New Tory leader, David Cameron must keep to his promises on gay issues
David Cameron, the first party leader to be born since the decriminalisation of homosexuality has been elected. He must now prove that he can change the way that the Conservative Party relates to the gay community.
Earlier this year, this website endorsed David Cameron as the candidate most likely to change the Conservative Party treats gay issues and move the party away from its homophobic past.
We made this endorsement not to encourage our readers to support one political party over another but rather to encourage Britain’s main opposition party to embrace the gay rights agenda that over the past eight years has transformed the way that modern Britain looks.
Mr Cameron has much to prove, in the last parliament he didn’t even bother to turn up for most of the votes relating to gay rights. He was absent from the first vote on Civil Partnerships, he was similarly absent from many of the votes relating to gay couples adopting. However, when he did appear, he voted against gay couples adopting at the Adoption and Children Bill’s second reading. Mr Cameron, did thankfully join his fellow Conservatives who supported the government in pushing through the Civil Partnerships Act last year.
It is promising that in the run up to his election as Tory leader, Mr Cameron secured the support of his party’s most prominent gay figure, Alan Duncan. Mr Cameron has also pointed to a break from the Conservatives’ deep-rooted homophobia.
PinkNews.co.uk hopes that David Cameron lives up to his promises and in the event of the Conservatives ever returning to government, that he will not seek to repeal the hard won rights that Britain’s gay community have gained since 1997.
