Ian McKellen: 'Now's the time to be backing Europe'

Last month, 30 LGBT MPs and members of the House of Lords signed a cross-party letter calling for Britain to vote to stay in the EU in order to protect the rights of the LGBT community.

With just two weeks to go until the June 23 referendum Ian McKellen, speaking to The Telegraph, explains how he wants Britain to stay in the EU and use their power to influence and fight for LGBT rights around the world.

In the interview he said: “Now is the time to be backing Europe and giving back that sense of empowerment to countries in the European Union that are still very backward in this regard.”

McKellen continued, “If I were to look at ‘in’ or ‘out’ from that point of view, there’s only one point, which is to stay. If you’re a gay person, you’re an internationalist. I don’t want us to retract. I don’t want to and I won’t, whatever the vote happens to be.”

He says that while Brexit “wouldn’t be the end of the world” it’s “nearly the end of my life.”

“It’s up to the youngsters to decide, really,” he adds.

Attitude recently grilled two of the most prominent MPs to sign the cross party letter, calling for Britain to vote and stay in the EU.

The EU referendum takes place on June 23.

Ian McKellen: ‘Now’s the time to be backing Europe’

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