As we approach a general election on 4 July, can we expect to see more LGBTQIA politicians in the UK parliament?
BY IONE GILDORY, IMAGES BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The number of MPs out as LGBTQIA increases year on year, election on election. Before this year’s general election was announced and parliament dissolved, at least 64 MPs were out. This is quite an increase from 50 out MPs in the previous parliament which ended in 2019, and means that Britain has one of the queerest parliaments in the world
According to the 2022 census, 3.7% of the UK population identifies as LGBTQ+. Different surveys return different figures, however, with a 2020 Ipsos-Mori poll finding that at least 15% of UK citizens identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual. The percentage of queer MPs in parliament then, which is 9.8%, puts it pretty much right in the middle of these two figures, meaning that the queerness of the UK parliament really reflects the population of the UK.
The increasing number of queer MPs is mostly driven by younger MPs. In December 2019, for example, Labour MPs Nadia Whittome, Charlotte Nichols and Olivia Blake came out as queer and bisexual. They were all under 30 at the time, reflecting the general population of the UK, where around 25% of Brits aged 18-30 identify as queer.
With all this in mind, is it becoming easier to get into politics as an LGBTQIA person?
After centuries of exclusion and homophobia, including laws discriminating against LGBTQIA people, in the last decade or so voters seem to be moving to embrace and accept queer candidates and identities in British politics.
Research by Professor Andrew Reynolds, the director of the University of North Carolina’s LGBT Representation And Rights Research Initiative, found that in the 2015 general election, being queer didn’t have much, or any, impact on candidates’ performance. Queer candidates generally matched or did better than the party’s overall performance, and the four out transgender candidates in the 2015 election, though not elected, all outperformed their parties.
Despite these figures, it wasn’t actually until 2022 that the UK parliament saw its first trans MP, Conservative MP Jamie Wallis, who came out in March that year in a statement on Twitter.
It may seem surprising that the UK’s first out trans MP is an MP for the conservative party, when the Conservative party generally takes quite a negative position on trans rights. It also might seem surprising that there are 23 out queer Tory MPs. This is part of a growing global trend of more right wing parties becoming less homophobic, while remaining xenophobic and economically conservative.
These right wing parties maybe feel a need to be perceived as more progressive and empathetic to attract different voters. For example in the 2015 general election, out LGBTQIA candidates were seen by voters as generally more liberal, compassionate and progressive, and had a positive impact for all political parties. Even in rural areas, queer candidates had a visible and positive impact.
Being queer is becoming more and more accepted and more normal and visible in our society. The fact that queer candidates did well in rural areas, which are generally more right leaning politically than cities, shows that these close knit communities are becoming more accepting, thanks to education, visibility and familiarity.
Thanks to social media and the greater visibility in media of queer identities, especially with shows such as I Kissed A Girl and Heartstopper, queer young people are more likely to find acceptance at home. And because young people are more likely to identify as queer than older generations, the likelihood of an older person knowing an LGBTQIA younger person is also higher than before, and maybe means they are more likely to vote for a queer candidate.
Although this evidence is overwhelmingly positive and shows that it is easier for a queer person to get elected as an MP than you may think, it doesn’t change the fact that homophobia remains a huge issue in schools, in workplaces, in communities and yes, in the Houses of Parliament. This evidence just shows that, in the world of politics, being queer isn’t necessarily a huge barrier, where it once was.
Queer people are also getting elected to more visible roles in politics. Carla Denyer, for example, became the first openly bisexual leader of a major political party in England when she was elected co-leader in October 2021. Polls for the upcoming election predict that she will win in Bristol, as local voters perceive her as more progressive than even the Labour candidate.
So yes, it is becoming easier to get into politics as a LGBTQIA person, and it’s getting easier year on year as society gets generally more accepting and as the rapidly growing numbers of queer young people start to vote.
Will we see record numbers of LGBTQIA MPs elected at the election in July? If these figures are anything to go by then yes, we’ll get more and more queer MPs every year, every new government. These MPs will hopefully have a positive impact on queer rights in the UK, as they campaign on issues that are close to their hearts.
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