Labour’s new Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities spoke exclusively to DIVA to address her plans for LGBTQI equality
BY DIVA STAFF
When Keir Starmer was announced as the new Labour Leader earlier this year, LGBTQI Labour supporters wondered whether the cabinet members chosen would be inclusive of the LGBTQI community.
Members of the LGBTQI community raised concerns when Marsha de Cordova MP was announced as the new Shadow Women and Equalities Minister, as she has only ever publicly shown her support of the LGBTQI community through one tweet in the past, but to alleviate these growing fears, Marsha spoke exclusively to DIVA.
In her statement to us, Marsha publicly endorsed her support of the LGBTQI community. She is proud of the Labour Party’s commitment to reforming the Gender Recognition Act 2004 to introduce self-declaration for transgender people, and to make LGBTQI inclusivity a reality.
She has also written to Liz Truss Minister for Women and Equalities urging her to provide clarity on her comments made at the Women and Equalities’ Select Committee, where Truss revealed a shocking plan to remove healthcare for transgender youth.
You can read the full statement from Marsha below.
Speaking exclusively to DIVA, Marsha said: “Labour is proud of our history of advancing LGBTQ+ rights. It was a Labour government that abolished the Conservatives’ hateful Section 28 and created civil partnerships, and Labour votes in Parliament were crucial for winning marriage equality.
“Labour also proudly supports reforming the Gender Recognition Act to introduce self-declaration for transgender people, and the full roll-out of LGBTQ+ inclusive education across our schools.
“As Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, LGBTQ+ equality is at the heart of my work. I will fight to eliminate LGBTQ+ discrimination in law and to hold the Conservatives to account for its poor record on LGBTQ+ rights.
“My priorities include ensuring that LGBTQ+ people are not disproportionately affected by Covid-19, and that all communities are protected equally from this crisis.
“I look forward to working with and alongside the LGBTQ+ community in the struggle for a fairer and more equal society.”
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