LGBT+ Labour is the successor to the Gay Labour Group. Sometimes referred to as the Gay Labour Caucus, it was set up in 1975 and one of the group's first banners is currently displayed at the People's History Museum[2] in Manchester.[3] In 1978, the name was changed, first to the Labour Campaign for Gay Rights, and later to the Labour Campaign for Lesbian and Gay Rights.[4]
In 2002, the Campaign became a socialist society and thus affiliated to the Labour Party.[5] As a socialist society, the organisation has the right to submit motions and send a delegate to the Labour Party Conference, participate in Party structures including electing three members of the National Policy Forum and a representative to the National Executive Committee (NEC). Since 2012, LGBT Labour has been entitled to directly elect a representative to the National Policy Forum in its own right. Members who are not full members of the Labour Party are able to vote in some party elections alongside other socialist societies members by registering as an affiliated supporter.[6]
In 2006, the society also published Peter Purton's book Sodom, Gomorrah and the New Jerusalem: Labour and Lesbian and Gay Rights from Edward Carpenter to today which documented the lobbying, campaigning and alliance building which led to the legal reforms of 1997.[7]
Organisation
Membership is mostly made up of members of the Labour Party and trade unionists. Membership is also open to non-members of the Labour Party, as long as they are not members of another political party.[8]
LGBT+ Labour is run by an elected national committee which is elected every year at its yearly general meeting.[9] LGBT+ Labour also has a number of regional groups to carry out its work in those areas, which have their own smaller committees to run them, also democratically elected. LGBT Labour has no staff members and all committee members are volunteers.
The LGBT+ Labour AGM also agrees its policy positions as well as identifying the work programme for the National Committee.
There are regional groups for the North West, London and the South East, West Midlands, Yorkshire & the Humber, East Midlands and the South West. Convenors are elected to run the Scottish and Welsh campaigns. The small committees for the regional groups are elected at their own local AGMs. These groups carry out LGBT+ Labour's work on a local basis and also campaign on local issues.[10]
Elections & The Chris Smith List
Chris Smith, the first openly gay British MP. LGBT Labour supports LGBT parliamentary candidates with a campaign fund named the Chris Smith List after him.
For the 2010 general election, LGBT Labour established a campaign fund called Dorothy's List to support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Trans candidates Labour parliamentary candidates. This fund continues for other elections and has since been renamed The Chris Smith List (after Chris Smith the first British MP to come out as gay whilst in office in 1984[11]) for which an annual fundraising dinner is held.[12] The campaign fund draws its inspiration from Emily's List in the US.
An initial fundraising target of £2,000 was set, later raised to £5,000. The final fund was in excess of £12,000[13] and the money was distributed amongst 28 LGBT parliamentary candidates with money being focused on candidates in marginal seats. There was also extra money provided to support women candidates, acknowledging all political parties have shortage of representation of lesbian and bisexual women.[14][failed verification]
The Chris Smith List continues and was used for the 2015 general election.[15] A total of £25,000 was raised for the 2015 general election with money being distributed to 27 out of 36 LGBT Labour Party candidates – money was not provided to the nine sitting out Labour MPs.[16]
LGBT Labour produced an LGBT manifesto for the 2010 general election with the Labour Party launching the document in Soho with the party's Deputy leader Harriet Harman and the-then Foreign Secretary, David Miliband.[17]
An LGBT manifesto was also produced, jointly with the Labour Party, for the 2015 general election.[18] This was launched in Brighton by Angela Eagle and Amy Lame shortly after the main Labour manifesto,[19] which was subsequently endorsed by Ian McKellen.[20] For the snap 2017 general election, a series of policy proposals were published and LGBT Labour worked with the Party front bench and NEC to ensure that there was a number of pledges in the Party's manifesto.
A leaflet campaign was also run targeting gay bars across the country in 2010 as well as a campaigning in key seats; especially those with gay and lesbian MPs. Since 2010, this format has continued with campaigning for gay candidates in council elections and the European elections. A programme of election campaigning was carried out for the 2015 general election, with both local campaign days and phone banks.
Labour leadership elections
During the 2010 Labour leadership election LGBT Labour decided not to endorse any candidate but use the opportunity to lobby all candidates on LGBT issues, a process that had previously been used during the deputy labour leadership election in 2007. This was a process repeated in the 2015 leadership and deputy leadership elections.[21] A series of questions were sent to all candidates asked by LGBT Labour members and readers of PinkNews.[22] During the leadership campaign LGBT Labour received promises on a number of LGBT issues most notably on support for gay marriage.[23]
LGBT Labour promotional stickers, featuring the "Never kissed a Tory" slogan
LGBT+ Labour has been able, working with unions and constituency Labour parties, to ensure included a number of motions were carried at the Labour Party Conference. The most recent of these as of 2005[update] was a Contemporary resolution at the 2005 Party Conference on the inclusion of sexual orientation in the protections against discrimination in goods, facilities and services in the Equality Bill then going through Parliament (later to become the Equality Act 2006).[25][failed verification]
In 2008 LGBT+ Labour submitted[failed verification] a rule change to add gender identity to the discrimination policies of the Labour Party rule book. It was carried by 98.43%[26]
LGBT+ Labour members of parliament have helped to fight against HIV stigma, with Lloyd Russell-Moyle revealing his HIV status in the House of Commons.[28]
LGBT Labour attend Prides every summer including London, Brighton and Manchester Prides, where they commonly use the slogan "Never kissed a Tory".[29] During the year regular events are held from fundraisers to social nights.
LGBT+ Labour is also active at the annual Labour Party conference every autumn with a stall in the conference exhibition area. They hold a Saturday night social at the start of Labour conference every year,[30] originally launched in 2006 under the name 'The Only Party in the Village',[31] and an annual fringe meeting with Stonewall.
LGBT+ Labour invites out LGBT politicians from the British Parliament, devolved legislatures and directly elected mayors to act as patrons of the campaign.[32] The current patrons are:
LGBT+ Labour also works with the wider Labour movement and accepts affiliations from trades unions, co-ops, local Labour parties, university Labour groups and local trades union branches.
