The General Election next year may not be a happy occasion for the Liberal Democrats. If we find ourselves bruised and battered, depressed, demoralised, it will be hard to hold our heads up high and proclaim a strong liberal message. One thing that will keep us going is some old-fashioned, fun and inspiring community politics.
The Liberal Democrats have the longest and proudest record of supporting and empowering LGBT+ people of any political party. We were the first to call for gay rights in a manifesto, the first major party to support same-sex marriage which we have delivered in Government, the first party to produce legislation for Civil Partnerships, the first party to support trans rights and many other historic firsts.
It’s not enough to lead in principle and policy; we have to lead in practice as well. Lib Dem-run authorities have been great champions for LGBT+ people, whether it’s dealing with elderly LGBT+ residents in council-run care homes, or tackling homophobic, biphobic & transphobic bullying in schools. LGBT+ Lib Dems have produced a Local Government Guide, launched at ALDC Conference, to help councillors make sure they’re doing the best they can for LGBT+ people. And it’s not enough to lead in principle, policy and practice. We need to get out there and show LGBT+ people our support, take the message to them that we’ve been there through thick and thin, and regardless of how well we do in elections we will always be there for them.
There are many local LGBT+ community events all year round, from Transgender Day of Remembrance on 20th November, World Aids Day on 1st December, International Day Against Homophobia on 17th March and others. Chances are there’ll be something to mark the event in your local area, even if it’s just people meeting for a drink – search the web and Facebook to find out how you can show support.
Across the UK every summer, even in the places you wouldn’t expect, local communities of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and other sexual and gender diverse people (LGBT+) and their friends, families, supporters and allies hold Pride events. These events are hugely diverse – some are family picnics, some are multi-day music festivals; many are free, but the larger ones tend to charge.
LGBT+ Lib Dems are making it as easy as possible for people to get involved, with stickers, flyers, how-to guides and more. Let’s get out with Pride in 2015, keep a spring in our step and a smile on our faces, and demonstrate our ongoing support for LGBT+ people locally, nationally and internationally.
If you’d like more information, please email [email protected] with your name, local party and membership number.
* Dave Page is an activist from Manchester and one of the founders of Liberal Democrats to Revoke Article 50.
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9 Comments
Very much this! Lib Dems @ Reading Pride would not be as good as it is if it wasn’t for the help of LGBT+ Lib Dems and in particular you Dave. We are already looking forward to Reading Pride 2015.
Another date for your LGBT+ calendars is September 23rd, Bi Visibility Day. 🙂
<3 this! Was proud to march at Leeds pride this year with our new Yorkshire & Humber chair Stewart Golton and many other people.
Actually I won’t be and sad the cisgendered assumption here is that all Trans people support pride!
48% of Trans people don’t associate themselves with the LG communities or pride! Pride festivities have discriminated against Trans people and there is as much transphobia in the Gay communities as the heterosexual. I understand it’s similar for many bisexual people but cannot speak for that community
Pride also causes Trans people problems. Many Gay men dress as a parody of women at Pride, which is their right. However people will judge and do judge Trans women against this parody.
I also wonder if Dave Page has heard of Sparkle (the Trans equivalent of Pride) if he has then why not mention this
Unfortunately this like the LGBT+ web page appears to reflect the opinion of a cisgendered gay male and does not fully reflect the T.
Support Pride as a gay event not necessarily a LGBT+ one
Think this HuffPost article helps to explain the caution needed I post like this
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tyler-curry/gay-rights-and-trans-rights_b_4763380.html
Lauren, I’ve not made any assumptions about anybody supporting Pride. This is a short piece for Lib Dem Voice trying to encourage activists to get out and do some community engagement and campaigning after the General Election when we may well be feeling a bit down in the dumps. It is not an essay on the internal politics of the LGBT+ communities and the frictions between and within them. Part of the work that LGBT+ Lib Dems needs to do is to make sure that we work across the LGBT+ spectrum and not focus on the LG part which already receives the bulk of support, financial and otherwise.
I’m aware of Sparkle; as far as I know it’s an event in one city (Manchester, where I live), so not really relevant to the nationwide campaigning that I’m trying to encourage here. Ironically, a lot of the trans community have the same criticism of Sparkle as you make of Pride events. I won’t comment on the assumptions that you yourself make…
Just so you know Dave there are at least 3 other Sparkles and increasing every year
Well, thanks for that additional information Lauren, I’ll be sure to check it out.
I’ll Dave up here, as he is not speaking out of turn but rather with language that has the full backing of the trans members of the LGBT+ exec.
Prides are independently organised – as with any series of independent events, their quality and inclusivity varies. Some are better than others, and it sounds like you have had experience from the worse end of the spectrum. Nevertheless, they offer a good platform for local parties up and down the country to fly the flag on behalf of the LibDems and champion our achievements and continuing LGBT+ work.
It would inappropriate for LGBT+ to promote Sparkle as it is an event predominantly aimed at the TV/CD community and one that I know many trans women feel alienated by – I’m soft butch and happier in an army uniform than a dress, so it’s certainly not my kind of event. It also has a history of erasing the existence of trans men in it’s appropriation of the title “National Transgender Celebration”. (There is also a relatively new trans masculine alternative, Buff.)
I have no idea where sparkle stands on non-binary issues. I don’t think it’s even on their radar.
This has improved recently, but based on feedback I’ve had about Sparkle 2014 there is some way to go before it’s something I would feel is appropriate for LGBT+ to promote as an alternative to pride. TDoR suffers far less from that problem, and the volume of BAME names (Especially Hispanic and Afro-carribean) reminds us that in the UK, particularly those of us who are Caucasian like myself, we’re actually a relatively privileged group compared to some.