>International musician Darren Hayes was this year’s guest speaker at the annual lunch of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) in London. Darren treated a packed Café des Amis to a deeply personal account of his struggle growing up gay, and his passion for civil rights.
GALHA Secretary Mike Rickwood commented: “We are thrilled to have the chance to hear from someone of Darren’s calibre and standing. This is a speech that will inspire anyone who values gay rights and human rights, Humanists and non Humanists alike.”
Previous guest speakers have included Stephen Fry, Angela Eagle MP, Polly Toynbee, Dr Evan Harris and Nikolai Alekseev.
GALHA Campaigns Manager Derek Lennard drew attention to the brave struggle of gay people for basic rights in countries like Jamaica, and stressed that GALHA would focus increasingly on the many countries of the world where Gay people do not enjoy even fundamental freedoms, let alone equality.
He also committed GALHA to fighting to reverse the scandalous vote by the United Nations General Assembly remove the mention of killings based on sexual orientation from a resolution condemning arbitrary and extrajudicial executions.
Closer to home, the lunch also welcomed the presence of the organisers of the Schools Out campaign, committed to fighting for equality in education for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people.
