LGBT representatives join broad alliance with Trade Unions, MPs and Faith communities and Black community leaders to oppose the rise in fascism.

ACT NOW – Stop the Fascist BNP National Conference
Saturday 17 February 2007 9.30am-5pm
TUC Conference Centre, Great Russell St, London WC1B 3LS
Nearest tube: Tottenham Court Road

The Unite Against Fascism National Conference this Saturday “Act now the Stop
the fascist BNP” will see representatives from Stonewall, Imaan - the LGBT
Muslim Support group, NUS LGBT Campaign and the Lesbian and Gay Coalition
Against Racism highlighting the BNP’s homophobia and raising awareness about
the threat it poses to the LGBT community.  The conference brings together a
broad alliance which includes representatives from trade unions, MPs, Muslim
and Jewish communities and will be attended by over 500 activists from around
the country.

Alan Wardle Director of Parliamentary & Public Affairs, Stonewall said:
"The BNP routinely incites hatred towards lesbian, gay and bisexual people, as
well as targeting people on racial and religious grounds. We welcome this
conference as an opportunity to bring minority communities together, to
challenge the politics of hatred whatever their motivation."


Farzana, Chair of Imaan, the Muslim LGBT support group said:

“We stand must all make a stand against the homophobia, racism and
Islamophobia of the BNP.  Wherever they make gains, hate crimes increase.  The
recent debate comparing extremism in the Muslim community to fascism will have
one outcome –increasing the stigma against Muslims like ourselves who are
already facing increased hostilities as a result of rising Islamophobia.  If
we are serious about challenging the fascist BNP we must challenge homophobia
and Islamophobia.  Fighting against the common enemy of fascism brings diverse
communities together; when fascist nail bomber David Copeland targeted the
African-Caribbean, Asian and Lesbian and Gay communities in London with the
aim of turning out a vote for the BNP,  the Black, Muslim, Jewish and LGBT communities
marched together united.  It is critical that we unite now to ensure all
people of goodwill vote against the BNP to stop it making further gains in
this May’s local elections.”


Denis Fernando of the Lesbian and Gay Coalition Against Racism said: “The BNP
had a history of violence and criminality.  Whilst its initial victims are
often Muslims and Asylum seekers, it is deeply homophobic, likening Asian and
Gay Men to being paedophiles. It admires Hitler, whose murderous policies saw
the attempted annihilation of entire peoples, which included targeting
Lesbians and Gay men.  It opened its national conference in autumn by
attacking civil partnerships and campaigned to stop LGBT history month last
year. Its aim is to gain further council seats in this May local elections” 


For further information please contact Unite Against Fascism on 0207 833 4916
or Lesbian and Gay Coalition Against Racism on 07790022472

Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, Grime Star Lethal Bizzle, Rt Hon Peter
Hain MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Mary Senior, STUC Assistant General Secretary, Drew
McConnell, Babyshambles, Billy Hayes CWU General Secretary, Paul Mackney, UCU
Joint General Secretary, Keith Sonnet Unison Dep General Secretary, Gemma
Tumelty, NUS President, Dr Mohammed Abdul Bari, MCB General Secretary, Alan
Wardle, Director Public and Parliamentary Affairs Stonewall, Henry Guterman
MBE, refugee from the Holocaust,  Dr. Edie Friedman Director, Jewish Council
For Racial Equality, Maleiha Malik, Kings College London Glyn Ford MEP, Jerry
Dammers, ex-The Specials, Representatives of Imaan – the Muslim LGBT support
group and a representative of NUS LGBT Campaign, Ian Pace, classical pianist,
Hardkaur, UK's first Asian female rapper, Sam Duckworth, aka Get Cape Wear
Cape Fly, Kirsten Hearn disability rights campaigner, Martin Smith Love Music
Hate Racism, Lee Jasper National Assembly Against Racism Secretary, Mohammed
Azam North West Unite Against Fascism, Sabby Dhalu and Weyman Bennett, Unite
Against Fascism