Lib Dems at London Pride 2011
I had the pleasure and privilege of marching with my Lib Dem colleagues in yesterday’s London Pride Parade and while I was walking along the parade route I was filled with pride at being both an open gay man and a Lib Dem.
As expected, the streets were lined with people from all walks of life and the parade was made up of people from all walks of life too! I had only ever been part of the parade once before and this was my first time in male attire!
I had sort of prepared myself for a mixed reaction from the crowds in response to the lib dems position within the Coalition Government. Whilst we were greeted with cheers from a majority of the crowds, every now and again we were greeted with the odd Boo and other passionate comments – So now it was fine to be gay, but it wasn’t fine to be a lib dem apparently!
Whilst all parties were represented in the parade, my personal opinion is that Pride should be about all of us coming together and celebrating diversity, regardless of race, sexuality, ability, religion or political persuasuion. In it’s very essence, pride is political in that we are all fighting for equality.
In my time with Reading Pride, numerous journalists have asked me why we still need pride festivals. The answer is simple. There is still inequality and discrimination against the gay community. We have come along way since the first pride marches but until we have full equality, there will be pride festivals held up and down the UK and accross the world.
When I and everyone else was on the parade yesterday, it was a statement to the world. It’s ok to be gay. There are countries where people are killed because of their sexuality. Even in the western world, there are teenagers committing suicide because they are gay. In religion, people are persecuted because they love someone of the same sex. Gay men in the uk can not give blood. We also can’t get married – yet. Yes, of course we have civil partnerships but marriage should be open to all those who are in loving relationships regardless of their sexuality. In the words of Lynn Featherstone, “Until gay marriage is an option – we will not have absolute equality’ A consultation begins this month. Please visit the LGBT Liberal Democrats page on equalmarriage at http://delga.org.uk/en/page/equal-marriage.
I joined the Lim Dems because of their history in fighting for equality. They have the best record in parliament of any poltical party on LGBT equality and they have always been here for all of us and always will.
The Lib Dems:
- Were the first party to commit to a Gay Rights policy, in 1975
- Opposed Secion 28 right from the start in 1988
- Voted to repeal Section 28 in 2000
- Voted to repeal Section 28 in 2003
- Supported Gay Consent at 16 in 1994
- Wrote the Law on Civil Partnerships in 2002
- Supported Same-Sex Couples in the Children and Adoption Act 2002
- Led on Trans Rights in the Gender Recognition Act 2004
- Supported Lesbian Fertility Treatment in 2008
- Campaigned for LGBT Asylum Seekers in 2008
- Uniquely Supported all Trans People’s Rights in the 2010 Equality Bill
- First Major Party to support Equal Marriage in 2010
- Introduced a Government Consultation on Equal Marriage in 2011
For many people, Coming Out is difficult enough but for many young people out there, its even tougher and over the last year we have seen an increase in suicide amongst your gay people. As gay adults, we have a duty to help. In support of the It gets better campaign, I’m launching ‘It gets Better…In Reading’ so we can show young people that it is ok to be gay.