TV star Michael Barrymore is suing Essex Police, seeking a reported £2.5 million in compensation.
Michael Barrymore is suing Essex police for a reported £2.5 million in damages after they arrested him in connection with the death of a man, at his home in March 2001.
Butcher Stuart Lubbock, 31 was found dead at the star’s Essex home in March 2001. In June 2001 Police arrested Barrymore, his partner and another man in connection to Lubbock’s death but no charges were brought forward. The same three men were arrested again in 2007 but the case was dropped again after three months. No one was charged.
Essex police accepted liability, but only on a technicality. They admitted that they sent the wrong arresting officer to Mr Barrymore’s home meaning the officer was not making an arrest “on a firm suspicion of guilt” reported Sky News.
Mr Barrymore’s legal team will argue that the entertainer suffered “devastating” damage to his reputation following on from the investigation.
Mr Barrymore was a household name in the 80s and 90s after the hit game show Strike It Lucky, became a firm family favourite. He went on to have a string of highly successful shows such as My Kind Of People and Kids Say The Funniest Things
As a reminder to where Scottish MPs stood on one of the most recent and important pieces of legislation affecting the LGBT+ community in the UK, we’ve listed all the MSPs who voted for same-sex marriage in 2014.
Here is the full list of MSPs who voted for same-sex marriage in Scotland.
CONSERVATIVES
Jackson Carlaw (West Scotland)
Ruth Davidson (Glasgow)
Annabel Goldie (West Scotland)
John Lamont (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire)
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands)
John Scott (Ayr)
SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY
George Adam (Paisley)
Clare Adamson (Central Scotland)
Christian Allard (North East Scotland)
Colin Beattie (Midlothian North and Musselburgh)
Marco Biagi (Edinburgh Central)
Chic Brodie (South Scotland)
Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane)
Margaret Burgess (Cunninghame South)
Aileen Campbell (Clydesdale)
Roderick Campbell (North East Fife)
Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley)
Angela Constance (Almond Valley)
Bruce Crawford (Stirling)
Graeme Dey (Angus South)
Nigel Don (Angus North and Mearns)
Bob Doris (Glasgow)
James Dornan (Glasgow Cathcart)
Jim Eadie (Edinburgh Southern)
Annabelle Ewing (Mid Scotland and Fife)
Linda Fabiani (East Kilbride)
Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West)
Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North)
Rob Gibson (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross)
Jamie Hepburn (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth)
Fiona Hyslop (Linlithgow)
Adam Ingram (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)
Colin Keir (Edinburgh Western)
Bill Kidd (Glasgow Anniesland)
Richard Lochhead (Moray)
Kenny MacAskill (Edinburgh Eastern)
Gordon MacDonald (Edinburgh Pentlands)
Derek Mackay (Renfrewshire North and West)
Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands)
Michael Matheson (Falkirk West)
Stewart Maxwell (West Scotland)
Joan McAlpine (South Scotland)
Mark McDonald (Aberdeen Donside)
Christina McKelvie (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse)
Aileen McLeod (South Scotland)
Fiona McLeod (Strathkelvin and Bearsden)
Stuart McMillan (West Scotland)
Alex Neil (Airdrie and Shotts)
Gil Paterson (Clydebank and Milngavie)
Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West)
Shona Robison (Dundee City East)
Michael Russell (Argyll and Bute)
Alex Salmond (Aberdeenshire East)
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast)
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central)
Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow Southside)
John Swinney (Perthshire North)
David Torrance (Kirkcaldy)
Maureen Watt (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine)
Paul Wheelhouse (South Scotland)
Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin)
John Wilson (Central Scotland)
LABOUR
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton)
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife)
Richard Baker (North East Scotland)
Jayne Baxter (Mid Scotland and Fife)
Claudia Beamish (South Scotland)
Neil Bibby (West Scotland)
Sarah Boyack (Lothian)
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith)
Kezia Dugdale (Lothian)
Mary Fee (West Scotland)
Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn)
As a reminder to where Scottish MPs stood on one of the most recent and important pieces of legislation affecting the LGBT+ community in the UK, we’ve listed all the MSPs who voted against same-sex marriage in 2014.
Here is the full list of MSPs who voted against same-sex marriage in Scotland.
CONSERVATIVES
Gavin Brown (Lothian)
Alex Fergusson (Galloway and West Dumfries)
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife)
Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland)
Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands)
Nanette Milne (North East Scotland)
Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland)
Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife)
SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY
Dr Alasdair Allan (Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Roseanna Cunningham (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire)
As a reminder to where MPs stood on one of the most recent and important pieces of legislation affecting the LGBT+ community in England and Wales, we’ve listed all the MPs who voted for same-sex marriage in 2013.
Here is the full list of MPs who voted for same-sex marriage in England and Wales.
CONSERVATIVES (127)
The Conservative MPs who voted for same-sex marriage:
Stuart Andrew (Pudsey)
Greg Barker (Bexhill & Battle)
John Baron (Basildon & Billericay)
Gavin Barwell (Croydon Central)
Richard Benyon (Newbury)
Crispin Blunt (Reigate)
Nick Boles (Grantham & Stamford)
Peter Bottomley (Worthing West)
Karen Bradley (Staffordshire Moorlands)
James Brokenshire (Old Bexley & Sidcup)
Aidan Burley (Cannock Chase)
Conor Burns (Bournemouth West)
Alistair Burt (Bedfordshire North East)
Dan Byles (Warwickshire North)
David Cameron (Witney)
Neil Carmichael (Stroud)
James Clappison (Hertsmere)
Greg Clark (Tunbridge Wells)
Kenneth Clarke (Rushcliffe)
Damian Collins (Folkestone & Hythe)
Oliver Colville (Plymouth Sutton & Devonport)
Tracey Crouch (Chatham & Aylesford)
Stephen Dorrell (Charnwood)
James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East)
Alan Duncan (Rutland & Melton)
Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford & Woodford Green)
Michael Ellis (Northampton North)
Jane Ellison (Battersea)
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield)
Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster)
Mike Freer (Finchley & Golders Green)
Lorraine Fullbrook (South Ribble)
David Gauke (Hertfordshire South West)
Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton)
Zac Goldsmith (Richmond Park)
Michael Gove (Surrey Heath)
Richard Graham (Gloucester)
Helen Grant (Maidstone & The Weald)
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell)
Damian Green (Ashford)
Justine Greening (Putney)
Ben Gummer (Ipswich)
Sam Gyimah (Surrey East)
William Hague (Richmond (Yorks))
Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon)
Matthew Hancock (Suffolk West)
Greg Hands (Chelsea & Fulham)
Mark Harper (Forest of Dean)
Richard Harrington (Watford)
Chris Heaton-Harris (Daventry)
Charles Hendry (Wealden)
Nick Herbert (Arundel & South Downs)
Damian Hinds (Hampshire East)
George Hollingbery (Meon Valley)
Kris Hopkins (Keighley)
John Howell (Henley)
Jeremy Hunt (Surrey South West)
Margot James (Stourbridge)
Sajid Javid (Bromsgrove)
Bernard Jenkin (Harwich & Essex North)
Jo Johnson (Orpington)
Andrew Jones (Harrogate & Knaresborough)
Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham)
Simon Kirby (Brighton Kemptown)
Andrew Lansley (Cambridgeshire South)
Jessica Lee (Erewash)
Oliver Letwin (Dorset West)
Brandon Lewis (Great Yarmouth)
Peter Luff (Worcestershire Mid)
Jason McCartney (Colne Valley)
Mary Macleod (Brentford & Isleworth)
Patrick McLoughlin (Derbyshire Dales)
Francis Maude (Horsham)
Theresa May (Maidenhead)
Mark Menzies (Fylde)
Maria Miller (Basingstoke)
Nigel Mills (Amber Valley)
Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield)
Penny Mordaunt (Portsmouth North)
Stephen Mosley (Chester, City of)
David Mowat (Warrington South)
David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale)
Andrew Murrison (Wiltshire South West)
Brooks Newmark (Braintree)
Sarah Newton (Truro & Falmouth)
Eric Ollerenshaw (Lancaster & Fleetwood)
Guy Opperman (Hexham)
George Osborne (Tatton)
Richard Ottaway (Croydon South)
John Penrose (Weston-Super-Mare)
Andrew Percy (Brigg & Goole)
Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar)
Chris Pincher (Tamworth)
Daniel Poulter (Suffolk Central & Ipswich North)
Dominic Raab (Esher & Walton)
Mark Reckless (Rochester & Strood)
Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Kent Mid)
Amber Rudd (Hastings & Rye)
Laura Sandys (Thanet South)
Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield)
Alok Sharma (Reading West)
Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness)
Keith Simpson (Broadland)
Chris Skidmore (Kingswood)
Chloe Smith (Norwich North)
Julian Smith (Skipton & Ripon)
Nicholas Soames (Sussex Mid)
Anna Soubry (Broxtowe)
Caroline Spelman (Meriden)
Andrew Stephenson (Pendle)
Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South)
Rory Stewart (Penrith & The Border)
Desmond Swayne (New Forest West)
Hugo Swire (Devon East)
Justin Tomlinson (Swindon North)
Elizabeth Truss (Norfolk South West)
Ed Vaizey (Wantage)
Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet)
Charles Walker (Broxbourne)
Robin Walker (Worcester)
Dame Angela Watkinson (Hornchurch & Upminster)
Mike Weatherley (Hove)
Chris White (Warwick & Leamington)
David Willetts (Havant)
Sarah Wollaston (Totnes)
Tim Yeo (Suffolk South)
Sir George Young (Hampshire North West)
LABOUR (217)
The Labour MPs who voted for same-sex marriage:
Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington)
Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East & Saddleworth)
Bob Ainsworth (Coventry North East)
Douglas Alexander (Paisley & Renfrewshire South)
Heidi Alexander (Lewisham East)
Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green & Bow)
Graham Allen (Nottingham North)
Dave Anderson (Blaydon)
Mr Jon Ashworth (Leicester South)
Ian Austin (Dudley North)
Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West)
Willie Bain (Glasgow North East)
Ed Balls (Morley & Outwood)
Gordon Banks (Ochil & Perthshire South)
Kevin Barron (Rother Valley)
Hugh Bayley (York Central)
Dame Margaret Beckett (Derby South)
Hilary Benn (Leeds Central)
Luciana Berger (Liverpool Wavertree)
Clive Betts (Sheffield South East)
Roberta Blackman-Woods (Durham, City of)
Hazel Blears (Salford & Eccles)
Tom Blenkinsop (Middlesbrough South & Cleveland East)
Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central)
David Blunkett (Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough)
Ben Bradshaw (Exeter)
Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West)
Lyn Brown (West Ham)
Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Russell Brown (Dumfries & Galloway)
Chris Bryant (Rhondda)
Karen Buck (Westminster North)
Richard Burden (Birmingham Northfield)
Andy Burnham (Leigh)
Liam Byrne (Birmingham Hodge Hill)
Alan Campbell (Tynemouth)
Martin Caton (Gower)
Sarah Champion (Rotherham)
Jenny Chapman (Darlington)
Katy Clark (Ayrshire North & Arran)
Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley)
Vernon Coaker (Gedling)
Ann Coffey (Stockport)
Michael Connarty (Linlithgow & Falkirk East)
Yvette Cooper (Normanton, Pontefract & Castleford)
As a reminder to where MPs stood on one of the most recent and important pieces of legislation affecting the LGBT+ community in England and Wales, we’ve listed all the MPs who voted against same-sex marriage in 2013.
Here is the full list of MPs who voted against same-sex marriage in the UK.
CONSERVATIVES (136)
The Conservative MPs who voted against same-sex marriage:
Nigel Adams (Selby & Ainsty)
Adam Afriyie (Windsor)
Peter Aldous (Waveney)
David Amess (Southend West)
James Arbuthnot (Hampshire North East)
Richard Bacon (Norfolk South)
Steven Baker (Wycombe)
Tony Baldry (Banbury)
Guto Bebb (Aberconwy)
Henry Bellingham (Norfolk North West)
Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley)
Andrew Bingham (High Peak)
Bob Blackman (Harrow East)
Peter Bone (Wellingborough)
Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West)
Julian Brazier (Canterbury)
Andrew Bridgen (Leicestershire North West)
Steve Brine (Winchester)
Fiona Bruce (Congleton)
Robert Buckland (Swindon South)
Simon Burns (Chelmsford)
David Burrowes (Enfield Southgate)
Alun Cairns (Vale of Glamorgan)
Douglas Carswell (Clacton)
Bill Cash (Stone)
Rehman Chishti (Gillingham & Rainham)
Christopher Chope (Christchurch)
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswolds, The)
Therese Coffey (Suffolk Coastal)
Geoffrey Cox (Devon West & Torridge)
Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire)
David Davies (Monmouth)
Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire)
Philip Davies (Shipley)
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden)
Nick de Bois (Enfield North)
Caroline Dinenage (Gosport)
Richard Drax (Dorset South)
Charlie Elphicke (Dover)
Jonathan Evans (Cardiff North)
David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford)
Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks)
Liam Fox (Somerset North)
Mark Francois (Rayleigh & Wickford)
George Freeman (Norfolk Mid)
Roger Gale (Thanet North)
Sir Edward Garnier (Harborough)
Mark Garnier (Wyre Forest)
Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham)
John Glen (Salisbury)
Robert Goodwill (Scarborough & Whitby)
James Gray (Wiltshire North)
Andrew Griffiths (Burton)
Robert Halfon (Harlow)
Simon Hart (Carmarthen West & Pembrokeshire South)
Sir Alan Haselhurst (Saffron Walden)
John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings)
Oliver Heald (Hertfordshire North East)
Gordon Henderson (Sittingbourne & Sheppey)
Philip Hollobone (Kettering)
Adam Holloway (Gravesham)
Sir Gerald Howarth (Aldershot)
Stewart Jackson (Peterborough)
Gareth Johnson (Dartford)
David Jones (Clwyd West)
Marcus Jones (Nuneaton)
Greg Knight (Yorkshire East)
Kwasi Kwarteng (Spelthorne)
Mark Lancaster (Milton Keynes North)
Pauline Latham (Derbyshire Mid)
Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford)
Edward Leigh (Gainsborough)
Julian Lewis (New Forest East)
David Lidington (Aylesbury)
Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden)
Jack Lopresti (Filton & Bradley Stoke)
Jonathan Lord (Woking)
Tim Loughton (Worthing East & Shoreham)
Karen Lumley (Redditch)
Karl McCartney (Lincoln)
Anne McIntosh (Thirsk & Malton)
Stephen McPartland (Stevenage)
Esther McVey (Wirral West)
Anne Main (St Albans)
Paul Maynard (Blackpool North & Cleveleys)
Stephen Metcalfe (Basildon South & Thurrock East)
Nicky Morgan (Loughborough)
Anne-Marie Morris (Newton Abbot)
David Morris (Morecambe & Lunesdale)
James Morris (Halesowen & Rowley Regis)
Bob Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst)
Caroline Nokes (Romsey & Southampton North)
David Nuttall (Bury North)
Stephen O’Brien (Eddisbury)
Matthew Offord (Hendon)
Jim Paice (Cambridgeshire South East)
Neil Parish (Tiverton & Honiton)
Priti Patel (Witham)
Owen Paterson (Shropshire North)
Mark Pawsey (Rugby)
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead)
Mark Pritchard (Wrekin, The)
John Randall (Uxbridge & Ruislip South)
John Redwood (Wokingham)
Jacob Rees-Mogg (Somerset North East)
Simon Reevell (Dewsbury)
Sir Malcolm Rifkind (Kensington)
Andrew Robathan (Leicestershire South)
Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury)
Andrew Rosindell (Romford)
David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds)
David Rutley (Macclesfield)
Andrew Selous (Bedfordshire South West)
Alec Shelbrooke (Elmet & Rothwell)
Sir Richard Shepherd (Aldridge-Brownhills)
Henry Smith (Crawley)
Sir John Stanley (Tonbridge & Malling)
John Stevenson (Carlisle)
Bob Stewart (Beckenham)
Mel Stride (Devon Central)
Julian Sturdy (York Outer)
Robert Syms (Poole)
Sir Peter Tapsell (Louth & Horncastle)
David Tredinnick (Bosworth)
Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight)
Shailesh Vara (Cambridgeshire North West)
Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes)
Ben Wallace (Wyre & Preston North)
Robert Walter (Dorset North)
James Wharton (Stockton South)
Heather Wheeler (Derbyshire South)
Craig Whittaker (Calder Valley)
John Whittingdale (Maldon)
Bill Wiggin (Herefordshire North)
Gavin Williamson (Staffordshire South)
Jeremy Wright (Kenilworth & Southam)
LABOUR (22)
The Labour MPs who voted against same-sex marriage:
Joe Benton (Bootle)
Ronnie Campbell (Blyth Valley)
Tom Clarke (Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill)
Rosie Cooper (Lancashire West)
David Crausby (Bolton North East)
Tony Cunningham (Workington)
Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton)
Brian Donohoe (Ayrshire Central)
Robert Flello (Stoke-on-Trent South)
Mary Glindon (Tyneside North)
Paul Goggins (Wythenshawe & Sale East)
Dai Havard (Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney)
Michael McCann (East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow)
Jim McGovern (Dundee West)
Iain McKenzie (Inverclyde)
George Mudie (Leeds East)
Paul Murphy (Torfaen)
Stephen Pound (Ealing North)
Frank Roy (Motherwell & Wishaw)
Jim Sheridan (Paisley & Renfrewshire North)
Derek Twigg (Halton)
Mike Wood (Batley & Spen)
LIBERAL DEMOCRAT (4)
The Liberal Democrat MPs who voted against same-sex marriage:
Sir Alan Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed)
Gordon Birtwistle (Burnley)
John Pugh (Southport)
Sarah Teather (Brent Central)
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party MPs who voted against same-sex marriage:
Gregory Campbell (Londonderry East)
Nigel Dodds (Belfast North)
Jeffrey Donaldson (Lagan Valley)
The Rev William McCrea (Antrim South)
Ian Paisley Jr (Antrim North)
Jim Shannon (Strangford)
David Simpson (Upper Bann)
Sammy Wilson (Antrim East)
INDEPENDENTS (2)
The Independent MPs who voted against same-sex marriage:
Police investigating a rape in Roe Green Park off Kingsbury Road, NW9 on Tuesday, 16 May, have charged a teenager.
A 13-year-old boy from north London who was arrested on Wednesday, 17 May, was charged on Thursday, 18 May with one count of rape of a male under 13; one count of causing or inciting a child under 13 into sexual activity and one count of kidnap.
He will appear in custody at Willesden Magistrate’s Court on Friday 19 May.
Officers from the Met’s Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command are investigating.
Julian Assange has been criticised online after repeatedly misgendering trans whistleblower Chelsea Manning.
Speaking from the Ecuadorian embassy Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange spoke to a gathered crowd and press after Sweden dropped its rape investigation into him. Speaking of the US whistleblower Mr Assange did manage to use the correct name of Chelsea but misgendered her twice during the segment, he said,
“We have had an even more important victory this week [and] that is the release of Chelsea Manning after seven years in military prison.
“With extensive fights, we and others managed to have him released 28 years early, from his sentence”.
A number of people, including Channel 4’s Cathy Newman, took to Twitter to shared their concern over the misgendering of Chelsea who started her transition whilst incarcerated.
Julian Assange is speaking from his balcony and referred to Chelsea Manning as "he" & "him" pic.twitter.com/M5RWF53rUf
Trans whistleblower, Chelsea Manning has shared her first photos on social media after leaving prison.
Chelsea Manning wasted no time tweeting “Okay so here I am everybody” on her Instagram page after she was released from prison. The simply captioned post attracted over 21,000 likes and nearly 4,000 comments within hours.
The new picture gives a complete view of how Chelsea Manning is starting to live her life outside prison confines. Up until the face picture release, Chelsea had kept her physical transformation hidden, with photos showing only her foot or hand.
Manning was imprisoned for one of the largest leaks of classified documents. She was sentenced to 35 years. Her sentence was commuted by President Obama, as one of his last acts as president.
Since her release, Chelsea has been documenting parts of her release, including a picture of her first steps of freedom along with her first meal outside of prison, which was a “greasy pizza”. She also enjoyed a glass of Champagne, saying, “Here’s to freedom and a new beginning”.
We have divided the main issues into six sections:
Education: specific classes and lessons in sex and relationship education and a commitment to tackle bullying.
Crime: a specific look into tackling hate crime on the basis of sexual/gender orientation. Better support for domestic violence victims and survivors.
Workplace: a specific look into tackling inequality in the workplace.
Healthcare: a specific look into policies affecting mental, sexual health, PrEP and transgender/intersex issues.
In politics: What laws will be amended and changed to fully equalise the LGBT community.
On the world stage: What will the next government do to show that the UK is a beacon of LGBT rights?
We have also only taken parties that have a national footprint.
CONSERVATIVES
Number of mentions of LGBT: 0
Education: No specific mentions of LGBT+ sex or relationship education
Crime: No specific mention of LGBT+ but pledged: “push forward with our plan for tackling hate crime committed on the basis of religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity”
Workplace: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Healthcare: No specific mention of healthcare reforms for LGBT people – including PrEP.
In politics: Nothing specific to LGBT+
On the world stage: “We will expand our global efforts to combat extremism, terror, and the perpetration of violence against people because of their faith, gender or sexuality”.
LABOUR
Number of mentions of LGBT: 11
Education: Teachers will be given training on how to deal with bullying.
They’ll also ensure that new guidance is issued on relationships and LGBT-inclusive sex education.
Crime: Labour pledges to bring the law on LGBT hate crimes into line with hate crimes based on race and faith, by making them aggravated offences.
Workplace: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Healthcare: Labour has pledged that it will work to “reverse the damage done to mental health services under this Tory government, which is particularly hitting services for LGBT and BAME communities”.
Labour also pledges that frontline healthcare professionals receive ongoing training to understand and meet the needs of LGBT patients and service users.
And PrEP? Well, they pledge that “NHS England completes the trial programme to provide PrEP as quickly as possible, and fully roll out the treatment to high-risk groups to help reduce HIV infection”.
In politics: They pledge to reform the Gender Recognition Act, which will protect trans people by changing the protected characteristic of ‘gender assignment’ to ‘gender identity’. They also pledge to remove outdated language such as “transexual”.
On the world stage: Labour have announced that they will “appoint dedicated global ambassadors for women’s rights, LGBT rights and religious freedom to fight discrimination and promote equality globally”
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
Number of mentions of LGBT: 5
Education: The Lib Dems have promised to review sex education in schools saying that they will include lessons on sexual consent, LGBT+ relationships and issues surrounding explicit images and content.
Crime: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Workplace: The Lib Dems want companies with more than 250 employees to publish data on their employment of BAMEs LGBTs and pay gaps.
Healthcare: The Liberal Democrats have promised to ensure that “LGBT+ inclusive mental health services receive funding and support”. They also want to make PrEP available on the NHS.
In politics: The Lib Dems pledge to introduce legislation that will allow for all-BAME and all LGBT+ parliamentary shortlists.
On the world stage: The Liberal Democrats pledge a commitment to promoting the “decriminalisation of homosexuality around the world and advancing the cause of LGBT+ rights”.
UKIP
Number of mentions of LGBT: 1
n education: UKIP will end sex education in primary schools. Will look into whether further legislation is required to tackle cyberbullying.
On health: Nothing specific to the LGBT+ community, but promised to increase funding for mental health. Will also hold a review into editorial codes of the media, to promote “healthy body images”.
On politics: UKIP pledge to test the social attitudes of those who are seeking to immigrate to the UK. They wrote,
“…we do not believe in treating women or gay people as second-class citizens, and we hold to a fundamental belief in democracy and free speech. UKIP’s points-based immigration system will, therefore, include one further major principle: we will test the social attitudes of migration applicants to foster community cohesion and protect core British values”.
UKIP also will repeal Labour’s Human Rights legislation and remove the UK from the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights”. They will replace with a new UK Bill of rights.
On crime: Nothing specific to the LGBT+ community.
On the world stage: Nothing specific to the LGBT+ community
THE GREEN PARTY
Number of mentions of LGBT: Have released an entirely separate LGBT+ Manifesto.
They have released an entire LGBT+ manifesto. Which includes the following pledges:
Education: Sexual and relationship education for all students. Require every school to have an anti-bullying programme. Provide teachers with training to provide LGBT+ inclusive education.
Crime: Greens pledge to “Combat all forms of antiLGBTIQA+ prejudice and violence through improved hate crime protections”.
Workplace: Noting specific to LGBT+
Healthcare: Wide-ranging policies affecting the Trans and Intersex community. Including, giving people “personal autonomy in all medical decisions” and “Improve access to medical services and gender identity clinics, particularly for trans and non-binary young people.” They have said they would also, “Protect the welfare state in the face of Government cuts and preserve the vital security net many LGBTIQA+ people rely upon”.
In politics: Has pledged to make same-sex marriage “truly equal” to include pension rights. They will also open civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples. Will “Apologise to and pardon all 50,000–100,000 people convicted of consenting adult same-gender sexual relations under antisodomy laws that have now been repealed.”
On the world stage: The Greens have said, “The Green Party would speak out against those countries that discriminate against, marginalise and kill LGBTIQA+ citizens, and work with countries leading the way in recognising and protecting” the LGBT+ community.
SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY
Number of mentions of LGBT: 5
Education: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Crime: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Workplace: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Healthcare: The SNP will support efforts to ensure PrEP becomes available on NHS to any who needs it in the UK.
In politics: The SNP pledge to push the UK Government to extend the Turing Bill pardon to gay men convicted of same-sex activity who are still alive today.
They also pledge to ensure that same-sex couple have equal pension rights and “protected characteristics are expanded to ensure all LGBTI people are fully protected from discrimination and harassment”.
On the world stage: The SNP pledge to reform the detention and asylum system for LGBT+ people escaping countries where homosexuality is still illegal. They also pledge to remove “unfair and invasive demands for ‘proof’ of sexuality or gender identity”.
They also say,
“SNP MPs will support the establishment of a special envoy to promote the rights of LGBTI people throughout the world, as an integral part of UK foreign policy – helping to alleviate the discrimination and persecution faced by LGBTI people in Chechnya and across the world”.
Plaid Cymru
Number of mentions of LGBT: 0
Education: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Crime: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Workplace: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Healthcare: No specific mention of healthcare reforms for LGBT people – including PrEP.
In politics: Has pledged to publish a “human rights charter” to provide human rights regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation.
On the world stage: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Democratic Unionist Party
Number of mentions of LGBT: 0
Education: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Crime: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Workplace: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Healthcare: No specific mention of healthcare reforms for LGBT people – including PrEP.
The Conservatives are the latest party to reveal their manifesto, so we’re delved into the paperwork to find out what the Conservatives have promised and pledged to the LGBT+ community of the United Kingdom.
However not specifically the Conservatives have pledged:
On education
The Conservatives pledge to introduce “comprehensive” sex and relationship education but fails to mention any specifics to LGBT sex or relationships. “We will educate today’s young people in the harms of the internet and how best to combat them, introducing comprehensive Relationships and Sex Education in all primary and secondary schools to ensure that children learn about the risks of the internet, including cyberbullying and online grooming”.
On Crime
On hate crime the Conservatives promise to be tougher on hate crime, they say, “…we will push forward with our plan for tackling hate crime committed on the basis of religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity”.
On the world stage
The Conservatives have pledged, “We will be the world’s foremost champion of free trade. We will expand our global efforts to combat extremism, terror, and the perpetration of violence against people because of their faith, gender or sexuality”.
Piers has hit back at the UK’s largest LGBT charity, Stonewall after a spokesperson condemned his interview of a non-binary couple as “deeply damaging and offensive”.
This morning, Piers interviewed non-binary couple Fox and Owl, who were using the opportunity to explain gender identities to Piers Morgan on ITV’s Good Morning Britain. However, the interview was slammed by many watching the programme for Piers’ approach to the subject.
Stonewall was asked to comment on the interview.
Speaking to PinkNews a spokesperson for Stonewall, said that Mr Morgan was ““deeply damaging and offensive”.
The charity added,
“No-one has the right to deny another person’s gender identity, and to mock them for trying to live an authentic life is a form of bullying and completely unacceptable.”
It didn’t take long for Mr Morgan to take a swipe at the charity. He criticised Stonewall, calling them bigoted and “Piers-phobic” after they accused him of bullying on screen.
During the show, after both Fox and Owl explained their identity and how they define themselves, Piers had a problem with understanding and asked,
“I’m happy to be persuaded if it makes logical sense – but if you can identify as anything, where does it end?
“Is anything fine? Can I be an elephant? Can I now go to London Zoo and demand to be put in the elephant enclosure?”
The interview then turned to the subject of non-binary prisons and where, if Fox or Owl were to break the law, they should be incarcerated. Owl told Piers that a women’s prison would be preferable to the men’s. Piers responded that gender was fine “if it’s convenient”.
Commenting on the online discussion surrounding the appearance of Fox and Owl on ITV, Stonewall CEO Ruth Hunt tweeted,
