Green Party celebrates 40th anniversary of Stonewall riots at Brighton Pride

The Green Party is gearing up for Brighton Pride. Greens will celebrate the legacy of the Stonewall riots with a public meeting on the 31st of July (at 630pm, The Eagle, 125 Gloucester Road, Brighton, BN1 4AF).The meeting's theme is: "Stonewall 40: The Unfinished Battle for LGBT Freedom".

Green Party leader Caroline Lucas and Peter Tatchell (the party's human rights spokesperson) will be at the public meeting, and will both join the Pride march.

Phelim Mac Cafferty, LGBT Greens National Spokesperson explained:

"We are delighted to be proudly celebrating the legacy of the Stonewall riots, which saw New York 's LGBT population burst forward in a show of defiance against continuous state harassment and persecution. Our meeting will relate to the lessons of Stonewall but will also importantly focus on what needs to be done still.

Phelim concluded:

"We have won important battles but until we have respect and equality the lessons from Stonewall mean we should never let up! Trans, bi and homophobic persecution, oppression and murder are still prevalent throughout the world. Now is the time to prepare ourselves for the unfinished battle for LGBT Freedom. Join us for our meeting to celebrate Brighton Pride 2009 and march with us as we mark 40 years from Stonewall!"

Ex-Labour candidate Peter Tatchell says now is the time to vote Green

International human rights campaigner and writer Peter Tatchell will be in Norwich on Wednesday and Thursday, July 15th and 16th, in support of the Green Party candidate in the Norwich North by-election, Rupert Read.

Peter Tatchell is a former Labour activist who ran as a Labour Party parliamentary candidate in London. He is now a member of the Green Party. In 2007, he was selected as the prospective Green Parliamentary candidate in Oxford East for the next general election.

Tatchell won widespread respect for his two attempts to carry out a citizen's arrest on Robert Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe, on charges of torture and other human rights abuses. He was co-founder of OutRage!, the gay rights campaign group, and drew more international headlines when he was beaten up in Moscow on a gay rights march. He was named Campaigner of the Year 2009 by The Observer.

Peter Tatchell said:

"As the MP for Norwich North, Rupert Read would be an intelligent, passionate, unshakeable defender of liberty, justice, peace and the environment. He knows a better world is possible and he will work with real commitment to achieve it. In these troubled times we need more politicians like Rupert. That's why I am supporting his campaign to be elected as Green MP for Norwich North."

Green Party supports Vote For A Change rally on Thursday

Peter Tatchell, the Green Party's parliamentary candidate for Oxford East, said: "I am supporting a national referendum on fair votes and electoral reform, to be held on the same day as the next general election."

Tatchell will be one of the speakers at the 9 July Vote For A Change Rally in London, along with Billy Bragg, Dave Rowntree (from Blur), Oona King, Peter Tatchell, Jo Swinson MP, and Gerard Batten MEP.

The Greens believe a proportional voting system will re-focus politics on what the voters want.

Greens favour the additional member system (AMS) specifically because it tends to give greater proportionality.

Under AMS, if 30% of the voters want Labour to represent them, then around 30% of the representation will be Labour; if 15% want Green MPs, then 15% of the parliamentary seats will be held by Greens. This, says the Green Party, would far better reflect the balance and diversity of opinion among the electorate.

Tatchell continued: "The lack of a fair voting system is a subversion of democracy. The Chartists and the Suffragettes fought for a representative parliament. Their battle is still unwon. Since the Second World War, no government has commanded the support of the majority of the British people. If we had fair votes, we may not have had the Thatcher and Blair governments, and we would probably never gone to war in Iraq. That's why electoral reform is so important. It is vital for democracy and better governance."

"Proportional representation is an issue of democracy and justice. It will ensure that every vote counts and it will end MPs and governments
elected with only minority support," said Mr Tatchell.

Vote for a Change rally will be meeting the 9 July at 6:30 pm in Methodist Central Hall.

For further information go to Vote for a Change website.

Peter Tatchell wins Observer Campaigner of the Year

Green Party spokesperson on human rights, Peter Tatchell, won Campaigner of the Year at the fourth _Observer_ Ethical Awards in London last night. The runners up at the newspaper awards ceremony were celebrity chefs and TV presenters Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver.

TV and movie actor Colin Firth, one of the judges, presented Tatchell with his award.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Tatchell paid tribute to "the many human rights campaigners worldwide who risk their lives and freedom, in countries like Russia , Iran , Zimbabwe, Iraq and China. It is an honour to work with and support them," he said.

Speaking after the event Mr Tatchell added:

"During the 1980s and 1990s I was often demonised by the popular press, lambasted by the political establishment and targeted for violent attack by neo-Nazis. Undeterred, I carried on campaigning. After more than 40 years of activism for gay rights and for other human rights causes, it is immensely gratifying to receive this accolade. My transition from public enemy number one to campaign award winner has been extraordinary.

"I want to thank everyone who supported me through the difficult, turbulent years when I was a minority voice and frequently reviled. Their kindness and solidarity is treasured. It gave me the strength to carry on the fight for justice and has helped bring me the recognition I have won today.

"During the last year, my campaign schedule has included arrest at the recent Gay Pride parade in Moscow, support for persecuted ethnic minorities in Iran and Pakistan, publicising the murder of LGBT Iraqis by Islamist death squads, challenging homophobia in football, assisting asylum seekers fleeing persecution, lobbying against the ban on same-sex marriage and helping secure the acquittal of two Baluch human rights campaigners who were framed on terrorism charges in London.

"I do my bit for human rights, as do many others. Together, we make the change," he said.

_Observer_ Politician of the Year was won by Caroline Lucas, Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Green Party of England and Wales.

Naturalist and TV nature programme presenter, Sir David Attenborough, was given a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Vote Green to stop the BNP, says Tatchell

"A big vote for the Greens is the surest way to stop the BNP winning a seat. The candidate best placed to stop Nick Griffin is Peter Cranie, the Green Party candidate," said human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, the Green Party's human rights spokesperson, today.

He was commenting on the European election campaign in North West England, in advance of his visit to Liverpool and Manchester this week.

Mr Tatchell noted that under the PR system for the Euro-elections, the contest to win the last seat on the North West list is likely to be between the Greens and the BNP.

"A Green victory will deprive the BNP of a seat in the North West," he said.

"Peter Cranie is a candidate of great commitment, vision and compassion. He will be a very effective voice for the North West in the European Parliament.

"The BNP is a divisive, bigoted, sectarian, nasty party, with no practical solutions to the economic crisis, mass unemployment, climate chaos or the corruption of parliament. It has a sick history of scapegoating and vilifying black, Jewish, gay and Muslim people.

"And politicians from all three major parties have abused the expenses system. It is time to kick the established parties out of office. We need some fresh Green faces in the European Parliament."

He continued:

"The Greens are an honourable alternative to Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. People who vote Green will be voting for progressive change, for investment in new jobs, and for energy conservation to cut household fuel bills and combat climate change.

"The Green Party stands for a safer, cleaner and fairer Britain and Europe. We are not just the party of environmental protection; we are also the party of social justice, with strong and fair policies on jobs, health, pensions and education. The Greens oppose Post Office privatisation. We believe that good quality public services are the key to a good quality of life for the British people," said Mr Tatchell.

Peter Tatchell will be taking part in a range of campaigning activities in Liverpool and Manchester this week.