A PRESSURE group called yesterday for a Minister of Equality to be appointed in the Scottish Parliament to help combat what it sees as institutionalised homo-phobia and gender-based discrimination in Scottish society.
Equality Network, which represents 60 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender organisations north of the Border, has urged the ministerial appointment in response to a Government consultation document on the future working of the Parliament.
It claims that many housing associations, employers, education authorities, local government, and other service providers fail to give fair and equal treatment to those it represents.
''It is acceptable and commonplace in this society to sack someone for being gay or refuse service to someone because of their self-defined gender,'' it maintains.
The organisation has also proposed a Parliamentary Committee on Equality and an Equality Unit which could deal with such issues as discrimination in employment and housing as well as ''homophobic bullying'' in schools.
Equality Network also envisages a senior civil servant in each department of the Parliament's Scottish Executive with a liaison responsibility.
It maintains the Minister would be one of the key representatives of the people in government and the role would add the necessary ''teeth'' to the Parliament's commitment to equal opportunities.
Meanwhile, in another response to the consultation exercise, the Scottish Association for the Study of Delinquency has proposed a ''business plan approach'' to measure the performances of members of the Parliament.
Targets, it says, could be given in relation to the number of committees on which they sat, debates attended, speeches in the chamber, the number of surgeries held locally, and replies to correspondence.
The association has also proposed that consideration could be given to having a specially
dedicated TV channel and radio station for the Parliament.
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