate conditions enabling them to preserve and develop their culture and to retain their identity. However, although binding on the UK government, it has not been implemented into domestic law and does not therefore provide a right to bring any legal proceedings.

In October 2007, the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities considered that there was "scope for covering further groups within the scope of the framework convention", mentioning the Cornish and religious groups, such as Muslims, in particular. It found that it would be possible to consider the inclusion of persons belonging to these groups in the application of the Framework Convention on an article-by article basis. It took the view that the UK government should consider this, in consultation with those concerned.

More importantly, the Advisory Committee noted that even though the UK government does not consider the people of Cornwall to constitute a national minority, a number of persons living in Cornwall consider themselves to be a national minority within the scope of the Framework Convention. In this, the Committee claimed to have received substantial information from them as to their Celtic identity, specific history, distinct language and culture.

The former Commission for Racial Equality also recommended that the Cornish could be considered a national minority under the Convention by removing the narrow criterion attached to its meaning by the government, which applied the definition of "racial group" under the Race Relations Act. However, as mentioned above, in order for any remedy to be available in domestic legal proceedings, the Cornish would need to be recognised as a "racial group" under the Race Relations Act.

The Commission would like to look into this issue further as part of our Good Relations mandate. In this regard I would welcome an opportunity to meet you and discuss this matter in more detail. With respect to a comment on the issue I wish to make clear the Commission does not condone any derogatory or insulting conduct against any group, whether or not they have been recognised as a "racial group" under the Race Relations Act.

Yours sincerely

Equality and Human Rights Commission"

This article prepared for Celtic News by Rhisiart Tal-e-bot General Secretary Celtic League.

Issued by the Director of Information
Director of Information
Celtic League

26/01/10

The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on socio-economic issues.

TEL (UK)01624 877918 MOBILE (UK)07624 491609

Internet site at:

http://celticleague.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/

Tories committed to anti-fascism?

Anti-fascist MEP threatens legal action over expulsion by Tories

What do our Cornish Tory candidates have to say on this issue and the wider concern that their party is allied to some fairly shady characters in the European Parliament?

Peter Tatchell

All at One Kernow were saddened to hear of the health problems facing human rights campaigner and friend of the Cornish nation Peter Tatchell.

One Kernow would like to wish Peter a speedy recovery for 2010, and we would like to join with Peter in wishing you a Happy New Year for 2010!

Bledhen Nowyth Da!

Wishing you a Pink, Green and Red New Year.

Wishing the world equality, peace, liberty and justice.

Huge thanks for your support in 2009. It is treasured.

From many small streams, a mighty river flows. We are the small streams that can make a mighty river for human liberation.

Warmest regards for 2010, 


Peter

To catch up with my campaigns, see here:

www.petertatchell.net

If you are willing and able to make a donation towards my human rights work in 2010, see here:

http://www.tatchellrightsfund.org/donations.htm

The Celtic League complains to EHRC

KERNOW: COMPLAINT TO EHRC

The Kernow Branch has written to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to bring to their attention a race relations issue that the branch say has been brought to their attention by individuals in Kernow/Cornwall over the last few years. Iwan Le Moine told the Regional Advisor for the EHRC that the branch had been contacted a number of times regading "derogatory and/or insulting" comments about the Cornish in newspapers, magazines and radio. Mr Le Moine points out that the resources of the branch are not large enough to "deal with these complaints effectively and feel that an organisation like the Equality and Human Rights Commission and/or the Council for Racial Equality in Cornwall (CREC) should be doing this on behalf of the public."

At the 2009 Celtic League AGM in Kernow, a resolution was passed condemning the use of insulting terms against the Cornish in the media, internet and elsewhere and called upon the EHRC and CREC to help tackle this. On 1st December the General Secretary of the league, attended a meeting of CREC, who are currently engaged in a process of reorganisation in order to formalise structure and working of the organisation after a period of inactivity.

The full text of the letter to the EHRC can be found below.

Qaiser Razzak
Regional Advisor
Equality and Human Rights Commission
22 November 2009

Dear Qaiser,

Condemnation of use of the word `inbred' to describe the Cornish

I am writing to you on behalf of the Celtic League to ask that you offer support for a resolution that was passed unanimously at our annual general meeting (agm) held in Truro, Cornwall on 18th July 2009.

The resolutions states:

"That the Celtic League utterly condemns the frequently used description of Cornish nationals as `inbred', amongst other insulting phrases, in the media, on the internet and elsewhere, and calls upon the Equality and Human Rights Commission, as well as the Council for Racial Equality in Cornwall to join us in taking action to tackle this outrage."

In addition, over the last few years a number of individuals have contacted our branch to complain about various comments and articles that have been written in newspapers, magazines and aired on the radio referring to the Cornish as `inbred' and being generally derogatory and/or insulting. This refers to comments made by individuals, as well as from sources on the internet, but a surprising number also come from supposedly well respected sources, such as the BBC (Radio), The Times newspaper (London), The Western Morning News, The Guardian newspaper, The Spectator and the website of Imperial College, University of London.

Over the past few years, the Celtic League (the organisation and branch) have written a number of letters to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC), calling for action against different newspapers, in whose pages comments deriding and/or insulting the Cornish have appeared. However, in each case the PCC have explained to us that there is nothing they can or will do.

The Kernow Branch has very limited resources to deal with these complaints effectively and feel that an organisation like the Equality and Human Rights Commission and/or the Council for Racial Equality in Cornwall should be doing this on behalf of the public. We would therefore like your help and support in asking you for a comment in response to this letter that we can use in future, condemning racist and prejudiced comments towards the Cornish.

We look forward to your response, which we aim to distribute widely among our members and elsewhere.

Yours sincerely

Iwan Le Moine
Branch Secretary
Kernow Branch
Celtic League

Related links:

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Council for Racial Equality in Cornwall

J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

17/12/09

The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on
socio-economic issues.

TEL (UK)01624 877918 MOBILE (UK)07624 491609

Internet site at:

The Celtic League
Celtic League Yahoo Group