ERG cancels IDAHO rally in protest

The Equality Rights Group has cancelled its annual rally marking International Day Against Homophobia [IDAHO] in protest at ‘uncertainty’ over the legalisation of same-sex marriage.

The group has marked IDAHO since 2012 with a rally outside the Gibraltar Parliament, drawing support from politicians, unions and community representatives.

“For the past four years we have been pleased to gather outside Parliament to highlight issues of human and LGBT rights,” the ERG said in a statement.

“And we have been accompanied by many representatives of our Community. In the process, we have also celebrated advances and improvements along the way.”

“Nonetheless, this year we have concluded, given the uncertainty surrounding the still unresolved issue of One Civil Marriage Law for All (Equal Marriage), that it would be inappropriate, incoherent and somewhat hypocritical for us as a group and others to assemble outside Parliament to give speeches on the virtues of equality while there still exists a discriminatory and unequal legislative situation in our country for the LGBT community, for whom we will continue to stand up without hesitation or delay.”

“It is yet to be seen whether 2017 will provide us with the opportunity to reconsider the situation.”

The group used the statement to publicly acknowledge the support it had received from across the community in past years.