A lovely tweet from Lib Dem MP Layla Moran tonight:
2020 is a new decade and a new path in my journey. Last year I fell in love with a wonderful woman. Something I’d never even considered before. Now I am just happy #Pansexual #OutAndProud pic.twitter.com/jdfz87Hdkx
— Layla Moran 🔶🕊️ (@LaylaMoran) January 2, 2020
She talked to Pink News about her relationship with former Lib Dem Press Officer Rosy Cobb:
About six months ago I started a relationship with a woman, and that was quite surprising, because before that I’d only ever had boyfriends.
We met at work, which a lot of people do, and we just totally hit it off, started hanging out, and one day after a couple glasses of wine… It was really wonderful on the one hand, but also quite surprising for me in how I had identified before.
It wasn’t really something I had done before or considered before, but sometimes when you meet the right person, it just kind of happens.
We’re in a really committed, loving, supportive, relationship, and I feel now is the time to talk about it, because as an MP I spend a lot of my timedefending our community and talking about our community. I want people to know I am part of our community as well.
Layla identifies as pansexual and explains what this means:
Pansexuality, to me, means it doesn’t matter about the physical attributions of the person you fall in love with, it’s about the person themselves.
It doesn’t if they’re a man or a woman or gender non-conforming, it doesn’t matter if they identify as gay or not. In the end, these are all things that don’t matter – the thing that matters is the person, and that you love the person.
All the very best to Layla and Rosy. It’s wonderful to see them so happy. However, it would be even better if same sex relationships were not seen as inherently newsworthy. You can’t imagine that there would have been journalists interested if she was involved with a man. Love is equal and the reporting of it should be too.
There’s reaction from around the party.
https://twitter.com/LGBTLD/status/1212860007852756992?s=20
They added to this in a statement:
Dave Page, Chair of LGBT+ Liberal Democrats, said “We didn’t know that Layla was pansexual when we made her our Honorary President for 2020 – we just knew she was committed to supporting and defending our community. Now we know she’s a part of it and we couldn’t be happier for her.
“Pansexual and bisexual people are possibly the largest group within the LGBT+ communities, and yet research shows we are more likely to be discriminated against and less able to be out at work and in public. Layla is leading by example and will make it easier for other pansexual people to come out.
“We look forward to working with Layla in 2020.”
https://twitter.com/LibDemLaura/status/1212861348889219072?s=20
Congratulations @LaylaMoran!
So glad to hear you’re happy and able to proud of who you are. We must never let anyone define who you can be or who you can love! #loveislove #lovewins 🏳️🌈https://t.co/byFIkkC87U
— Jane Dodds AS/MS 🔶🏴 (@DoddsJane) January 2, 2020
Delighted for you both.
— Liz Barker (@LizBarkerLords) January 2, 2020
Layla also spoke to the Guardian:
Moran, who is thought to be considering a bid for the Lib Dem leadership, said she and her friends had been approached by newspapers that wanted to run stories about her relationship. “That itself is why I’m coming out now because it is a new year and we need to approach the decade fighting these equalities issues on the front foot,” she said.
“If I am going to be outed I want it to be on my own terms,” said Moran. “I’m really proud of it. I’m in a really happy, loving, stable relationship. She’s amazing and I’m really lucky.”
We shouldn’t underestimate how important it is for LGBT people to have role models in public life who are out and proud, particularly as regressive, social conservative forces threaten the advances towards equality we have made in recent years.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
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16 Comments
Huge congrats to them – both lovely and a great laugh
Many congratulations to Layla and Rosy – and well done for having the courage to publicly declare your love for each other.
I’m so happy for you Layla. All the best for 2020 xxx
Pansexual if a wonderful word, covering more options than gay/lesbian and bisexual. Congratulations all round, Layla and Rosy.
Brilliant news, Layla, and congratulations.
Not wishing to appear tokenistic, but it has been a little embarrassing that, although we came out of the General Election with the highest proportion of female MPs, we had not a single out LGBT+ MP (that I’m aware of).
Sorted!
I have to admit I hadn’t even heard of the word pansexual until this morning. So I Googled it – and there it is. Seems a totally logical word to use in these times. Whatever the word, I hope Layla and her partner have wonderful times together and I’m glad that their relationship is out in the open. My only sadness (as others have mentioned) is that the media still regard this sort of relationship to be more newsworthy than heterosexual ones. A ;evel playing field where sexuality is concerned means that the media should stop treating certain people as “different” for no valid reason.
I am delighted for Layla and Rosy! Congratulations to both to you.
I am happy for anyone in a loving relationship, however I agree with Caron when she says, “However, it would be even better if same sex relationships were not seen as inherently newsworthy.”
That is as true for Lib-Dem Voice as any other media or news outlet.
Toby – If our MPs decide not to be “out” for any reason that should be up to them.
As part of a parliamentary group in a time when there was a lot of media questioning about MPs sexuality, we should avoid joining in with the press to pressurise any Lib-Dem, or anyone else, to make a decision they might not want to.
The only embarrassing thing about our result from the last election was not the race, gender or sexuality of our MPs, it was the number of them.
I find it so sad that the fact an MP is in a same sex relationship would be considered newsworthy by whoever tried to run the stories in the first place. Most people get to choose when to tell the world about their relationships (of whatever hue) and are not forced into doing so by the media.
One day the press will join the 21st Century….
I don’t think it’s the news that an MP is in a same-sex relationship that is giving the story traction. It’s the use of the word “pansexual” – presumably to avoid the use of the word “bisexual” since that implies a binary choice – that is trending on Twitter. People are learning something and being made to think. That’s not such a bad thing.
It would certainly shame the Labour Party if we made it to our first non-straight leader before they make it to their first non-male.
We should be glad of the publicity.
Here’s a thought, Justine Greening the now retired MP for Putney was openly gay, and resigned from Mrs May’s cabinet after a bust up of some sort, and possibly after some discomfort from the PM at having gay woman in her cabinet. The question is this – were the media showing undue interest in Miss Greening’s sexuality or is it just because of the party Layla represents?
“It would certainly shame the Labour Party if we made it to our first non-straight leader before they make it to their first non-male.”
The Labour party has had a female leader – two in fact.
First of all congratulations and much happyness to Layla and Rosy.
If Layla puts herself forward to be elected party leader, she will be adding herself to a growing queuu of LGTBIP+ Liberal party leaders and even prime ministers on the continent.
In the Netherlands, D66 has a proud tradition of inclusivity,
1) First our Amsterdam MP Boris Ditrich, a former lawyer and Judge, launched the Gay Marriage Act, an absolute world first; it became law in 2001.
2) in 2003, Boris became our party leader, in a difficult coalition government; he had to resign in 2006 after the big parties laughed away his (afterwards fully justified) criticism of the rosy spectacles with which Labour, Christian Democrats and car-loving VVD liberals approached the Dutch mission in Uruzgan (next to Helmand) in Afghasnistan (2006-2014). Since then until recently, he was global LGTBI+ Advocate for Human Rights Watch.
3) In 20102 until now, Vera Bergkamp, a veteran (ex-president!) in the oldest LGTBI+ organisation COC here, became D66 MP;
4) and in 2019, Rob Jetten MP, openly gay D66 politician since 2010, became our new D66 party leader.
Only one other Dutch party , 50+, ever had an openly gay leader!
5) In 1994-’98, Hubert Fermina was the first West Indian (Dutch Antilles) MP, and one of the very first openly gay Dutch MP’s ever.
6) And don’t forget the Lucemburrg PM (since 2013), Xavier Bettel.
Boris Dittrich last year was elected a D66 senator; he returns to the fray…
Hywel – no one counts acting leaders as leaders.