Hello, I've just joined up and am awaiting the issue of my kit as part of joining routine

I live in Kent, just outside London in the UK and have been interested in international aspects of gay rights for several years. I undertook an investigation in the notion of hate speech by Christians for my Criminology Diploma course at London University, though the word limit of 10,000 words prevented me including much more information and analysis of same. For anyone interested it is available on the
link here (as a PDF file). I have a continued interest in hate crime, miscarriages of justice and jurisprudence, as well as a general interest in philosophy and topoi such as truth, reason, liberty and rights.
I am a member of Amnesty International and would describe myself as a liberal with strong libertarian beliefs including the right to free speech, freedom of religion (constrained only with regard to respecting the rights & freedoms of others - as set out in the rarely cited Article 9(2) of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, 1950. As this convention underpins rights in the EU, and subscription to it is a pre-condition of EU membership, it is unfortunate that the rights of those who have chosen to subscribe to a conservative religious ideology and corresponding (and usually highly selective) lifestyle are allowed to trump the rights of gays because of our innate behaviour. Clearly the judiciary of both the Strasbourg and Hague Courts (European Court of Human Rights & EU Court of Justice) need to pay more than lip service to the notion of evolving law and legal consistency if they are not to undermine the very rule of law they claim to be upholding. Prompt action here against Poland's clear violations of their human rights obligations would be a good start, as would be more concerted action by the EU's Council of Ministers against the ugly, usually religiously instigated, rise of anti-Semitism in the former Eastern Europe (not to mention Putin's Russia)!
My other interests are social history, the Royal Navy, HMS Ganges (1866-1976), classical (particularly contemporary) music, poetry, photography and touring Europe and Scandinavia in particular by cruise ships (using the excellent & friendly Fred Olsen Lines). I also like good food, calvados, single estate cognacs (when I can get hold of them!!!) and malts and architecture. I love looking at modern examples of architecture and more traditional buildings as well.
My preference for men is of the bearded variety, and preferably matelots!

Yummy!
