Green Party leads the way, with the most candidates signed up
London, UK – 10 December 2019
With two days to go before Britain votes, candidates from every major political party have signed the LGBT+ Manifesto – except for candidates from the Conservative and Brexit parties.
Not a single candidate from either party has signed up: www.LGBTmanifesto.com
The Green Party has the most signatories, followed by the Liberal Democrats, with Labour trailing third.
The appeal to sign the LGBT+ Manifesto was first made at the start of the election campaign six weeks ago by the Peter Tatchell Foundation.
The PTF Director, Peter Tatchell, said:
“It is disappointing that not a single candidate from either the Brexit or Conservative parties have pledged their support for the LGBT+ Manifesto. This will be interpreted by many people as evidence that these two parties do not care about LGBT+ equal rights.
“We are grateful for strong Green Party support and disappointed that so few Labour candidates have signed up.
“The LGBT+ community has made great gains in the last two decades, with the repeal of all major anti-gay laws. But the battle for equality is not yet over. There are still unresolved issues. Our manifesto is urging parliamentary candidates to support further advances for the LGBT+ community.”
“The manifesto pledges are simple and low-cost. Politicians who commit to the LGBT+ manifesto will send a clear signal that equality is important and that LGBT lives matter.”
Both candidates and members of the public can sign the pledge at www.LGBTmanifesto.com
LGBT+ MANIFESTO – THE EIGHT PLEDGES
1. Relationship & Sex Education: Mandatory LGBT-inclusive relationship and sex education in every school.
2. Trans rights: Allow trans people to legally affirm their gender identity by a process of statutory self-declaration.
3. PrEP: Make the cost-effective HIV prevention drug, PrEP, available to everyone, irrespective of postcode.
4. Gay compensation: Compensate the thousands of men prosecuted for consenting adult same-sex acts under past discriminatory laws.
5. Protect refugees: End the detention and deportation of LGBT+ asylum seekers who have fled persecution abroad.
6. Blood equality: End the blanket restrictions on gay and bisexual male blood donors and switch to individual risk assessment.
7. Ethical foreign policy: Make UK aid and trade deals contingent on the recipient country’s respect for LGBT+ and other human rights.
8. Extend disregards and pardons: Add gay offences not currently included, such as soliciting and prosecutions under generic military, public order and ancient indecency statutes.