A WEEK ago in Rugby, the Tories convened an emergency council meeting through unanimously a resolution reinstating 'sexual orientation' in their equal opportunities policy. This is now council policy.
The Stop the Lesbian hoto: MARK SALMON LIV ball campaign made one further demand: loat ne councimake d public statement about their climbdown.' This they duly did, lobby of this week's council meeting was called off.
'We will magnanimous in victory. But only in victory,' said the campaign spokesperson We must not underestimate the scale of the …ories cumbeowo. locr tember, when they deleted the Tories stated categorically that this amounted to a ban on the employment of gay people.
They were the first public body in this country and nore ased bot and were lauded scum newspapers as the number town in Now Rugly council, albert inauvertenly become the vanguard of progress. Most obviously our victory was achieved mass action unprece dented in the history of But Illas. action of a special kind in the history the movement in this country.
From demonstrations to pickets, the gay community nationally engaged in a partnership with the labour movement in RugDy. Inis combination wa. dynamic and victorious.
important, complementary factor was provided leadersnip, Jeff Coupe, chair of Rugby Lavour group. rrom stal 9. finish has been indefatigable, and on an unpopular issue in an unpopular place. Kinnock, are you listening!
Without Coupe's leadership it would have been extremely difficult to cement the gay-labour movement partnersnip His final words the Lories , were: it you don 1 do what are told there's going to be hundreds of "poofters" on streets next Wednesday.' There is an important lesson to be drawn from the experience of this campaign for all socialists.
That is: the Tories are vulnerable can beaten.
gay Communl can build on our victory in Kugby in two wavs. we must develop ways of tunities polices to make sure they are implemented. This has be done through the town hall races uno Second, the Labour Campaign for Gay Right and Stop the Lesbian and Gay Ban must organise a mass lobby of the nationa: negotiations between NALGO and the employers in the spring. to ensur that equal policies become the way o life in all town halls.
Forward to other victories!
SoCiAList