LGBT+ Labour has met with party leader Keir Starmer following his controversial visit to Jesus House church, which is known for its anti-LGBTQ+ attitudes, which he has since apologised for. LGBT+ Labour said on social media that the meeting was “positive”, and that Starmer reiterated his apology and is “committed” to ‘advancing equality’.
LGBT+ Labour chair, Alex Beverley, said it was a “short initial meeting”, adding: “We spoke about tackling transphobia in Labour, hate crime, LGBTQ+ healthcare and LGBTQ+ issues being considered intersectionally across front bench policy areas.” However, many were dissatisfied with the lack of transparency around what was discussed in the meeting, with the co-founder of the autonomous Labour Campaign for Trans Rights saying: “This is really leaving us in the dark and we need more than this, to be frank. I don’t understand why these little pithy statements keep being made.”
Others asked LGBT+ Labour to confirm if there were trans representatives at the meeting, while LGBTQ+ journalist Owen Jones tweeted: “Can LGBT+ Labour people please organise to replace the people running this hopeless organisation.” Trans Labour activist Katherine Foy criticised the group for holding “secret, unverifiable meetings”, and said: “Time and again over the past year it has felt like LGBT+ Labour exists solely to keep LGBT+ members in line, docile and compliant, for the benefit of the party.”
