All of us in the LGBT+ community should make use of our vote to protect our rights and make our lives easier and better, at all levels of government - be it local borough, county council or in the devolved authorities.

There's no question that the current Labour Government has been through an extremely torrid time in the past few months, with Sir Keir Starmer in particular becoming the most disliked Prime Minister in decades.

The shambles of the Peter Mandelson affair has turned even more people against Starmer and his government, with loyal Labour supporters now totally unable and unwilling to support anything that they try to achieve.

However much we may dislike how Keir Starmer has behaved and how he treats those around him it's important not to forget the achievements of his party during the past two years of this government. Saving British Steel, expanding free school meals and opening breakfast clubs for children, the increases in the minimum wage, falling waiting lists in the NHS and its ongoing modernisation, and the removal of the two child cap.

In terms of gay rights they have committed to a full, trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, aiming to end "so-called" conversion therapy. Starmer himself has reaffirmed his commitment to "fundamental principles of respect, dignity and equality" for all LGBT+ people and supported LGBT+ inclusive education and voting for marriage equality in Northern Ireland.

Over the years it is the Labour party who has been the only UK wide political party to take gay rights forward in any meaningful way. It's vital that as a community LGBT+ people send a clear message to politicans about the importance of furthering equality and not rolling it back, as we have seen recently in many countries throughout the world.

Love is a human right - Photo: Ainlina
CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

But what about the other parties?

Well, just look at record of the previous Tory equalities minister. It was none other than Kemi Badenoch, the MP for Saffron Walden and current Tory Leader. She did precisely nothing to further gay rights during her time in office. In fact, many of her actions have made life worse for vulnerable minorities. Kemi Badenoch:

• secretly met with the anti-trans campaign group LGB Alliance
• mocked trans women in a leaked recording describing them as "men"
• pressured the Financial Conduct Authority to drop trans-inclusive workplace policies
• failed to ban conversion therapy because she wanted to "scrutinise" proposals one more time
• and, stated she wanted to restrict gender recognition for those who move to the UK

And what about Suella Braverman? Don't forget in the last Tory administration she was Attorney General. She claimed that schools should not be teaching kids “keywords” about the LGBT+ community or affirm trans identities. She went on to say in a speech to the Policy Exchange thinktank that schools could be “indoctrinating children” by allowing them to live their lives as their authentic selves after coming out as trans.

This nasty and vindictive woman has now joined the even more right-wing Reform Party and unbelievably has become their spokesperson for Education, Skills and Equality.

Equality? She doesn't even know the meaning of the word.

Photo: Pixoos
CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

So why are elections important for gay men?

The last Government was a total failure, and this one's not doing much better - we all know that, but if you are LGBT+ you lost out even more than the average person under the Tories than you ever have under this Labour administration. Our previous feature from just before the 2024 election called 14 yrs of LGBT+ commitments none of which were kept by the previous Tory Government highlighted the shortcomings of the last administration, and all the commitments that the Tories failed to keep.

Reform has pledged to "overhaul" or "replace" the 2010 Equality Act, arguing it requires discrimination under the guise of "positive action". The party has pledged to mandate single-sex facilities, such as toilets and changing rooms, in public buildings and stated it would abolish all Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DE&I) roles across UK police forces and other public institutions. They also propose that social media companies that promote "divisive Critical Race theory" should not be involved in regulating free speech. Reform would be a disaster for LGBT+ rights, and LGBT+ people in the UK.

Photo: matt hrkac
CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

But does all this really matter on May 7th? Will it change anything, aren't these just local elections?

Well, it's essential that all gay men make their voices heard. Local elections can make a real difference to how you live your life. They are about local issues and your local community and what sort of people are going to take control of local businesses and local people.

Remember what happened at the 2024 general election. The Labour Party ended up with a record number of LGBT+ MPs, with 60 openly LGBT+ members in the House of Commons, constituting over 14% of their parliamentary party. It's vital that gay men and women vote to continue this trend throughout both local and national governments. We want to have more LGBT+ people running the country, protecting our rights and making our lives easier and better, and that needs to be at a local level as well as a national one.

Stand up for the people who stand up for you. Make sure you go to the polling station on May 7th and vote for candidates proud to defend the equalities that LGBT+ people have fought for and won.

REMEMBER: You must take Photo ID with you in order to vote - so a passport, driving licence or other statutory document as listed on the Electorial Commission Website.

The Labour Party has delivered monumental change for the LGBT+ community. They have a dedicated timeline on their website where they remember our history, celebrate the brave people who came before us and look towards a brighter future for LGBT+ people across the world. Labour is committed to living up to this legacy and will continue to fight for LGBT+ people during the term of this Labour government.

More Info: LGBT+ Timeline

Don't forget that you have the opportunity to express your political view in the upcoming local elections on Thursday 7th May. REMEMBER TO TAKE YOUR PHOTO ID and go to your local polling station to use your vote wisely. Don't leave it to others - Make your voice heard!