lunes, octubre 16, 2006

Conservadores británicos firman acuerdo con principal ONG gay

David Cameron sigue sorprendiendo, reporta el Times de Londres. Gente de Calderón: lean este artículo. Copio:


"IT USED to be true blue, David Cameron gave it a greenish tinge and now it is going pink. The Conservative party has signed an agreement with Stonewall, the gay rights organisation, to turn itself into a model gay friendly employer and build up its appeal to homosexual voters. Francis Maude, the party chairman, has been in talks with Stonewall since early in the year and the Tories will now become part of its Diversity Champions programme.

The party’s latest move to leave behind the right-wing image of the Thatcher years has alienated some Tories but Maude said the majority would support it. “It seems to us absolutely the right thing to do,” he said. “It’s not just about gay, lesbian and bisexual people . . . people should see us as a party that is inclusive and respectful of everyone in society. We haven’t always been seen as that.”

Stonewall staff will give seminars to workers at party headquarters on how to treat gay and lesbian employees fairly. Campaign managers in the constituencies, seen as the most traditionalist section of the party, are likely to be sent on diversity awareness sessions and Maude said that Stonewall would be consulted over policies that affect gays. The scheme is overseen by Giles Inglis-Jones, the party’s human resources director, who is a former Grenadier Guards officer and equerry to Prince Philip.

Ben Summerskill, chief executive of Stonewall, described the Tory move as “courageous” and a sign of how far the party had changed.

“They want to demonstrate publicly they are taking this issue seriously,” said Summerskill. “I think with Cameron it is not just an issue of trying to win gay votes. He genuinely believes it’s the right thing to do. You do not get votes or good recruits if you look slightly twitchy whenever the word homosexual is mentioned.”

Summerskill added that Labour had declined an approach by Stonewall to join the diversity programme. “Perhaps there is a small element of complacency there,” he said...."

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