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Councils leading the way in support to LGBT+ communities says new Shadow Communities Minister

By 3 August 2019September 8th, 2022No Comments

Newly appointed Shadow Minister for Communities, Stephen Morgan MP will this weekend be joining the thousands who flock to Brighton for Pride, one of the UK’s largest LGBT+ events.

Ahead of the celebrations, the Shadow Minister has praised the contributions councils make to support the community – highlighting a number of areas as good practice.

Mr Morgan, a Portsmouth MP, will be joining parliamentary colleagues from Brighton in attending the festivities with LGBT+ Labour representatives.

Stephen Morgan MP said:

“Pride is not just a celebration, it is a call to action and display of strength. The actions of those brave people 50 years ago during the Stonewall riots still resonate today and have come to shape the modern fight for equal rights.

Local authorities are on the front-line day in day out, from Portsmouth to Penrith providing vital support and services to the LGBT+ community.

In my own patch our 4U project has clinched a public sector organisation of the year award for its important targeted youth work. In Manchester the city council has pioneered an LGBT+ Extra Care Scheme to support older members of the LGBT community with care needs and in Lambeththe borough has set up the world’s first social impact bond to improve HIV diagnosis and treatment.

These are just a few examples from across our nation showing that local authorities are leading the way in supporting the LGBT+ community”.

The Portsmouth South representative has raised hate crime against the LGBT+ community multiple times in Parliament, set up a pledge card for the Home Secretary urging action over safeguarding, corresponded with Hampshire Police, sponsored his city’s own Pride events and made rallying speeches at events calling for more support to be given to LGBT+ people.

Responding to the appointment of a new Prime Minister and Cabinet, the MP said:

“We have a Prime Minister who has used homophobic language. We have a Home Secretary who voted against same-sex marriage. We have a Foreign Secretary who has said he wants to make it harder for people to change their gender. We have a cabinet where 16 out of 22 didn’t even bother to show up to the landmark vote on legalising same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland.

Now more than ever, in the face of this Government’s lack of interest in justice we must unite and fight for what is right – equality for all. I will continue to champion the work of local authorities across our country to help make that happen”.