The (Not-So) Conservative Party
Historically speaking, the Conservative Party has not traditionally stood up in defence of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans people. However, the party seems to be altering its policies as they learn to realise the existence, and power, of their LGBT supporters.
An example of this is the recent legalisation of same-sex marriage in the UK, which occurred under the reign of a Conservative government. David Cameron, current Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative party, is said to have been in full support of the Act, but this did not mean that his party felt the same way.
‘Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013’ severed the Conservative party onto opposite sides of the debate. Former Labour minister David Lammy compared this division to the vote concerning the abolition of the slave trade in the 19th century. During this time, the Conservative party was divided as to whether they considered Black people to be ‘human or chattel’. Lammy has been in support of equal marriage from the beginning, and is known for comparing the struggle of LGBT people to that of African-Americans. However, the Conservative Party in its entirety remains unconvinced.
Splitting into opposing sides seems to be a habit for the Conservative party, as a third example can be provided when we examine the situation that occurred in the 1980s. Thatcher’s Conservative government introduced the infamous Section 28 of the Local Government Act in 1988, which divided the party. This particular piece of legislation prohibited the ‘promotion of homosexuality’, the publishing of material which intended to promote homosexuality, and the teaching in any school of ‘the acceptability of homosexuality’. It referred to gay relationships, and same-sex parented families, as ‘pretend.’
Thankfully, Section 28 was repealed in 2003, and David Cameron has since publically apologised for its existence, speaking at a Gay Pride event. It is noteworthy that he is the first Tory leader to speak at such an event.
Cameron’s decision to support the Act, and stand on the right side of history, is predicted to have hurt his chances in the European elections. However, according to polls, his support from the LGBT community has (unsurprisingly) risen. However, his support for sexual minorities is minor itself, as though he voted for equal marriage, it is rumoured he voted against gay adoption…twice.
Similar to the Lib Dems, the Conservative party has a group to represent their LGBT supporters, named ‘LGBTory’. The sub-organisation claims to ‘provide an LGBT voice within the Party, and a Conservative voice in the LGBT community.’
In terms of the European Union, the Conservative party state that they will first renegotiate Britain’s membership, before holding an in-out referendum.
The Conservative party are modernising, and veering toward equality. However, they cannot separate themselves from their history of homophobia, and they cannot take full credit for the legalisation of same-sex marriage. As we have learnt, it was actually the Lib Dems who started that movement.
Will the Conservative party win seats in European parliament, thanks to their newfound support from the LGBT community? Or, will the division in support hold them back? Either way, I think it’s fair to say that, even though they’re not our biggest supporters, they aren’t our biggest haters either. Watch this space to find out who is.