7 days until we Rise

About half of the members of Sing with Pride took time out from their tea break to send this message of support to the One Billion Rising campaign to end violence against women and girls.

The other members were busy cutting up cake and setting out plates and teacups (so British!) but joined in the shouting of 'Norwich is Rising!'

Had a great dance practice before choir this evening, and our final session is on Sunday morning before the mass dance on the 14th February from 1-2pm outside the Forum in the centre of Norwich.

On Tuesday of this week MPs in the House of Commons debated the issue of same sex marriage. The Bill got through the first reading, and one of the best speeches was given by David Lammy, Labour MP for (I think) Tottenham:

"There are still those who say this is all unnecessary. Why do we need gay marriage when we already have civil partnership, they say. They are the same - separate but equal - they claim.

Let me speak frankly - separate but equal is a fraud. Separate but equal is the language that tried to push Rosa Parks to the back of the bus. Separate but equal is the motif that determined that black and white people could not possibly drink from the same water fountain, eat at the same table or use the same toilets. It is an excerpt from the phrasebook of the segregationist and the racists.

This is not separate but equal it is separate and discriminated, separate and oppressed, separate and brow beaten, separate and subjugated. Separate is not equal so let us be rid of it."

Next stop is the House of Lords.