General Election 2024
With the General Election happening tomorrow, we wanted to ensure that the LGBT+ people of Derbyshire knew what their vote meant for them and their community. Last month we reached out to all candidates in Derbyshire (where contact details were publicly available) & asked them 2 questions:
"What does a vote for you mean for the LGBT+ people in your area?"
&
"What assurances can you give LGBT+ people in your area, if you are elected?"
Of the 67 candidates running in Derbyshire, we heard back from 10*
*We have received one additional response since this post has been published from a Labour Party Candidate,
Below, you will find the chronological responses in full.
A vote for me would mean LGBT+ people would see their rights respected so they can live and love as they choose. I would fight against any attempt to lessen those rights or to dilute the law. I would call out any discrimination against people on grounds of sex or gender, which makes no sense to me
As you may know, the Green party has strong policies to support LGBTQ+ rights. I would follow these according to my conscience and the belief that everyone should be able to live as they choose as long as this does not impinge negatively on the lives of others.
- Joanna Collins, Green Party Candidate for High Peak
I am a member of the LGBT+ community myself and was a teenager during the horrendous section 28 era - so I have lived experience of prejudice and, at the time, stigma towards LGBT+ people. Whilst, in many ways, we’ve made a lot of progress, unfortunately, I see similar arguments and prejudices that were levelled against gay men during my youth being used against trans people today; and that’s absolutely not acceptable.
There’s been an undeniable rise in populism over the past few years, and that seems to have emboldened bigotry against all minorities and an increase in hate crimes. That’s something that definitely needs to be tackled; but we also need to work with others to address ignorance (which is still very prevalent).
Equality is at the core of Lib Dem values (it was that demand for equality - rather than just acceptance - that drew me to the Liberal Party when I was first old enough to vote) and I’m a big believer that no one has equality until everyone has equality; and that ethos is what motivates me politically.
- David Hancock, Liberal Democrat candidate for Bolsover
A vote for me in Erewash is a vote for someone who has championed LGBT+ causes in my workplace as a union equality rep and officer. When I joined my current company it was clear that it was not a workplace that was particularly accepting of diversity, that was 18 years ago and I am pleased to say we have been on a journey and are now in Stonewalls Top-40 employers.
I am proud that the Liberal democrats in coalition delivered marriage equality and hope we can further build on that and deliver a fairer more inclusive society.
- James Archer, Liberal Democrat candidate for Erewash
Voting for me would ensure LGBT+ people in the area are treated with the same respect as anyone in the area, and where the community needs tailored specific assistance it should have it. I believe LGBT+ issues should not be used to divide the community others.
I would assure the community is given help and support where needed. I would also listen to people such as yourself who know about the issues.
- Steve Dean, Reform UK candidate for Mid Derbyshire
as a proud ally to the LGBTQIA+ community, I'm very keen indeed to engage and would love to meet you and the team at one of your centres (Derby is probably closest). I'm afraid that my schedule is a little heavily packed ahead of the 4th July, but if I am elected please do get in touch and we can set up a visit in the near future.
- Adam Thompson, Labour candidate for Erewash
Well, I am a Green candidate and very much supportive of my parties stance on rights. Having suffered discrimination, myself and growing up in a conflict I fully understand how it feels to be marginalised. I believe in social justice and fairness and a vote for me is a vote for someone who will fight to create a more equitable society.
- Brent Poland, Green candidate for Erewash
I won't make promises I can't keep - even to support the LGBT+ policies in the Lib Dems' manifesto - as the situation to achieve these may not arise.
What I will tell you is how I think about this area of life...
I am a Quaker, a member of the Religious Society of Friends. At a young Quaker gathering in the 1970s, when I was in my early teens, we had a workshop session with a gay Quaker. The love he described was the love I saw between my parents. Quakers are generally open-minded and non-judgemental, and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to absorb this understanding at that age.
In the Noughties, Quakers agreed that they should support same-sex couples who wished to marry, and a year or so later I spoke at a Liberal Democrat Conference to share this when equal marriage was being debated to become party policy.
Around 2013 I was asked by one of the Lib Dem team guiding the Equal Marriage legislation through Parliament to write a piece about all this for a document being used to encourage parliamentary support for the Bill. I afterwards understood that I was the only straight person asked to contribute - and felt very honoured.
I know that I am less aware of non-binary and transgender issues and that I don't always get my pronouns right. I am still learning - and happy to be taught.
So much of the world is far better now for people whose gender identify is not heterosexual. There is still more to do, including to make people more comfortable with who they are and, comfortable with the diversity of the people around them. I will do what I can to continue this progress.
- Lucy Care, Liberal Democrat candidate for South Derbyshire
Thank you for your correspondence, I noticed you placed an arbitrary deadline of the 27th of June in your correspondence however as an Independent, I do not have a party machine behind me, and have answered all 1613 emails received personally and in order they were received. I have a view, The sooner humanity realises that we all, regardless of gender, colour, creed, sexuality, religion, breathe one common air under one common canopy - for we are all equal, all making a single journey from birth to death, and use that knowledge to help each other the better
The ONLY label that matters is we are all #HumanBeings / #HumanKind and we NEED to be #HumanKind to each other
I support all sections of the community, and I will use my voice to help bring unity, and my words are not just to gain votes now, it is how I have lived my life and is part of what make me ME, and I will always enable others to be who they are.
- John Kirby, Independent candidate for Erewash
1. The LGBTQ+ community in North East Derbyshire should feel absolutely safe with me as their MP. I am a huge advocate for equal rights for all, and believe that everyone should have the right to be happy.
2. I am surrounded by so many LGBTQ+ people in my life who are not just friends, they have become family, taught me a lot about a community that I’m not part of and contribute so much positivity to my life. They know, and hopefully the residents I would represent should know that the LGBTQ+ community would be protected on my watch.
- Ross Shipman, Liberal Democrat candidate for North East Derbyshire
I am proud of the Labour Party's long history of allyship with the LGBT+ community, from decriminalising homosexuality to abolishing Section 28 and from civil partnerships to the Equalities Act, almost every major advance for the LGBT+ community has come from a Labour government.
As the son of a lesbian, I’ve seen this fight up close and spoke passionately in favour of and voted for gay marriage when it was debated in parliament.
The Labour manifesto has committed to designating all strands of hate crime as aggravated offences to protect LGBT+ people.
We will also implement a full ban on conversion therapy and reform gender recognition law for trans-inclusive policies while retaining healthcare access requirements.
Our plan for the NHS includes cutting the intolerable waiting times for access to transgender health services Labour will modernise, simplify and reform the process for changing legal gender and increase access to these services.
- Toby Perkins, Labour candidate for Chesterfield
Apologies for the delayed response.
As an Employment Lawyer specialising in discrimination law, standing up for people with protected characteristics has been a huge part of my working life and is incredibly important to me. The then Conservative government's introduction of Section 28 was one of the reasons I joined the Labour Party. I assure you that I will continue to fight discrimination, bigotry and hatred against LGBT+ people. Our manifesto pledges to designate all strands of hate crime as aggravated offences to protect LGBT+ people.
The Labour Party's record in abolishing Section 28 and the introduction of Civil Partnerships are just a part of our history of allyship with the LGBT+ community. If I am elected I look forward to continuing this both in Government and here in High Peak.
We need a full, trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, as well as to modernise, simplify and reform the gender recognition law to a new process, while continuing to support the implementation of the Equality Act 2010 including its provision for single-sex exemptions.
I would be very happy to meet you and to visit your Chesterfield Centre.
- Jon Pearce, Labour candidate for High Peak