TO: FROM: TOPIC:
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Dr Michael Davidson, Director, Core Issues Trust
Freedom of speech to articulate alternative, non-affirming responses to homosexuality is an important right to be protected.
DATE:
religion or thought.
1 October 2012, Working Session 10 – Freedom of thought, conscience,
In April 2012 Core Issues Trust, (a limited company with charitable status) countered an advert, in agreement with Transport for London’s advertising authority, for signage on 25 buses, with the slogan: “Not gay, ex-gay, post-gay and proud!. Get over it”. This was to counter a similar advert placed by Stonewall, the largest gay advocacy group in the United Kingdom, also a limited company with charitable status had earlier been given the agreement to advertise on 1000 London Transport buses using the slogan “Some people are Gay. Get over it!”. This advert attested to the categorical existence of gay people, and ran for the length of its proposed duration. The Core Issues Trust advert was banned by Transport for London on the grounds that it was offensive, and because, according to those opposing it, there is no such thing categorically as an “ex-gay or “post-gay” person. An application for Judicial Review of this case submitted by myself, Director of Core Issues Trust, is pending.
Core Issues Trust supports men and women who, through personal choice, wish to walk away from homosexual practices. Sky news facilitated live interviews with Stonewall management, yet denied the live right of reply to Core Issues Trust management, present for the full programme duration, on the basis of “technical difficulty”. Consequently, Core Issues Trust was discriminated against along with the propagation of false information about us.
This illustrates a duplicity of standards in the communication about the choices individuals have in responding to homosexual feelings. Any advertising or information campaign challenging the idea that homosexuality is innate, and immutable, is likely to be banned on the grounds that the fact change of sexual orientation and associated behaviours cannot be proven. Thus in the UK, individuals may be helped to express homosexual feelings, but are denied help in reducing and controlling them under any circumstances. This is appalling discrimination.
I request that the member states of the OSCE :
(1) recognise that a duplicity in advertising standards, when controlled by special interest groups, promotes intolerance. AT present the UK public is denied the full range of choices potentially available to individuals with unwanted same-sex attractions;
(2) acknowledge the overboard application of hate speech laws protecting the LGBT self identification of people, which is used to discriminate against those who wish to walkout of homosexuality. The denial of a person’s right to identity as “ex-gay”, “post- gay” or “non-practising homosexual” is a is a violation of the right to self- determination
