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Dear Editor (ONCOM)
The escalating and highly inflammatory situation facing
Richmond Council in respect of the serious allegations of institutionalised
homophobia being levelled against its elected members, by the borough's
lesbian and gay community, has been further complicated by the unexpectedly
hostile and politically inexplicable interference by Cllr Marc Cranfield-Adams
in the issues already facing Council and involving the Standards
Board for England.
The original storm broke over Cllr Hilary Dance, who
published a letter in Richmond & Twickenham Times on 21 November
2003 condemning lesbian and gay relationships as not being condoned
by God, because of her use of her official Councillor title and
the official Council email address and correspondence pathway. It
is staggeringly clear that her fellow councillors have not learnt
from this debacle as Cllr Cranfield-Adams has also written both
to yourself and to the editor of Richmond & Twickenham Times
in his official role as Councillor, utilising Council's official
email address and correspondence pathway.This action can not be
accidental as he is perfectly well aware that Cllr Dance's and Council's
problems originated precisely and solely because of this.
Therefore, the following are the results of his deliberate
actions in so doing.
When he threatened litigation to close down your website via your
ISP, he did so as a Richmond Councillor.
When he wrote to Richmond & Twickenham Times on
12 March libelling "some from the gay 'community' as notorious
for their "spite and vindictiveness" in seeking to have
Cllr Dance "hung, drawn and quartered", something for
which there has not been a shred of evidence since 21 November 2003
when Cllr Dance's comments were published, he once again wrote in
his official capacity as a Richmond Councillor, using Council's
York House, Twickenham headquarters as his address.
He made his position untenable and indefensible in
continually corresponding as an official Richmond Councillor, expressing
views which he is officially prohibited to under Council's 'Members
Code of Conduct' (January 2003) and Council's 'Corporate Equality
and Diversity Policy and Strategy' (adopted by Council's Cabinet
on 23 March).
Cllr Cranfield-Adams, in threatening to close down
your website and in libelling sections of the borough's gay community,
now leaves me no alternative but to make an official complaint to
the Standards Board for England for the aforementioned reasons.
We, lesbians and gay men, are used to being shot at
from in front, but rarely have to deal with being shot at from behind,
from within our own ranks. With friends such as Cllr Cranfield-Adams,
who needs enemies?
Yours sincerely
Cass Mann
Chief Executive
Positively Healthy
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