Conservative Gay and Proud
Today the Gay Pride march and party takes place in London. Tens of thousands of gay people and their families and supporters will join in the festivities. However, the run up to the event has been over-shadowed by some rather unfortunate remarks by Labour Ministers Chris Bryant and Ben Bradshaw, both of whom have sought to portray the Conservative Party as “homophobic”.
This is especially incredible now that David Cameron’s Shadow Cabinet contains two “out” gay Shadow Ministers and Cameron himself has recently apologised for the totemic Section 28, introduced in the 1980’s. The gay community has been turning in increasing numbers to the Conservatives under Cameron and Bryant and Bradshaw’s comments seem like a desperate attempt to shore up Labour’s dwindling support in another of what it considered to be its client groups.
The fact is that gay people do not see themselves as part of a homogenous community. They pay taxes, use public services and form their opinions in the same way as everyone else, based on their experiences. No one party “owns” the “gay vote” and that is right and proper. As being gay is increasingly accepted with a shrug of the shoulders the resistance to equality of treatment is confined to a small minority in political parties of all colours. Labour has its homophobes just as the other parties do but it would be silly to blow their importance out of proportion.
Various Governments of both major parties have moved the agenda towards equality of treatment – the Conservatives reduced the age of consent from 21 to 18, lifted the ban on gays in the Civil Service and decriminalised gay sexual activity in Northern Ireland and Scotland; Labour took that further with a reduction to 16, lifting the ban on gays in the armed forces and introducing civil partnerships.
The Conservative Party has changed hugely since the 1980’s and I am looking forward to a huge “Gay pride” event at this year’s party conference in Manchester. Gay people can vote Conservative with confidence just as many of their colleagues in the rest of the population clearly intend to do. The fact is that at the next General Election “gay rights” is no longer really a live issue. To suggest that somehow gay people should fear a Conservative government is no more than a smear and an attempt to stoke up unjustified fears of prejudice.
Shame on Bryant and Bradshaw!
UPDATE: Someone calling themselves “Willo” has stated that I am incorrect to refer to John Major lifting the ban on gay people serving in the Civil Service. He has stated in the comments below that no such ban ever existed. He is wrong! In July 1991 John Major announced that neither homosexual orientation nor private homosexual activity should any longer preclude appointment even to sensitive posts in the home civil service and diplomatic service. The automatic ban in the senior civil service was also lifted at the same time. This is referred to by Lord Lester on 6 Mar 1996 in Lords Hansard column 397.
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About Richard…
Richard is a Conservative Councillor on Reading Borough Council representing Peppard ward since 2007. He previously represented Thames ward from 2001 to 2004. He is currently Conservative Shadow Cabinet member for Transport. 
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They seem to have forgotten about former Cabinet minister Ruth Kelly… appointed by one Gordon Brown.
Twaddle. The Tories have done nothing for gay rights and, for many years, activly institutionalised prejudice through section 28. The fact that Cameron now seeks to ‘apologise’ fot this disgraceful piece of legislation simply illustrates that he will say anything to get a vote.
The reduction to age 18 was done in the teeth of vicious opposition from some tory MP’s and was effectivly a sell out – it wasn’y equality and the ‘middle ground’ was there to protect young people from preditory older gay men. If you read the debate in Hansard, you’ll need a sick bag at the ready for some of the more outragous comments.
Being gay was never an offence in the Civil Service – where in earth did you get that from? I’ve been in the Civil Service since 1974 and there has never been an express prohibition. And as for bringing Nth Ireland up to date after 30 years, will whoppey do for you!
But let’s not go there given that the Tory party is climbing into bed (sic) with some politicans in NI who shall we say, are a little unreconstructed in their views on sexuality. Come to think of it, aren’t some of your new friends in Europe a bit, ummm, what’s the word?….Homophobic?
On every occassion the Tory party was forced to bring in legislation against its will (thank you ECHR) and the hypocrites on the Tory benches that now parade their sexulaity on TV quiz shows et al said nothing at the time. It was shameful and you would do well to remember what your party didn’t do in the 1980’s and 90’s – and with whom you consort with now.
And if you think that everything is OK now – well, it isn’t as anyone who has listened to the casual homophobia in the playground and on radio 1 can atest. But then in your nice little middle class tory world, it probably is Ok.
As for Ruth Kelly – what’s that got to do with anything?
Good post Richard.
You would think that anyone who considered themselves to be a ‘gay rights activist’ would actually welcome the fact that the Conservative Party leader has this week spoken at a Pride event, that he has appointed openly gay shadow cabinet members and the party is appealing to many gay voters. Instead, the blogs and comment pages have been filled with vitriol as posters seem to want to keep gay people in a Labour voting box.
I know it’s common to refer to a ‘gay community’ but it’s lazy, not to mention insulting, to assume that every gay person should therefore act, think and vote the same. Angela Eagle (who I heard on Radio 4 this morning) and her ilk seem to regard the ‘gay community’ as client voters who have no right to take their vote elsewhere.
There probably are homophobes in the Conservative Party, but I honestly cannot recall meeting one since I first joined in 1994. In contrast, I am increasingly finding that gay friends and acquaintances outside politics are likely to vote Conservative, I have met very many gay Tory activists and I don’t think it’s a secret that a number of Tory councillors here in Reading are gay.
Clearly it suits some people to play the ‘homophobic’ card against the Conservative Party but anyone thinking of buying that argument should really take a closer look.*
*and if you want to make up your own mind instead of falling for Labour soundbites, come and meet us at Reading Pride in September where Reading Conservatives will have a stall.
Emma–I don’t think many voters know who the gay Conservative councillors are ——-please do tell
Willo openly gay people were not permitted to serve in the civil service until the mid-1990s when John Major lifted the ban. It was a Conservative MP (Edwina Currie) that proposed rthe equalisation of the age of consent, and it was a Conservative MP that proposed the then compromise of 18. yes some were and are homophobic, so what, that reflects society. I think Richards article is fair in that both Conservative and Labour have moved the agenda towards equality, although arguably the Conservatives had the harder task as the public mood was less sympathetic than it is now. Labour deserve credit for their reforms and they repeatedly claim it but the part that many Conservatives also played should not be so easily dismissed.
Also I think you confuse the various Unionists. The Conservatives are linked to the moderate UUP but it was the more hard-line DUP MP Iris Robinson that made the offensive remarks about gay people.
er no Doodlebug, it has never been a condition of being an employee of the civil service that you be straight my dear. If you think otherwise please show me the relevant term or condition of employment. It was always a presumption about the secret services of course, unless you were a Oxbridge spy!
Edwina Curry (Sic) may have supported equalisation of the age of consent (bless her), but she was not the main exponent. What I take serious issue with is the contention – made on this blog – that somehow the Tories were EVER in the vanguard of such a movement. Utter tosh of course.
As for the Tories having the ‘harder task’ because of societial attitudes, well, it’s they that helped cause these attitudes by playing to prejudice through section 28. You are confusing cause and effect.
There are some of us that beleive that governments are there to lead opinion, not to follow it and in every substantive case it has been the Labour Party that has enacted postive and supportive changes in favour of legal rights for lesbians and gay men since 1968.
Are you not going to let us know who the gay Tory councillors are Emma?
What happened to the meaning of the word ‘pride’?
Is it time to start guessing?
Howard you miss the point. People are proud without wanting to shout from the tree tops or post on blog sites. I am proud about my faith, about lots of personal things, but prefer to tell the people I know are genuinely interested in hearing about my personal life rather than announcing it to all and sundry.
It is a fact that there are many gay people in the Tory Group in Reading. It is up to the individuals who they tell.
Isobel—I don’t think I am missing the point,after all I didn’t start this topic ,or mention about gay Tory councillors. Having read the comments it just got me wondering who might be in and who might be ‘out’?
Who cares. It doesn’t affect how they do they job.
Mr Thomas – individuals may be open amongst their friends, colleagues, associates, relatives etc but that does not mean it is appropriate to make an announcement in a public forum such as this and I have no intention of doing so.
My point was that the Conservative Party is often portrayed as homophobic and many of us find that characterisation both inaccurate and offensive. I hope that you, like us, will be supporting the Reading Pride event in September.
“I don’t think its a secret that a number of Tory councillors here in Reading are gay”
To be quite honest Emma, to make a statement like that and then to somehow imagine that you wouldn’t be asked as to who these gay councillors may be be is just a little bit silly. If the matter is “only open amongst their friends” then why bring up the subject in such a public way?
Will I be ’supporting’ the Reading Pride event?Why would I?
Its not for me! Its a question of each to their own , don’t you think.
“Its a question of each to their own , don’t you think.”
Why are you trying to get Emma to out people then? The Tory party has moved on with it’s views, sadly it looks like the Common Sense party is lacking any sort of common sense.
My, my, you really are a sado Richard, rushing to look up Hansard and then, with a flourish announce “he’s wrong!”. And then to add an update on your post…I’m touched.
However, if you read my post I was very clear – you made the claim that the Tories lifted the ban on gays in the Civil Service. As a Civil Servant since 1974 I said that there had never been such a ban – I have the terms and conditions for home civil service staff and there is no mention of a prohibition.
I have quite happily been an ‘out’ Civil Servant pre dating the Tory Party catching up with social mores in latter part of the 20th Century, but to promote this as an example of ‘good’ Tory behaviour is disingenuous. And for you to get so excited about proving me wrong is simply childish. Really, get a grip.
Willo – I didn’t “rush” to look up Hansard, someone else kindly did it for me and sent me the link
And I have a perfect grip thanks!
If you are to be believed, the Conservative Party was rampantly homophobic back then, so why would Major pick a fight with those in his own party if there was no ban? Clearly John Major must have been deluded when he made his announcement? Perhaps Lord Lester was similarly deluded when he said “In July 1991 the Prime Minister announced that neither homosexual orientation nor private homosexual activity should any longer preclude appointment even to sensitive posts in the home civil service and diplomatic service.”
Your argument makes no sense at all. Just as in the military there were plenty of cases of “out” gay people being tolerated by some whilst an official ban existed, I am sure that the same applied to the Civil Service, especially where there was a more enlightened management. However, it is quite clear that John Major in July 1991 was lifting a ban that existed at the time!
Blanje-j-pan
“I don’t think its a secret that a number of Tory councillors are gay” as said by Emma.
I think its a fair question to ask which ones—-after all if its that much of a secret then why mention it at all?
Common sense might best be described as what people in common believe to be sense——its sadly lacking in the big 3 parties which is probably why you don’t recognise it!