The only thing that is true in the whole article is that the manifesto for the May elections in 2005 neglected to specifically mention gay rights, which were already a matter of the constitution, supported in unanimous conference resolutions, and promulgated through activism on the grounds.
There was no 'revolt' from the grassroots. The motion was passed unanimously - that is, by everyone including the leadership, and specifically Lindsey German who is smeared in the article Direland uncritically excerpts. Everyone present agreed that it was "unacceptable" that it had not been specifically mentioned in the manifesto. Red Pepper commented on the manifesto last year, indicating that one reason why it wasn't mentioned was that all of the demands that its precursor, the Socialist Alliance, had made on the issue had been met by the government - but it correctly noted that this didn't mean it was no longer an issue. The conference has now resolved to rectify this mistake. Respect will continue to support gay rights, including equal partnership rights for gays.
The stuff about it being a sop to Muslims is Tatchell and Direland's invention. If you think that Muslims are more likely to be homophobic than non-Muslims, as Direland appears to, then you need to know that the Islamists of al-Muhajiroun tried in vain to use it to turn Muslims against Galloway. They plastered Bethnal Green & Bow with photocopies of Respect leaflets supporting gay rights, and also drew attention to Galloway's voting record in parliament, which includes support for gay marriage and adoption. If they'd wanted to go further, they could have mentioned his publicly breaking with his friend Cardinal Winning over the latter's homophobic remarks about Section 28. It did not work. One of our Muslim candidates, Abdul Khaliq Mian went out of his way to support the family of a local gay man who had been beaten by Muslim boys. Galloway himself publicly declared his support for gay marriage on a local Bengali phone-in show. There are countless similar examples, but some people insist on believing the very worst regardless of the evidence.
It's worth noting that the same resolution condemned Tatchell's recent conduct with respect to Muslims, echoing criticisms made by the UK Muslim gay rights organisation Imaan and the Lesbian and Gay Coalition Against Racism, among others. Tatchell's fabrications about Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi amounted to an Islamophobic witch-hunt, which is peculiar behaviour when Muslims are under such threat and scrutiny. Tatchell has claimed that the Muslim Association of Britain, which has supported his party in elections just as it has Respect, is worse than the BNP when it comes to gay rights - ridiculously false, and absolutely catastrophic for anyone who wants to stop homophobic violence. The bulk of homophobic violence in the UK comes from far right thugs, such as the ex-BNP member David Copeland, who bombed the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho. Tatchell also has a sectarian political motive for these lies. He is, as mentioned, a member of the Green Party, which sees Respect as muscling in on its territory.
The only story that obtains here is that a newly formed political alliance has tried to overcome an anomaly in its electoral platform, one which doesn't chime with its overall political purview, and Peter Tatchell has used this as an occasion to bait reds and Muslims. The whole thing is a pitifully contrived slander, and I hope that this will be clear when Galloway reappears on your show.
In the meantime, I would direct you to this: http://leninology.blogspot.com/2005/11/tatchell-and-pink-veiled-islamophobia.html
>From: Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com>
>Reply-To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
>To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
>Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] GEORGE GALLOWAY PANDERS TO THE HOMOPHOBES
>Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 16:06:37 -0500
>
>BklynMagus wrote:
>
>>http://direland.typepad.com/direland/2005/11/george_galloway.html
>>
>>GEORGE GALLOWAY PANDERS TO THE HOMOPHOBES (Updated)
>
>Yup. I'm extremely disappointed to hear this. I think I'll try to get a
>follow-up interview with him for next week's radio show to ask about this.
>
>Doug
>___________________________________
>http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
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