Nigel Evans, MP for the Ribble Valley took the opportunity at Prime Minister’s Questions to quiz Theresa May about regressive LGBTQ+ laws in other countries.
Speaking from the chamber, Nigel Evans said:
“Three weeks ago, I was in New York for WorldPride—a celebration of equality and love, with 150,000 people marching down Fifth Avenue, cheered on by millions of people. Then we had Pride in London, and we will have lots of other Prides in towns and cities throughout the UK and Europe, but it is such a different story in so many other countries, where millions of people live in fear of prosecution and persecution. Commonwealth countries blame British legacy legislation.”
What message does the Prime Minister have for them to say that they can change their laws progressively and that everybody in their countries can live in equality, harmony and love?”
The 2019 New York City LGBT Pride March was the biggest pride march in the world, starting at 26th Street & 5th Avenue and ending at 23rd Street & 6th Avenue. Mr Evans attended NYC Pride in support of gay MPs everywhere, and promoting British Parliament as the legislature with the highest proportion of openly gay, lesbian and bisexual MPs in the world.
In response, the Prime Minister said:
“My hon. Friend is absolutely right. People will have seen a wonderful Pride parade here in London. I am only sorry that I was not able to be present at the Pride reception in No. 10 Downing Street, but I was pleased that people were hosted in No. 10 once again this year.”
He raises an important issue. It is one that I raised at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting last year, when I made it clear to countries in the Commonwealth that we want to see them introducing those progressive laws and changes in their legislation and, more than that, that we are willing to help them, provide support to them and show them the legislation that we have used, so that they can adopt it and people can indeed live in true equality.”