20th June 2011: NUS Scotland's LGBT Campaign called for a protest at Holyrood Palace on the 5th July against Brian Souter's Knighthood.
Please join us in solidarity on 5th July.
NUS Scotland LGBT campaign condemns knighthood for Souter
- Petition to revoke knighthood records thousands of signatures in just days
- Demonstration planned outside Royal Garden Party at Holyroodhouse
NUS Scotland's LGBT campaign condemns the announcement that Brian Souter will be receiving a knighthood and calls on people opposed to discrimination and bullying to attend a demonstration against the Stagecoach co-founder outside the Royal Garden Party on 5 July (
about 8,000 guests are expected to attend) and
sign a petition asking for the knighthood to be revoked.
The "Withdraw Brian Souter’s Knighthood" campaign, organised by NUS Scotland's LGBT campaign, is protesting outside the Palace of Holyroodhouse in opposition to the decision to honour Brian Souter, who spearheaded the
homophobic "Keep the Clause" effort to ban schools from introducing anti-bullying policies and prevent local authorities from "promoting" homosexuality.
The NUS Scotland LGBT campaign is also publicising an online petition, already signed by over 5000 people, to have his knighthood revoked.
The
Withdraw Brian Souter’s Knighthood campaign is calling for this knighthood to be retracted in support of the people who suffer from homophobic or transphobic bullying and harassment, and to send a clear message to homophobes that this kind of behaviour should no longer be overlooked when awarding British citizens this high honour.
Nathan Sparling, NUS Scotland's LGBT officer-elect, said:
"It is not acceptable that Brian Souter, one of the most prominent anti-LGBT campaigners in Scotland, is being honoured with a knighthood. Over the past week we've seen a surge of action with people signing the petition calling for Brian Souter's Knighthood to be withdrawn, and NUS Scotland is planning a protest on the day of the Royal Garden Party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on 5 July to voice our disgust at this honour.
"Souter ploughed money into producing propaganda for the "Keep the Clause" campaign in 2000 in order to persuade the country to keep Section 28, which stopped schools introducing anti-homophobic bullying policies and banned local authorities from 'intentionally promoting' homosexuality.
"Honouring such a known homophobe in this manner is disgraceful, and we urge all people who arbour discrimination to join us outside Holyroodhouse Palace on 5 July and sign the petition calling on Brian Souter's knighthood to be withdrawn."
Tim Hopkins, of the Equality Network said:
"The Keep the Clause campaign was an attempt to bully the Scottish Parliament into keeping a nasty discriminatory law. The campaign, with its strident homophobic billboards all over Scotland, caused huge distress to LGBT people, resulted in another school generation of young LGBT people growing up in a relentlessly negative environment, and damaged Scotland’s reputation for fairness and equality. The person responsible for all that should not be given a knighthood."
Peter Tatchell, LGBT rights campaigner, said:
“What a disgrace. Brian Souter gets a knighthood after backing Section 28 and stirring homophobia. He sowed social division, turning straight against gay. The only award he deserves is Bigot (First Class)."