Council’s gay rights package costly

Press, 28 November 1984, Page 30

Council’s gay rights package costly

NZPA-AAP London Homosexual men and women shold be able to kiss and hold hands in public without being ridiculed, says a report approved by Leftwing councillors in Britain’s poorest borough, the "Daily Mail” reports. Meanwhile, two court judges attacked the council for “oppressive conduct” against tenants and for banning opposition councillors from “secret” committees. The report to the Labourcontrolled Hackney Borough Council in East London says when partners are sick or die, homosexual people ■ should be able to take special leave, like married couples. Special areas of parks and open spaces should be “landscaped” for them and provided with wardens so they are not harassed by heterosexuals, it says. The package of proposals costing at least £1 million (?2.56 million) was approved in principle by the leisure committee of the council. It includes encouraging homosexuals to work with children, and making special arrangements for them to use baths and sports centres on “gay only” days. The report urges the em-

ployment of a “gays-only” librarian, and discouraging anti-homosexual jokes by comedians. Other plans include providing books for children which have stories about the children of homosexual parents. A Conservative councillor, Mr Bernard Lansman, said the package, if it went ahead, would leave the council open to righteous indignation and ridicule. Hackney council was also in the news after being fined £lO,OOO (525,600) for failing to repair a tenant’s

house. A judge in fining the council for contempt of court said it had shown “an oppressive course of conduct towards its tenants”. In a separate hearing, a High Court judge attacked Hackney’s “secret” committees from which opposition councillors were banned. The judge ruled that the council had acted unlawfully in keeping a Liberal councillor off a labour subcommittee, and ordered it to pay costs of about £ 10,000.