Equality in Goods and Services

In June 2005 CAGS sent its submission to the DTI on the forthcoming Regulations on Equality in Goods and Services.

Police parading in Pride

CAGS signed up to an initiative from SLAGO, to write to thank chief constables for allowing police officers to march in the Pride parade, in uniform. In the event several Christian organisations signed up to this, so CAGS was not quoted directly.

Some CAGS campaigns

No Homophobia in the Legal Profession!

In July 2009, a local solicitor, David Moore, of Streeter Marshall, protested that the Law Society was urging law firms to support Pride. His e-mail, leaked to the press, complained that the society was being "hijacked by the gays", and most people wanted to bring up their children "as nature intended". CAGS members staged a protest outside the Streeter Marshall office and handed in a letter of complaint. Subsequently Mr Moore stated that his firm was not homophobic, and he would have expressed himself differently had he thought the e-mail would be leaked.

France and Civil Partnerships

On 14^th December 2008 we wrote to our MEPs to urge them to sign Written Declaration number 0076/2008.

France did not accept civil partnerships, so couples who moved to France or worked there found unexpectedly that they had lost the rights and security of civil partnership, and were nonetheless not eligible to dissolve their civil partnership in order to enter a "PACS" under French law. The Written Declaration addressed the problem of countries in Europe not recognising such relationships.

Early Day Motion

In August 2006 we urged our MPs to sign the Early Day Motion protesting about the execution of minors and the persecution of gays in Iraq.

Gay Police Association

We also sent a letter of support to the Gay Police Association, who were under some pressure having advertised the marked rise in incidents against gay people where the main motivation was religious.

The proposed Commission on Equality and Human Rights

In July 2005 CAGS sent its submission to the DTI on the proposals for the forthcoming Commissions on Equality and Human Rights.

Civil Partnership Bill

IN 2003/4 we campaigned very extensively on Civil Partnerships, particularly demonstrating that Christians have a long tradition of blessing same-sex partnerships, and many wish to preserve this as a traditional part of the Christian teaching and their right to do so should be respected. We sent hundreds of letters to members of the House of Lords, on several different aspects of the Bill.

Equal Employment Regulations

We made a submission to the Government in January 2003 on the Equal Employment Regulations. After the Consultation process was over, Downing Street had further consultations with certain bishops and clergy. This resulted in changes to the wording of the clauses that prevented people being sacked (or employed) by religious bodies, on the ground of sexual orientation. We made urgent representations to the scrutiny committee, which ultimately recommended that these changes be rejected by Parliament. However, ministers clarified the meaning of these clauses before both houses of parliament, establishing that the exceptions were every bit as narrow as they had been. This has however not prevented vulnerable people being sacked, and the attempt of the trade union Amicus to get a court judgement to recognise this explicitly has resulted in no further clarification.

Civil Partnerships

Read CAGS' submission on the Department of Trade and Industry's consultation document on Civil Partnerships.

Gender Recognition Bill

Our submission on the Gender Recognition Bill (allowing transsexuals to have their acquired sex recognised in law and recorded on their birth certificates) addressed the point that a married person wishing to have their acquired sex legally recognised will have to annul their marriage. We considered this was unacceptable to the many people whose partners have stood by them through extremely difficult times — not to mention those who took their marriage vows seriously and fully intend that they should last for life.

Rap Lyrics

In the early years of this century there was growing concern about rap artists whose lyrics advocate the beating, burning and murder of gay people. In 2003 we wrote to Croydon Police, and via them to the Metropolitan Police Force, asking that the Met should warn those who sell and distribute these lyrics that they may face prosecution for incitement to murder or conspiracy to incitement if they continue. Read our letter on this.

(In the event, a major international campaign, coordinated largely by Outrage! mounted successful protests and the venues where the offending artists were playing. This resulted in being able to negotiate with the distributors of their music to cease promoting the specific songs which promoted the killing of gay people. Although this campaign was successful it is maintained through constant vigilance and immediate action on the occasions when the agreement is broken. We understand that legislation is being actively proposed to make it an offence to incite the murder of gay people, in the same way that other social groups are protected.)

Guidelines for Police-Press contact on sex in public places

We invited comments on a proposed document for good practice in the Croydon division of the Metropolitan Police Force.