Anti hate vigil
There were some small moments this afternoon, where, because I was feeling rubbish and upset wih myself about Stuff, and because I didn't know anyone else who was going to be there, I considered not going to the No to hate crime candle-lit vigil in Trafalger Square this evening. I'm glad I didn't pay any attention to these moments and went. It felt well worth it as I stood and clutched my purple scented candle (a gift from perdrix- it seemed like a good use for it), among hundreds of others: A two hour vigil directly in response to the murder of Ian Baynham, and against all hate crime, there were speeches and music and just a lot of solidarity.
Being me I was especially pleased that one of the speeches was given by someone from Inclusive Church - a priest at St Martin in the Field - Clare Herbert. It got me fired again about everything there. I have vaguely wondered before whether there were any lesbian priests in London - yes, yes there are. That's got to be a hard position to be in - although since there is probably at least a 90% overlap between those against women priests and those against gay priests it may be that it's not significantly harder being both than being one or the other? But I think it could be.
Overall, the mood was - I think inspiring could be the right word- it was a hugely positive way of responding. But there was the very sobering (and very important) reading out of the names of those who have died in the last 10 years dues to homophobic hate crime, predominantly in London. And I had the very cliched shock response to this - you think "This doesn't happen here and now, anymore. It can't do." And I'm completely aware of the shallowness of that response. Because, of course, it makes no difference where deaths occur, where prejudice occurs. It doesn't matter if something happens 50 or 50,000 miles away - human rights are human rights, and death is death. But, there is a bit of me that is shocked that this happens under my nose, in this city I live in and love.
The vigil ended with all the candles being passed to the front and laid out in in sea of light. I hope perdrixwon't mind my loss of the candle to this. It felt right.
And then some dude from the Guardian came and asked me some questions for a piece he's writing on it. Glad it's being covered :)
Can I also add - Sandi Toksvig and Sue Perkins both rock.