Leading Lib Dems sign international pledge for gay rights

3.25.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 22nd Apr 2009

The International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) has prepared an online pledge for MEPs and euro candidates to sign ahead of the June 4th European elections. It calls for the promotion of equality and combating discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

London Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford, the party's European justice & human right spokeswoman, is a prominent member of the European Parliament's gay and lesbian rights intergroup. She said:

"I'm delighted to sign this pledge and give my strong support to ILGA's campaign for these key issues of fundamental rights. In my 10 years as an MEP I have actively supported equal rights for members of the LGBT community on matters such as free movement and recognition of civil partnerships, tackling hate crime, and asylum rights for individuals who risk persecution because of their sexual orientation. I have contributed to making the European Liberal (ALDE) group in the Parliament the key group in terms of progress on these issues and look forward to continuing that."

Leading Liberal Democrat euro candidate for London Jonathan Fryer added:

"A lot of progress has been made on LGBT rights over the past five years, in Britain and in most, but not all, EU member states. It is important that the European Parliament works, across party lines, to ensure full and equal rights for LGBT people within all 27 EU countries and presses for significant improvements beyond the EU's borders. As far as I am concerned, the mutual respect for people's sexuality is a core contemporary European value and an essential part of comprehensive human rights."

The pledge can be viewed here:

http://www.ilga-europe.org/europe/campaigns_projects/ep2009/ilga_europe_s_european_parliament_elections_pledge