Interesting equality and diversity news from last week – court rules prayers before council meetings unlawful, UK’s youngest transgender person Zachy Avery, sex-selective abortions in the UK and an exhibition on Hajj in the British Museum.
In the case of the Secular Society vs the Town Council of Bideford (Devon), High Court has ruled that the insistence of the Council to hold prayers before formal meetings is unlawful. The claimants contended that the practice of holding prayers directly discriminated against persons who had no religious beliefs and was thus, not justifiable. The Council claimed that there was no discrimination because Councillors and members of the public are not expected to participate in the prayers and can leave the Council Chamber during the saying of prayers. The Council is planning to appeal against the ban on prayers during meetings.
A five year old may be the UK’s youngest transgender person recognised by the NHS. Born Zach Avery but now living as a girl, Zachy was diagnosed by the NHS as having Gender Identity Disorder at age four. Mother Theresa Avery said: “He used to cry and try to cut off his willy out of frustration.” A spokesperson from the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust explained: “The diagnosis of GID is made by the key workers working with the young person. Our aim is not to predict or direct the outcome, but rather to support the young person in their general development as well as develop a trusting collaborative therapeutic relationship in which it is possible to openly explore their feelings about their gender.”
The Daily Telegraph has claimed that it has secretly filmed doctors at various abortion clinics in the UK agreeing to terminate foetuses when women did not want the baby because of its gender. The Department of Health has launched an inquiry to investigate these claims. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said, “I’m extremely concerned to hear about these allegations. I’ve asked my officials to investigate this as a matter of urgency.”
The British Museum has put together an exhibition on Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim must make at least once in their lifetime. Examining the extraordinary travel logistics involved and how the wider operation of the event has changed over time, the exhibition compares how pilgrims over the centuries negotiated this often monumental undertaking and how it continues to be experienced by people from all corners of the globe today.
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