In the February edition of International Humanist News, we published a number of articles about Homosexuality and Human Rights. Following on from that, George Broadhead, co-founder, former Honorary Secretary and now Honorary Vice-President of the UK’s Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA ), was interviewed by Diana Brown._Ed.

IHN: Could you please briefly tell us something about the history of GALHA: when was it founded?

GB: A launch meeting of the Gay Humanist Group (GHG), later to be renamed the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA), was held in August 1979 during the Campaign for Homosexual Equality's annual conference in Brighton and a committee was elected.

IHN: Who was involved in founding GALHA?

GB: There were six founder members: myself and my partner Roy Saich, Barry Duke (now editor of The Freethinker), Barry's partner the late Brian Parry, Jim Herrick (former editor of The Freethinker, New Humanist and International Humanist News), and Jim's partner the late Chris Findlay.

IHN: What were the conditions that led to its foundation?

GB: The main impetus for its foundation was provided by the private prosecution of Gay News by Mrs Mary Whitehouse in 1977. Mrs Whitehouse became the target of vociferous protest and she declared in public that "everything good and true" that "every decent person believes in" was being undermined by "the humanist gay lobby". This was enough to set a few gays in the Humanist movement thinking. Although any formal lobby of this sort was at the time just a figment of Mrs Whitehouse's imagination, it seemed like a good idea to set one up.

IHN: Why did you feel you needed a separate group for gay Humanists?

GB: As a gay group, we would be in a better position to bring the gay-friendly Humanist outlook to the attention of the gay community both in the UK and internationally, for example via the gay media, talks to other gay groups (including those at colleges and universities) and stalls at the various gay pride events.

IHN: Was it difficult to get off the ground?

GB: Not really. We had already had a large quantity of leaflets produced and distributed at the June 1979 Gay Pride march which was exceptionally well attended (for that time) by some 8,000 people. This stimulated quite a lot of interest and after the formal launch in Brighton two months later, we publicised the group via Gay News and gay venues.

IHN: What sort of support has GALHA had from Humanists?

GB: It has had a good deal of support though not perhaps as much as it would like. At present six local Humanist groups have demonstrated their moral and financial support by affiliating, but others have declined this support. It has enjoyed the support of many prominent individuals in the Humanist movement, including the late Sir Hermann Bondi, the late Dr James Hemming, Maryam Namazie and Taslima Nasrin. It has had friendly relations with the British Humanist Association which has successfully proposed pro gay rights resolutions at several of its Annual General Meetings. Occasionally homophobic comments have been made in Humanist publications, but my personal involvement in the movement over more than forty years convinces me that these come from a tiny minority.

IHN: What have been the greatest obstacles you have faced?

GB: As with many small voluntary groups, I suppose trying to get enough members to help run it and, more recently, apathy among the gay community towards campaigning.

IHN: Looking back almost 30 years, would you say that GALHA is a success?

GB: I think the very fact that it has survived so long makes it a success. Other gay groups in the UK have come and gone and, though there have been groups similar to GALHA in the US and the Netherlands, they have folded. There is, however, another independent group called Nordic Rainbow Humanists (the rainbow has been adopted as a gay symbol) which is based in Sweden and – dare I say – organised mainly by a GALHA member.

IHN: How has the climate of opinion in the UK changed?

GB: Following many law reforms, notably the equalisation of the age of consent and the Civil Partnership legislation, there is now a much greater acceptance of gays in the UK population as a whole. However, they still suffer widespread bullying in schools and a great deal of hostility towards gay sexual relationships and law reform continues to come from religious sources.

IHN: How important do you think GALHA has been in bringing about change for the better?

GB: This is very difficult to assess. All I can say is for the past twenty-nine years the group has played a significant part in the on-going campaign for complete gay legal equality by taking part in numerous demonstrations, constant lobbying of MPs and ministers and making submissions to government bodies.

IHN: What do you think have been your greatest accomplishments?

GB: Playing a part in campaigning as already outlined and bringing the Humanist outlook to the attention of the gay community worldwide.

IHN: What has your personal contribution to the group been?

GB: As well as being a founder member and a committee member until my resignation at the end of March 2007, I served as its Honorary Secretary for twenty-seven years. At one time I was administering the membership, organising regular monthly meetings and weekend events, editing a quarterly magazine, and acting as media officer.

IHN: What improvements would you like to see in the future in the UK?

GB: As far as legislation is concerned, full gay marriage as has been introduced in Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain. The present Civil Partnership arrangement is still an inequality.

IHN: Turning now to the international arena, I understand that GALHA often tries to help homosexuals who are in trouble in other countries. When did you first start engaging in this work?

GB: Going back quite a few years when the International Humanist and Ethical Union had an International Humanist Ombudsman and then a Commissioner for Human Rights, GALHA drew their attention to a number of cases of anti-gay discrimination here and in other countries. It has also taken advantage of its affiliation to the IHEU to bring such discrimination to its attention and propose resolutions concerning gay rights at four of its World Congresses, the last in Mumbai. Members took part in the workshop on gay rights held at the IHEU Congress in the Netherlands in 2002. This was entitled 'Human Diversity, Human Rights and Humanism: All Different, All Equal'. GALHA fully supported and partly funded the UK launch of the International Day against Homophobia (IDAHO) in 2006 and members took part in its conference held in Moscow the same year. It lent its support to the Russian gay activist Nikolai
Alekseev, the principal organiser of Moscow Pride in 2006, flying him in to London to take part in a meeting at Conway Hall and to be guest of honour and keynote speaker at its annual lunch. He was presented with an award "for his courage in challenging homophobia in Russia and beyond". It has supported the courageous Nigerian Humanist Leo Igwe for staunchly defending gay rights in his country.

IHN: Where in the world would you say that life is most difficult for homosexuals?

GB: Definitely in Islamic countries and absolutely appalling in barbaric Islamic theocracies like Iran and Saudi Arabia. However, the situation for gays in Eastern European countries like Poland and Russia is pretty dire as well.

IHN: Looking at it as realistically as possible, what sort of progress would you hope to see on the international scene?

GB: In Western European countries like the UK, progress has been enormous. Most have caught up with progressive countries like the Netherlands and Norway, but the malign influence of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches still retards progress in a number of Eastern European countries, South America and elsewhere, as does the influence of fundamentalist Protestants in the USA, and I can't see any progress at all being made in countries dominated by Islam.

IHN: Is the institutionalised homophobia of some religions a problem that is likely to find a solution?

GB: As long as the hard line evangelicals continue to hold sway in the Anglican Church and spineless archbishops like Rowan Williams are at its head, I don't see any solution being found there in the foreseeable future. Under the present pope, the Roman Catholic Church has gone from bad to worse, and of course Islam is the pits. The only hope for gays is that the decline in support for the first two continues apace.

IHN: And finally, what message would you like to give to readers of International Humanist News?

GB: A big thank-you for all the support gays have had from the IHEU and long may it flourish.

http://www.galha.org/