How fragile is Equality? Could we get a homophobic Prime Minister in 2016?

At a time when our country is divided, this week David Cameron specifically mentioned increased steps to tackle hate crime.

We are all aware of the increased shocking racist crimes taking place around the country – shouting abuse and intimidating people is a crime.

Last week I was talking to a man who was fired from his job when his employer found out he was gay. Because you could do that in the 1990s.  There was no equality legislation 20 years ago protecting lesbians and gay men from such discrimination. 

David Cameron says all the right things when it comes to LGBT equality, and twice in the last couple of months has specifically mentioned Britain’s role in the world taking forward an equality agenda:

note – half the worlds population live in a country where it is illegal to be LGB and in 13 countries such people can face the DEATH PENALTY.

Yes, death for who and how you love! in 2016! … Oh look, one of those countries is to host the Fifa football world cup in 2022. Can you believe that! 

As we say good bye to our Prime Minister and wait to see who the Conservative Party thrust upon us I looked up the voting records of the candidates.

Liam Fox has failed to turn up and vote in favour of any LGBT equality issue. In fact he has been vocal and offensive. Most people in the UK are LGBT or have friends, close family members or work colleagues who are LGBTQ and would find his comments at best ignorant. Personally, I found them offensive.  How could this person follow David Cameron as PM of the UK in 2016?

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2016/06/30/heres-where-all-the-tory-pm-candidates-stand-on-lgbt-rights/

And then there is Stephen Crabb… with his dubious Christianity connections. I’m not sure if he thinks homosexuality can or should be cured but without doubt he has been linked with events and organisations that do. And he voted against gay marriage.

I’m willing to believe better than this of Crabb. I know lots of religious people aren’t bigots. But… so far it looks like his extremist views make him unsuitable to be PM.

 

It wasn’t so long ago that LGB was defined as a mental illness and the Age of Consent for gay men was 21? Let reporter Michael Gove take us back to those days with his 1993 report.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/gay_rights/12016.shtml

It is interesting how, in the report, the success of the right-wing agenda, the EU and gay equality were linked back then. And I remember it like yesterday, being myself involved in that campaign for equality.

Every body is entitled to their opinions, and I’m all for free speech and people holding their own views BUT Anyone who has recently voted AGAINST equality for a section of the UK public like these men is totally unsuitable to head the British Government. But it’s not just how they voted in 2013, it’s what they said about how they voted and what they’ve said since.