THEGAYUK

Tag: Politics

The latest news, interviews, and views from the world of LGBT politics in the UK and internationally.

  • Poland’s President just signed an extremely anti-gay charter

    It’s Pride month across the world, but that hasn’t deterred Poland‘s President Andrzej Duda signing one of the most anti-LGBT+ charters in the EU.

    The charter defends the “institution of marriage” which means that there is no acceptance of gay marriage.

    He’ll also refuses to accept allowing gay couples to adopt children

    and says that he will protect children from an “LGBT ideology”.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Poland’s biggest LGBTQI-organisation KPH (Campaign Against Homophobia) have criticised the President, saying that he is using the anti-gay charter as a way of bolstering his presidential campaign ahead of the elections on the 28th June 2020

    https://twitter.com/spychalski_b/status/1270638272931401728

    In a statement they wrote, “We have no doubt that he’s just playing his presidential campaign game trying to gain the electorate by setting it on LGBT persons.”

    “A choice between European values and Russian traditional values”

    Rémy Bonny an expert on LGBTQI-politics in Central & Eastern Europe told us, “The elections are a choice between European values and Russian traditional values – a choice between democracy and autocracy. The elections will eventually decide on the future of Poland within the European Union.

    “Over the last decade, the LGBTQI-community became well-organised and very visible in Poland. The government is afraid that a professional and vibrant civil rights movement would overthrow their corrupt and elitist rule for a real equality-based government.

    No such thing as “LGBT Ideology”

    The Polish activists from KPH directly reach out to President Duda in an open letter to say,

    “Mister President, let us say it out loudly and clearly once again: there is no such thing as the ‘LGBT ideology’ – it’s just a homophobic construct. LGBTs are lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender persons who personally experience the consequences of homophobic and transphobic hate which you also fuel.

    “Those people are Kacper, Dominik and Milo, who are no longer here with us, because the homophobic propaganda of the profit-oriented authorities killed them.

     “It’s time to change it and we will do it! We will remember about it, Mister President and we will settle accounts with you by the ballot boxes. Let June 28th be the day when freedom, respect and mutual solidarity in Poland prevails!”, KPH concludes

    The LGBTQI-community is in the frontline of the far-right PiS-government’s fight against liberal democracy.”, Bonny continues. 

  • Has Sir Keir Starmer always supported LGBT+ rights?

    Has Sir Keir Starmer always supported LGBT+ rights?

    We looked into Keir Starmer’s voting record on gay and LGBT+ issues to see how LGBT friendly he is.

    Since entering the House of Commons as an MP for Holborn and St Pancras in 2015, Starmer has consistently voted pro-gay in laws relating to equality, although it has to be noted that he has very few opportunities to vote in matters concerning the rights of LGBT+ people in the UK – as there haven’t been many LGBT+ bills debated in parliament.

    Overall Keir has voted on 1 issue relating to the LGBT community. On that major piece of legislation, Keir Starmer voted in favour or positively for equality.

    In 2019 he voted to allow same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland.

    Embed from Getty Images

    “Full solidarity” with the LGBT+ community

    In Feb 2020, before he became the Labour leader, he tweeted that he fully supported the LGBT Labour group saying that he stood in “full solidarity” with Labour’s LGBT+ members.

    He added that he would “defend LGBT+ rights and protections, and campaign with you for the changes rightly prioritised”.

    Overall in the opinion of THEGAYUK.com editorial team, Keir Starmer, politically has been an ally to LGBT+ people.

  • Boris Johnson thanks the LGBT community for “inspirational work”

    Boris Johnson thanks the LGBT community for “inspirational work”

    On the 1st June, the start of Pride Month, the UK’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson took to his official Twitter account to speak directly to the LGBT+ community.

    In the Tweet Johnson wrote that that he was thankful for the “inspirational work in fighting tirelessly to overcome the prejudices many face”

    He added, that the contributions by the community had “helped shape a better future for people in the UK and around the world”

    However, many users on Twitter were not pleased for Johnson’s thanks. Many took the opportunity to remind the Prime Minister of the various controversial things that he has written about the gay community over the years.

    Embed from Getty Images

    During the late 90s and early 00s, Johnson was a columnist for The Telegraph and The Spectator. He used his platform to write several comments about marriage between gay men and teaching same-sex relationships in the classroom.

    He also used his platform to say he was a supporter of the very damaging Margaret Thatcher policy, Section 28.

    Since 2001 and in the time in which Johnson has been an MP there have been 16 votes in which he was eligible to vote. Of that 16, he voted positively in three, negatively in 1 and abstained from voting in the rest.

    Lord Michael Cashman responded to the Tweet saying, “We had to fight to overcome you and people in your party. And there are still some there like Liz Truss. To name one from many.”

    https://twitter.com/mcashmanCBE/status/1267582160342523906

    His Tweet which has been liked 4.9K times and retweeted 509 has been ratio’d with over 1.4K comments, the majority of which were negative.

  • MICHAEL CASHMAN: Boris Johnson “like Tissue Paper without the depth”

    MICHAEL CASHMAN: Boris Johnson “like Tissue Paper without the depth”

    Lord Cashman has branded the UK’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson as unimpressive amidst the Dominic Cummings controversy.

    https://twitter.com/mcashmanCBE/status/1265755395190075393

    The former Eastender‘s actor and co-founder of the LGBT charity, Stonewall, has slammed the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as “unimpressive” and like “tissue paper but without the depth”.

    Tweeting directly to Johnson, Cashman said that when he met the PM he was “so unimpressive”.

    The Tweet, which was sent from Lord Cashman’s official account, has been retweeted hundreds of times and garnered over 1.3K likes.

    Human Rights’ advocate Peter Tatchell replied “Well said Michael”

    [totalpoll id=”118667″]

    The comment comes after a highly turbulent few days at Downing Street, where Johnson’s top advisor, Dominic Cummings faced questions about his movements and decision making during the coronavirus lockdown.

    U.S. Embassy photographer [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

    Sliding public support

    According to some polls, Johnson’s approval rating has taken a battering over recent days. The Independent reports that Johnson’s rating “plunged by 20 points in four days”

    Johnson’s approval peaked at 47 per cent on the 8th April, when he went to intensive care after he was infected by Coronavirus. However, since his return to work, approval from the general public has slid on a downward trajectory. On the 25th May, it was at -1 per cent according to the poll by Savanta.

    Calls for Cummings to be fired

    Embed from Getty Images

    Lord Cashman has also called for Dominic Cummings to be sacked from his position within the Government – and shared a Change.org petition, which has nearly gathered 1 million signatures.

  • Bobby Norris to give evidence to MPs over online trolling

    Bobby Norris to give evidence to MPs over online trolling

    TOWIE star Bobby Norris is about to give evidence to politicians over his petition to “hold online trolls accountable” for their abuses.

    Norris has spoken openly and numerously on his horrific encounters with hateful trolls – many of whom focus on his sexuality and his looks.

    He created a petition on the official government petitions site in 2019, and it gained over 133,000 signatures.

    The petition, titled “Hold online trolls accountable for their online abuse via their IP address” calls for abusers to have their access to social media blocked by internet service providers and social media companies.

    The evidence session, taking place during Mental Health Awareness Week, will see MPs speak to the reality TV personality about his petition on tackling online abuse. The session will also see Bobby discuss his personal experiences of homophobic abuse since first appearing in the public eye in ITV2 show The Only Way is Essex in 2012.

    He will now talk to the Peititon’s committee over video link to discuss online trolling.

    Bobby is vital for awareness

    Catherine McKinnell MP, Chair of the Petitions Committee, said:

    “I’m pleased that Bobby is able to share his personal experiences of online abuse with the Committee during Mental Health Awareness Week.

    “Highlighting these issues in Parliament is so vital for raising awareness, and can shine a light on the action that can be taken to help stamp out this all too common problem. 

    “Online abuse can affect anyone, and takes many forms. It is a subject that is very close to my heart, and something that the Petitions Committee investigated extensively in the last Parliament.

    “But with online abuse as prevalent as ever, and Coronavirus meaning people are on social media more than ever, it is imperative we take steps to tackle online abuse and stamp it out.”

    The evidence session is the first step from the Petitions Committee in their new inquiry on tackling online abuse. The inquiry will consider issues raised in a number of petitions from the last Parliament and follow up on the Committee’s previous inquiry into online abuse and the experiences of disabled people. More details on the inquiry will be announced following the session.  

  • Michael Gove, blasted for ‘homophobic tirade’ in clip first broadcast in the early 90s

    Michael Gove, blasted for ‘homophobic tirade’ in clip first broadcast in the early 90s

    Cabinet member, Michael Gove has been blasted for a TV clip first broadcast in the early 90s for its “disgusting” homophobia and

    In the clip, which was first broadcast on a Channel 4 programme called, Stab In The Dark Mr Gove, who had hoped to become the UK’s Prime Minister, before ultimately losing out to Boris Johnson, is filmed in front of a live studio audience delivering a supposedly satirical speech about the ending of a ban on gay people in the armed forces.

    https://twitter.com/TheLabourLeftie/status/1224994103601115143

    In the clip, Gove trots out worn cliches about gay men, including the clothes they wear, having no families and attracting other men through their hairstyles and moustaches.

    The clip which was unearthed by a Twitter user, @TheLabourLeftie, was apparently filmed in 1992 for a Channel 4 show called Stab In The Dark.

    @TheLaboutLeftie, blasted the top Tory saying,

    “I spend a lot of time calling out the Tories but this clip is unacceptable.

    “Top Conservative toff Gove embarks on a tirade of homophobic slurs.

    “This is not funny. This is not satire This isn’t, nor ever was, okay.

    “Let’s hold him to account”.

    In the clip, which it’s fair to say gets a luke-warm reception from the audience, Gove says,

    “Everything about the army is designed to attract gays.

    “Gays attract each other by dressing in a certain way. Cropped hair, moustache and a peaked cap. Put them together and what have you got? Lord Kitchener.

    The only other place they encourage men to dress up in uniform and discipline each other, apart from the army, is Larry’s Leather Bar on a Tuesday Night”.

    “If you want to discourage homosexuality, you do not force 30 young men to sleep in the same room, encourage their aggressive instincts and deny them contact with the opposite sex”

    Some users on Twitter found the clip to be funny and called it satirical. One user, who identified himself as gay said, “It is funny. It is satire. It is OK, and I’m saying this as a gay person. Get over yourself.”

    https://twitter.com/ta3iig/status/1225055592022183943

    Another suggested that it was “definitely satire” stating that Gove was “mocking the army”.

    Others called on Michael Gove to make a comment on the clip.

    How has Michael Gove voted on gay rights issues in the past?

    Embed from Getty Images

    Key voting record:

    2007: Voted YES for Equality Act (Sexual Orientation)

    2013: Voted YES on same-sex marriage

    2013: Was Absent on enabling the courts to deal with proceedings for the divorce of, or annulment of the marriage of, a same-sex couple.

    2014: Was Absent on making same-sex marriage available to armed forces personnel outside the UK.

  • Gothy Kendoll calls gay Tory voters “f*ggots”

    Gothy Kendoll calls gay Tory voters “f*ggots”

    (C) BBC

    The Drag Race UK contestant Gothy Kendoll has hit out at gay Conservative voters calling them a slur word.

    In the tweet sent just a few days before the General Election the 22-year-old drag queen, who was the first queen to be eliminated from the debut series of Drag Race UK, said, “gays vote labour, faggots vote tory”.

    A few days later the drag queen then asked her 24.7K followers “why do all gay tories look the same”.

    While some users agreed with the entertainer, others questioned why she used the slur, one wrote, “Unfortunately I see no joke, I spend my time within school teaching today’s young people not to use that word.

    “It’s not a joke it’s a word used to bring people down, people of the LGBT+ community.”

    Another added, “I like the sentiment but please reword it. We can’t keep using that horrible F word”

    https://twitter.com/Spider_Man_Si/status/1205012945035497472

    Others branded the tweet disgusting, to which Gothy replied that it was a “joke”.

    THEGAYUK.com reached out to Gothy Kendoll for comment.

  • LGBT+ social group blasted for “mocking” Diane Abbott

    A tweet sent by All Together which used a picture of Labour MP Diane Abbott was branded racist and sexist by some followers, which the group itself said was “ludicrous”.

    The All Together group, which boasts around 4000 members, has been blasted by Twitter users after it shared a photo of Diane Abbott purportedly wearing two left shoes.

    The photo which many users are now claiming is a photoshopped, fake picture.

    Embed from Getty Images

    All Together tweeted a well-circulated picture of the MP’s feet, asking if any of its followers had “pulled a Diane Abbott” after watching an all-night election special.

    “Who stayed up late watching the #GeneralElectionResults? …

    ” Anyone so tired they pulled a #DianeAbbott and put 2 left shoes on this morning? “

    https://twitter.com/AllTogetherLGBT/status/1205403368270782464

    However, users and followers were quick to tell the group to delete the tweet branding the tweet “unfunny” and adding to the mountain of racist and sexist abuse that the North London MP deals with on social media.

    “It’s Fake”

    “Mocking”

    Another user said that they were left “disgusted” that the tweet was sent from an organisation which says it promotes inclusivity.

    https://twitter.com/captain_az/status/1205409459683631104

    One commenter wrote about how Diane Abbott has been an LGBT+ advocate.

    https://twitter.com/daniellewas/status/1205427919293542400

    One user blasted the group saying that the group need to “studied” for “tearing down a black woman”.

    https://twitter.com/jsweetxe/status/1205479653898641410

    “The page is apolitical, it always has been”

    THEGAYUK.com reached out to All Together for comment, who said that the reaction against their tweet was an “overraction” and that the post was meant to be “light-hearted”.

    It also said that the “accusations of amplifying racial bullying of Dianne are ludicrous” before reaffirming that the political stance of the group is “apolitical”.

    “Poor taste, maybe? An overreaction. Definitely. A light hearted post, turned sour and twisted by others. The accusations of amplifying racial bullying of Dianne are ludicrous.

    “The language used by others to validate their distaste is what should be studied. The page is apolitical, it always has been.

    “If you’re that sensitive today over a post regarding a woman who put 2 left shoes on, put your phone down”.

  • Jeremy Corbyn expected to step down as Labour leader after crushing defeat at the polls

    Jeremy Corbyn expected to step down as Labour leader after crushing defeat at the polls

    Bookmakers are now sharing the odds of when Jeremy Corbyn is expected to step down as Labour leader following the loss of over 45 seats in the 2019 General Election.

    Betfair Exchange is giving 4/7 odds that Jeremy Corbyn will step down in December, 11/5 in Jan-March 17/2 by April – June and 12/1 that he’ll stay in place until July.

    They are also taking bets on who will become the next Labour leader.

    Betfair Exchange spokesperson, Sam Rosbottom said that if the result was “anything to go by then it is set to be an incredibly disappointing night for the Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn, who is now odds-on at 4/7 to step down as leader before the end of the month.”

    “The early front runner to take over from Corbyn is Keir Starmer at 13/8, while Rebecca Long-Bailey is 5/1 and Angela Rayner is 8/1 to become the next leader of the Labour party.”

    “After a disastrous night for Jeremy Corbyn and an equally disappointing night for the leader of the Lib Dems, Jo Swinson, who lost her seat, punters are already clear with who they think will step up as leaders. 

    “Corbyn has already explained that he won’t be leading the Labour party at the next election, and overnight Kier Starmer shot into the 13/8 odds-on favourite to become their new leader.

    “One of the big casualties of the evening was Jo Swinson, the Lib Dem leader, who lost her seat in East Dunbartonshire. The early favourite to take over from her as leader is Ed Davey at odds of 8/13, while Layla Moran is closely behind him in the betting at 8/11. 

    “Now that the Prime Minister has a majority, focus will turn on how and when he will ‘Get Brexit Done’, with punters heavily backing a Meaningful Vote to pass in 2019 overnight into 2/5, but now those odds have drifted out to 6/4, suggesting bettors now aren’t as confident that Johnson will get his deal passed by the end of the year.”

    Who won the election?

    Overall, at the time of publication, the Conservatives, led by Boris Johnson won the most seats, meaning that Boris Johnson will become the UK’s next Prime Minister. They have won a majority with 364 seats. The Labour party has 203 seats, losing 59 seats.

    In Scotland, the SNP added another 13 seats meaning that it now has 48 MPs in Parliament.

    Liberal Democrats failed to make any headway, losing one seat and now has just 11 MPs sitting in the House of Commons.

  • Nearly one-quarter of the UK’s gay community are undecided on who to vote for

    Nearly one-quarter of the UK’s gay community are undecided on who to vote for

    10 Downing Street
    Who will win the race to 10 Downing Street – will Boris keep his premiership or can Corbyn or even Swinson knock him from the top spot?
    CREDIT: TheGayUK/Jake Hook

    With just days before our 3rd General Election in 4 years just around the corner, THEGAYUK.com undertook a flash poll to find out whether its readers had made a decision on who they were going to vote on the 12th December.

    THEGAYUK.com asked its readers a binary question of whether they were decided or undecided on who to vote for.

    In total, nearly 400 people took part in the survey, at the time of publication.

    One quarter are still undecided

    In a previous poll, about which way they were planning to vote, THEGAYUK’s readership said that Labour, led by Jeremy Corbyn, was their first choice with 38 per cent of the vote but was closely followed by the Liberal Democrats, headed by Jo Swinson.

    The Conservatives, with the incumbent Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, managed to grab hold of 15 per cent of the vote, while “other” which would you include parties such as the Greens, UKIP, The Independent Group For Change, Brexit Party, Plaid Cymru.

    However, there is just under one-quarter of people who are still undecided on who to vote for.

    At the time of publication, 23 per cent they were undecided, seventy-seven said they had made up their minds.

    One commentator, Jay, summed up their feelings by saying, “You look at the conservatives how many lies they have told and with the leader they have got with Boris Johnson is embarrassing. And you have Labour with the likes of Diane Abbott and a leader like Jeremy Corbyn. You have the Lib Dems who look like competition winners. I don’t know who to vote for.”

  • ANALYSIS | How has Boris Johnson voted on gay and LGBT+ rights

    ANALYSIS | How has Boris Johnson voted on gay and LGBT+ rights

    Just how gay-friendly in the voting booth is the Conservative leader Boris Johnson?

    We looked into Boris Johnson‘s voting record on gay issues to see how LGBT friendly he is.

    Since entering the House of Commons as an MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip in 2001, Boris Johnson has voted in a mixed way for gay rights.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Since 2001 and in the time in which Johnson has been an MP there have been 16 votes in which he was eligible to vote. Of that 16, he voted positively in three, negatively in 1 (an amendment of the Adoption and Children Bill — [2nd Allotted Day] — Applications for adoption) and was absent from a huge 11 votes.

    One vote was for an impact report on the repeal of the hugely damaging Section 28.

    What gay rights did Boris Johnson vote against, or was absent for?

    He was absent for

    2001: Relationships (Civil Registration)

    2002: Adoption and Children Bill — Suitability Of Adopters

    2004: Gender Recognition Bill — Allow Marriages to Remain Valid If They Become a Same-Sex Marriage

    2007: Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations

    2007: Categories of civil partners other than same-sex couples

    2019: Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill — New Clause 1 — Marriage of Same-Sex Couples

    2019: Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill — Lords Amendments — Abortion — Marriage and Civil Partnerships — Transparency etc.

    Was Boris Johnson Pro on Civil Partnerships?

    However, Johnson voted pro on civil partnerships in 2004 and voted to repeal Section 28 in 2003.

    Boris Johnson was not an MP during the time of the same-sex marriage vote – so we have no data on what his choice for that vote may have been in 2013.

    This article has been updated to include the negative vote and a vote which was on an impact report.