IDAHOT

Today is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Bi-phobia, and what better way to mark it than by blipping an international gay grouping?!

From left to right, Steve (from England), Agatha (from Zimbabwe), Roderick (from Malawi) and Reza (from Iran).

Three of these people have been forced to flee from homophobic regimes and the ongoing risk of violence, abuse, imprisonment or even death because of their sexuality. They're members of Liverpool's support group for LGBT asylum seekers and refugees, 'Many Hands, One Heart', and they were all in attendance at this afternoon's IDAHOT event at the Atlantic Tower hotel - where cream teas were taken and rather too much cake was consumed (by me, at least!).

I hope with all my heart that our government doesn't even *think* about trying to send them 'back where they came from'... and that it does everything in its power to challenge bigotry and hate crime both at home and abroad.

Here's Labi Siffre www.youtube.com/watch?v=xenWEbokhQo