Once gay ndidat were monised – or forced to hi the closet. Now Wtmster boasts 32 LGB MPs, more than any other untry. But, as gay policians past and prent nfirm, the battle is not over yet
Contents:
- JOHNSON HAS LGBT 'BLD SPOT', SAYS FIRST OPENLY GAY BET MISTER
- GAY AND TRANS RIGHTS ISSU DIVI BOTH TORI AND LABOUR
- THE UK’S PARLIAMENT IS STILL THE GAYT THE WORLD AFTER 2019 ELECTN
- THE QUIET REVOLUTN: WHY BRA HAS MORE GAY MPS THAN ANYWHERE ELSE
- KEY DAT FOR LBIAN, GAY, BI AND TRANS EQUALY
- THE TE STORY OF ‘A VERY ENGLISH SNDAL’ AND THE TRIALS OF A CLOSETED GAY POLICIAN
JOHNSON HAS LGBT 'BLD SPOT', SAYS FIRST OPENLY GAY BET MISTER
The UK's first openly gay bet mister, Lord Smh, urg the PM to diversify his top team. * gay political party uk *
Media ptn, Lord Chris Smh talks about the language he wnsed parliament the 1990sBoris Johnson has a "bld spot" when to appotg LGBT+ people to his top team, the UK's first openly gay bet mister has Chris Smh, who was a member of Tony Blair's first bet 1997, said was a "matter of great regret" that there were currently no out bet urged the PM to diversify his top team "the next year or two".
A ernment spokman said Mr Johnson was mted to improvg UK parliament now has s hight ever proportn of lbian, gay and bisexual MPs, cludg two non-bet misters, although there are no openly transgenr members of parliament. Lord Smh, who was also the first openly gay male MP after g out 1984, said electg a trans member of parliament was a "glass ceilg" yet to be broken. "In terms of lbians and gay men I thk the glass ceilg Parliament has well and tly been broken, " he said an terview to mark LGBT+ History month.
GAY AND TRANS RIGHTS ISSU DIVI BOTH TORI AND LABOUR
Levels of LGBT+ reprentatn the UK parliament - wh more gay Conservative MPs than out Labour MPs followg the general electn. * gay political party uk *
" Chris Smh's reerImage source, PA MediaImage ptn, Smh promot Brish film at Cann 1999A leadg figure New Labour, who beme an MP for a North London nstuency 1983The followg year, at a gay rights rally Rugby, Warwickshire, he said: "My name is Chris Smh. I'm the Labour MP for Islgton South and Fsbury, and I'm gay"Smh's unscripted announcement - which earned a standg ovatn - was the first time a gay MP had chosen to e outLabour's Mreen Colquhoun - a pneerg femist whose ath at the age of 92 was announced earlier this month - had been open about her sexualy the 1970s, after the Daily Mail revealed she was a relatnship wh another womanIn 1997, Smh was appoted culture secretary, wh rponsibily for the Millennium Dome, the creative dtri and troducg ee mm entryHe later served as head of the Environment Agency, after steppg down as an MP 2005 and enterg the Hoe of LordsJte Greeng who was the first and, as thgs stand, only out lbian bet mister thks 's more of a "pipele" issue - that not as many LGBT+ MPs have risen through the ranks as had been Greeng served Thera May's Conservative bet, as tn secretary and equali mister, alongsi Secretary of State for Stland, David Munll, who also me out while office. Gay marriage was legalised England and Wal on 29 March 2014, and by October 2015 figur showed that 15, 000 same-sex upl had wed sce the law changed.
We've asked them their plans and looked through their maniftos for the pledg on LGBTQ+ issu that matter to young Conservative manifto stat that there has been a “shift” attus to sexualy recent the past, Thera May herself reportedly voted agast rcg the age of nsent for gay people, the repeal of Sectn 28 and civil 2012, the future Prime Mister released a vio exprsg her support for gay marriage. However, the party tends to ph forward wh s “plan for tacklg hate crime” mted on the basis of sexual orientatn or transgenr also promise to expand their global efforts to bat “extremism, terror, and the perpetratn of vlence” agast people bee of their genr or Labour’s manifto, the party claims to have abolished Sectn 28 - a law that banned uncils and schools England and Wal om tentnally promotg homosexualy - and the party tells that they pledge to “build on our history of champng LGBT rights, tacklg homophobia wherever occurs" Labour party claims that, “There is still a long way to go on issu such as tn, equal accs to public servic, levels of LGBT hate crime, and mental and physil wellbeg.
THE UK’S PARLIAMENT IS STILL THE GAYT THE WORLD AFTER 2019 ELECTN
As we look forward to another year, we nnot help but ponr the fact that if Gordon Brown had lled an tumn electn we uld have been hearg a very different Queen's Speech last if the Conservativ or even the Liberal Democrats had won the electn, there would be gay people at the heart of purpose of this Top 50 list is to monstrate the prence of gay and lbian people at the hight levels of Brish polics. * gay political party uk *
”iStockThe Liberal Demot lear, Tim Farron, me unr fire earlier this year when was reported that he had repeatedly been asked to clarify his views on gay sex, but had not given a direct has sce stated that he “do not thk that gay sex is a s, ” and that he did not want people to get “the wrong imprsn” about his stance on the Lib Dem party has set out s ias for “promotg the crimalisatn of homosexualy around the world” by velopg a prehensive strategy, which they hope will advance “the e of LGBT+ rights” manifto also looks to the Equaly Act of 2010. “LGBTIQA+ rights are human rights, ” says the Green party’s LGBTIQA+ party claims to have “long been at the foreont of advancg the rights” of the LGBTQ+ muny, and put forward a visn to “work ternatnally to advance LGBTIQA+ rights” manifto looks at different areas of LGBTQ+ rights, cludg the treatment of LGBTQ+ migrants and refuge, how “cuts to the NHS” impact the LGBTQ+ muny, and “homophobic, biphobic or transphobic bullyg” party promis “mandatory HIV, sex, and relatnships tn, ” to “properly fund public servic of benefs to LGBTIQA+ people, ” as well as to “ensure that no LGBTIQA+ person fac discrimatn, vlence or unequal treatment. ”UKIP don't have an exclive sectn s manifto addrsg LGBTQ+ rights, but the party claims that Bra, “we do not believe treatg women or gay people as send-class cizens.
”The party’s manifto claims that stands by s prev pledge to “end sex tn primary schools" Cym claims that the party is “mted to equaly, ” and tell that they “will work wh ternatnal anisatns to ensure that LGBT rights are unrstood and implemented on a global sle" addrs homophobic bullyg, sayg that they plan to“eradite by providg support and trag to teachers, " as well as pledgg to “toughen sentencg” of sexualy-related hate crim. In 1997 the age of nsent was set higher for gay men, homophobia schools was beg exacerbated by the dranian symbolism of Sectn 28, lbian and gay people had no protectn at work or when accsg goods and servic and had no legal regnn of their relatnships.
THE QUIET REVOLUTN: WHY BRA HAS MORE GAY MPS THAN ANYWHERE ELSE
* gay political party uk *
The Unnists certaly did not know what to make of this softly-spoken gay man, Brazilian boyiend tow, who entered the ay at a key moment the peace procs and ntributed immensely to s succsful ncln.
He was outed on Newsnight September 1998, by journalist Matthew Parris (11), who, knowg he was unlikely to get sued for libel, baldly stated ” Peter Manlson is certaly gay. Angela Eagle is a hero to many the gay muny as the only out lbian Parliament, and for her nsistent hard work on gay issu, such as civil partnerships.
KEY DAT FOR LBIAN, GAY, BI AND TRANS EQUALY
Key dat Stonewall's history and the velopment of lbian, gay, bi and trans (LGBT) history terms of social, polil and legislative change, reprentatn and visibily. * gay political party uk *
Memorably dubbed a “gay gadfly om Swdon’s bt uncil tate” by The Inpennt, he ually has enough Wtmster gossip to fill a diary sectn every day, and n’t wa to tell you all the gory tails. Whether givg evince to MPs, lobbyg peers, speakg out agast homophobic bullyg or marchg the pourg ra at Pri London, Summerskill is the face of Stonewall and s most effective asset. A former assistant edor of The Observer, his mastery of the media has phed Stonewall’s visibily to an all-time high, and durg his tenure landmark protectns for gay people have bee law.
The appearance of Prime Mister Tony Blair at a Stonewall fund-raisg event was a person highlight of 2007 for Summerskill, but 2008 will fd him ensurg the Equaly Act is effective and that gay children are protected at school. The first out gay man to be elected for the party, he and his boyiend Jason seem anythg but ground-breakg their nstuency, where the lol Conservativ seem to have taken to the pair whout dwellg on the fact of their sexualy.
In the European Parliament he has been a tirels mpaigner on a range of issu, yet seems to have renciled himself to the fact that the mds of most people, he will always be Col, the gay one off EastEnrs. Probably the UK’s most fluential gay mentator, Matthew Parris’ regular lumns The Tim and numero TV appearanc have ma him a well-loved prence Brish polics. A former rrponnce secretary to Margaret Thatcher and later a Tory MP, he has rved a niche for himself as a natnal treasure, but his quiet sistence on gay equaly has always set him apart om his Tory lleagu.
THE TE STORY OF ‘A VERY ENGLISH SNDAL’ AND THE TRIALS OF A CLOSETED GAY POLICIAN
After a bisg experience beg outed by the Daily Mirror, Greg Barker seems at ease his new role at the latt gay Tory MP, attendg a Natnal AIDS Tst receptn at a Soho bar earlier this month. His treatment at the hands of the tabloids gave David Cameron a good opportuny to show his gay-iendly crentials, and he backed his polil ally and iend public and private. His closens to the Tory lear – Barker, as the party’s environment spokman, acpanied Dave on his Arctic adventure – is the reason he is rated above other gay Shadow Cabet members.