Last week, history was made. The threat presented by the religious right to lesbian, gay and bisexual people’s freedom was averted, despite a torch-lit demonstration by men, women and children who claimed that their consciences really could not allow them to treat LGB people as anything better than second class citizens.
Outside and inside the Lords religious conservatives were trying to strike out regulations in the new equality act that outlaw discrimination and harassment of gays, making it illegal to discriminate in providing any goods and services to anyone, (from healthcare to hotels) and were fighting for a wrecking clause that would render them meaningless: “Nothing in these regulations shall force an individual to act against their conscience or strongly held religious beliefs.”
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