Proud to be Conservative and gay
It seems like something no one would say; but this is clearly not the case. There are plenty of us out there. The Conservatives are more than just which gender, race, or sexuality you identify with. The Party is a broad church, meaning there are so many affiliations and factions within it which is why certain sections of the community are coming together within it.
I came out as gay in July 2019 and have never looked back. Growing up gay in the UK was sometimes difficult, especially being in the ‘closet’ for a number of years and overhearing disgusting language, often homophobic, in this instance. In around 2015, I started to form a political opinion for myself. Although I was not eighteen for another three years, I felt I needed somewhere to stand on the political spectrum and follow beliefs and values I could agree with. My household has always been fairly liberal, but most of my wider family have voted Conservative for a number of years. In the beginning when I started forming opinions and more so when I was in college, I learned about previous governments and particularly their policies on LGBT+ rights. I was not too fond of Margaret Thatcher’s policy on Section 28 to ban the promotion of homosexuality in schools, something I and many others are thankful was repealed in the early 2000s. We have come so far since the 80s and 90s, but we still have a way to go. I am proud as a Conservative that it was our government in 2013 who introduced same-sex marriages for LGBT+ couples. An amazing moment in our country’s history.
Discussing LGBT+ rights with Conservative MP for Southampton Itchen, Royston Smith (Sept 2019)
For people who say we do not need Pride anymore: we absolutely do! Pride is not just about sexuality; it is about identity in general. There is still some way to go before equality for our community. I would love to see in my lifetime people not having to ‘come out’ and for being gay to be normalised in society.
Unfortunately there is hate with anything. I have experienced one instance of homophobia personally, and have overheard it towards others, but have often been too scared to challenge it. With better education, we can normalise homosexuality and all sections of the LGBT+ umbrella. That is why I welcome the government’s plan for LGBT+ inclusive education from September in England.
Sam Hammond
"Gay Pride Flag" by sigmaration is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0