Liberal Democrats: the LGBT Manifesto
By Ben Kelly
This morning, the Liberal Democrats have revealed their manifesto for the General Election, and as with every party, Attitude has condensed the policies which are specific to the LGBT community.
Freedom and Opportunity: Equal rights for all
In this section, the Lib Dems have looked at their record of delivery, and then their future promises, on a host of issue. On LGBT they highlight that they have already “introduced equal marriage for gay and lesbian couples”, and now they are committed to “combat homophobic bullying and discrimination, including in schools.”
They then go into the specifics of what they will do to “promote equality in relationships and for LGBT+ individuals”.
“We will:
- Give legal rights and obligations to cohabiting couples in the event of relationship breakdown or one partner dying without a will.
- Permit humanist weddings and opposite sex civil partnerships, and liberalise the rules about the location, timing and content of wedding ceremonies.
- Support schools to tackle homophobic and transphobic bullying and discrimination, and to establish a tolerant and inclusive environment for all their pupils. We will remove schools’ exemption from the bar on harassment in these areas while protecting the right to teach about religious doctrine.
- Promote international recognition of same sex marriages and civil partnerships as part of a comprehensive International LGBT Rights Strategy that supports the cause of decriminalising homosexuality in other countries.
- Seek to pardon all those with historic convictions for consensual homosexual activity between adults.
- Enhance the experience of all football fans by making homophobic chanting a criminal offence, like racist chanting.
- Ask the Advisory Committee on Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs periodically to review rules around men who have sex with men donating blood to consider what restrictions remain necessary.”
They also include this page which gives a handy visual of their track record on supporting LGBT rights.
Britain in the world:
In this section on foreign policy, the party lays out how it will “stand up for Liberal values” on the work stage.
“We will:
Develop a comprehensive strategy for promoting the decriminalisation of homosexuality around the world, and advancing the cause of LGBT+ rights.”
You can read the whole manifesto here.
Read our interview with Nick Clegg and a host of LGBT Liberal Democrat candidates as part of our election coverage in the new issue out now on digital and in print.
Conservatives: The LGBT Manifesto
Green Party: The LGBT Manifesto