All over the world, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people experience persecution and discrimination. With over half the countries throwing adults in prison for having consensual same-sex relations based in the Commonwealth, this government should make the organisation a focus for action to end LGBT discrimination.
The Commonwealth cannot make laws for nations associating with it voluntarily. But, the government should live up to our values and promote equality – defending LGBT rights in the Commonwealth should be high on our list of priorities.
The government could take a key step forward in the promotion of LGBT rights by pushing to explicitly include discrimination against LGBT people in the new Commonwealth charter. Formally adopted in March 2013, the charter states, ‘We are implacably opposed to all forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, political belief, or other grounds’. By omitting to name LGBT discrimination in the charter, Commonwealth leaders, including the prime minister, passed up on the opportunity to lay the ground for action that makes a difference to people’s lives.
While my years working in international development all over the world tell me that it would have been contentious, the explicit inclusion of LGBT discrimination in the Commonwealth charter would have been an important symbolic and practical step. For the 42 members of the 53-strong Commonwealth that criminalise same-sex relations, their LGBT citizens deserve repeal of anti-homosexual laws.
Last Saturday, I proudly marched with my family, local councillors, and LGBT Labour at Reading Pride to celebrate the proud record of my city, our country, and the Labour party. I also take part in the annual pride marches to raise awareness of some of the challenges that remain elsewhere. Central to that was the collection of pride-goers’ signatures calling on the government to vigorously push for reform of the charter and help end LGBT discrimination.
The recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow have given LGBT activists a space to raise their voices against discrimination. I have written to the foreign secretary with my own views and the signatures of Reading Pride-goers to build on this momentum. I hope the government will live up to our values and push for reform of the charter, so that each Commonwealth government begins to respect how people live and who they love.
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Victoria Groulef is Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Reading West
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Photo: Kellie Parker