The recent floods meant the march itself was cancelled but the rest of the events went ahead in the Guildhall with money being raised for Gloucestershire Flood victims.

Elinor Croxall, a Green party member from Painswick who helped organise the Green party stall at the Guildhall on the day, said: “This second Gloucestershire Rainbow Day is all about promoting acceptance of our diverse community and putting an end to the discrimination like homophobic bullying in our workplaces and schools. It was great to see support from lots of different groups."

Photo: Rainbow flag flies at Ebley Mill

Cllr Philip Booth, a Stroud District councillor and Stroud Green party spokesperson said: "We applaud the County Council for it's support of this event. Last year after seeing the County fly the Rainbow flag I said it would be great to also see all 6 Gloucestershire District Councils flying their flags in support of this day. Before the event I was pleased to get confirmation from some of the Councils they would fly the flag. I am waiting to hear from the rest but can confirm Rainbow flags flying at Ebley Mill and the Sub Rooms in Stroud."

Bryan Meloy, coordinator of Gloucester Green party, who were the only political party with a stall supporting the Rainbow Day, said: “It’s easy to forget that, even in the EU, government and police attitudes are tolerant and even encouraging of homophobic violence and repression. It is truly horrifying to remember that there are 77 countries in the world where homosexuality is still a criminal offence punishable to by imprisonment or even execution. We must keep up the pressure on those countries to drop these draconian laws in line with international human rights standards – and common decency.”

Bryan Meloy added: "Greens have joined equivalent ‘pride’ marches and rallies across eastern and central Europe earlier this summer - at May’s Moscow Pride rally Green Party activist Peter Tatchell was assaulted - an attack to one of us is an attack on freedoms. We must maintain support for ‘pride’ rallies everywhere until homophobic and transphobic repression is a thing of the past – everywhere.”

See action below

Elinor Croxall added: "Forty years on from the legalisation of homosexuality, this country has nearly embraced a culture of acceptance, but we still have a way to go. Shocking suicide statistics show that 40% of gay boys bullied at school have gone on to attempt suicide. Initiatives such as the great Barnardo's campaign against homophobic bullying go some way to help but we need a zero tolerance policy enshrined in legislation in exactly the same way as we deal with racial bullying. Name calling on the grounds of sexuality should not be legitimate fodder for comedy."

Philip Booth added: "It is wholly unacceptable that our main public-service broadcaster fails to seriously admonish, let alone punish, the Radio 1 breakfast show host, Chris Moyles, for using the word "gay" pejoratively. Did anyone stop to think that Moyles might in effect be endorsing homophobia in schools?"

See last years Rainbow day here and use search engine for letters and other comments - plus blog comments here and here

CALL FOR ACTION

Peter Tatchell urges support for 18 Nigerian men charged with sodomy

Reports from the Nigerian news agency, NAN, say that 18 men in the northern Nigerian state of Bauchi, which is governed by Islamic Sharia law, have been arrested on charges of sodomy and could be sentenced to death by stoning (this is the prescribed penalty for sodomy under Sharia law). The 18 men have been remanded in prison after they were arrested last Sunday, 5 August 2007, at a private party in a hotel, where they were allegedly celebrating a "gay wedding." They were arraigned on Wednesday before Justice Taminu Abubakar of the Bauchi High Court, and will soon be sent for trial. For more details, here are the links to the BBC and Daily Champion
news articles:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6940061.stm
http://www.champion-newspapers.com/news/article_2.htm

I would urge people to protest to the Nigerian ambassador in London as soon as possible, urging that the charges be dropped and that Nigeria's anti-sodomy laws be repealed on the grounds that they contravene international human rights law. The name of the Nigerian Ambassador in London is Dozie Nwanna. Ambassador Nwanna can be contacted via this email address: dhc@nigeriahc.org.uk

For people living outside the UK, please protest to the Nigerian Ambassador in the country where you live. Or, if it is easier, send a protest email to the Nigerian Ambassador in London at the above address. Please ensure that your message to the Ambassador is polite and courteous, and that it stresses Nigeria's obligation to uphold its agreed commitments under African and international human rights charters and law. Please cite the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. In case some people prefer to write or fax their protests, here is the London Ambassador's postal address and fax number:

Ambassador Dozie Nwanna
Acting High Commissioner
Nigeria High Commission
Nigeria House
9 Northumberland Avenue
LONDON
WC2N 5BX

FAX:   0207 839 8746