LGBTory
Encyclopedia
LGBTory is a LGBT
and Conservative Group linked to, but not run, directed or funded by the Conservative Party
of the United Kingdom. The first LGBT Conservative group was called CGHE (Conservative Group for Homosexual Equality. It was founded in 1975 by Professor Peter Campbell of Reading University. That group was reconstituted at the Conservative Party Conference in 1991 and was renamed TORCHE (the Tory Campaign for Homosexual Equality) under the chairmanship of Dr David Starkey
. This group was active until c.2003. and some years later LGBTory was formed. LGBTory has an active membership organised often organised using its Facebook
Groups and pages and attends vigils and LGBT Pride events across the UK including Pride London
, Pride Scotia
, Leeds Pride
, Manchester Pride
, Doncaster Pride
, Edinburgh Pride, Glasgow Pride, Liverpool Pride, Cardiff Pride, Reading Pride
and Brighton Pride
.
LGBTory campaigned in seats throughout the campaign for the 6th May 2010 General Election, there are now at least 12 openly Gay and Lesbian Conservative MP's in parliament, more than all the other Parliamentary Parties put together, this includes Margot James
who is only the second openly lesbian in parliament.
LGBTory works to promote LGBT Equality within the Conservative Party and generally across the UK, actively campaigning against the Gay Blood Ban
and for marriage equality
, regardless of sexuality or gender identity.
- made no attempt to refer to the Trans community nor the bisexual community.
Boris Johnson
attended and led the London Pride March in 2008. Beaumont-Bott later defected to Labour following Chris Grayling
's controversial comments about gay couples in B&Bs.
The second chairman of LGBTory was Edward Butler-Ellis; under his chairmanship official membership was founded to the organisation, and this led to a massive understanding about the LGBT Community's part within the Conservative Party.
The current chairman of LGBTory is Matthew Sephton; under his leadership LGBTory has expanded with the organisation attending more pride events than ever. Sephton is often in the Pink Media as a voice for the Conservatives within the gay community.
this year.
At Conservative Party Conference LGBTory held a joint fringe event with Stonewall that was extremely heavy attended.
LGBTory have also contacted every Conservative MP since the General Election, attended the Prime Ministers LGBT Downing Street Garden reception and played a key roll in the successful Conference Pride 2010 (Held in Nightingales, Birmingham
).
Conference Pride was held in SPIRIT nightclub on Manchester's Canal Street
with a live performance from Angie Brown
and a free cocktail on the door. Tickets at the cost of £15 were available both on the internet and at the Party Conference ticket booth. The event started at 2130 and finished at 0300 the next morning. Conference Pride sold filled the capacity of the nightclub and was attended by several high profile Members of Parliament and Conservatives.
The event also had extremist anti-gay Christian groups protesting outside as well as an anti-Conservative Party protest group which consisted of the Queer Youth Network and Reclaim the Scene as well as other anti-Tory individuals.
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
and Conservative Group linked to, but not run, directed or funded by the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
of the United Kingdom. The first LGBT Conservative group was called CGHE (Conservative Group for Homosexual Equality. It was founded in 1975 by Professor Peter Campbell of Reading University. That group was reconstituted at the Conservative Party Conference in 1991 and was renamed TORCHE (the Tory Campaign for Homosexual Equality) under the chairmanship of Dr David Starkey
David Starkey
David Starkey, CBE, FSA is a British constitutional historian, and a radio and television presenter.He was born the only child of Quaker parents, and attended Kendal Grammar School before entering Cambridge through a scholarship. There he specialised in Tudor history, writing a thesis on King...
. This group was active until c.2003. and some years later LGBTory was formed. LGBTory has an active membership organised often organised using its Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
Groups and pages and attends vigils and LGBT Pride events across the UK including Pride London
Pride London
Pride London is the name of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender registered charity which arranges LGBT events in London, most notably the annual gay pride parade which is held in June/July. The most recent Pride London was on 2 July 2011. The 2010 event was attended by 1 million people,...
, Pride Scotia
Pride Scotia
Pride Scotia is Scotland's national LGBT pride festival. Since 1995, volunteers have organised a Pride March and a community-based festival in June, alternating between the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow....
, Leeds Pride
Leeds Pride
Leeds Pride is an annual Gay Pride celebration held in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.It has been running since 2006, and in its fourth year had over 17,000 people in attendance, with the figure expected to grow in 2010....
, Manchester Pride
Manchester Pride
Manchester Pride is the current name of the annual Gay Pride festival held in the city of Manchester in the North West of England in the United Kingdom....
, Doncaster Pride
Doncaster Pride
Doncaster Pride is South Yorkshire's biggest Gay Pride event and is now one of the fastest growing Prides events within the UK. The first event was put together in just 3 months in 2007 and attracted 1500+ people; the following year drew a crowd of 5000+...
, Edinburgh Pride, Glasgow Pride, Liverpool Pride, Cardiff Pride, Reading Pride
Reading Pride
Reading Pride is an annual gay event held at Reading, Berkshire, England, that services the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities of Reading and the Thames Valley.- History :...
and Brighton Pride
Brighton Pride
Brighton Pride is a registered charity from Brighton and Hove in England promoting equality and diversity, and advances education to eliminate discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community...
.
LGBTory campaigned in seats throughout the campaign for the 6th May 2010 General Election, there are now at least 12 openly Gay and Lesbian Conservative MP's in parliament, more than all the other Parliamentary Parties put together, this includes Margot James
Margot James
Margot James MP is a British politician and entrepreneur. She is currently a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party with responsibility for women, and the Member of Parliament for the consituency of Stourbridge. She is the first openly lesbian MP in the Conservative Party...
who is only the second openly lesbian in parliament.
LGBTory works to promote LGBT Equality within the Conservative Party and generally across the UK, actively campaigning against the Gay Blood Ban
MSM blood donor controversy
The Men who have sex with men blood donor controversy is a dispute over prohibitions on donations of blood or tissue for transplantation. MSM is a classification of men who engage in sex with other men, regardless of whether they identify themselves as homosexual, bisexual or heterosexual...
and for marriage equality
Marriage Equality
Marriage Equality USA is an organization working for marriage equality for all non-heterosexual couples. The group works by doing public education and outreach, media campaigns and holding visibility events. Marriage Equality, Inc...
, regardless of sexuality or gender identity.
Name
The name LGBTory hit some controversy when members of the Trans community felt that it was missing the letter T and actually read LGB-Tory rather than the play on words and correct LGBT-ory. Chairman Matthew Sephton pointed out during an interview on a local Manchester BBC radio show that this was not the case and that the organisation does indeed have Trans members. He further claimed that the name of the Liberal Democrats' LGBT organisation, DelgaDelga
LGBT+ Liberal Democrats is the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender & sexuality minorities equality group of the Liberal Democrats. DELGA was the original name when the organisation was formed...
- made no attempt to refer to the Trans community nor the bisexual community.
Chairmanship
The founder and first official chairman of LGBTory was Anastasia Beaumont-Bott and it was under her Chairmanship that Mayor of LondonMayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
attended and led the London Pride March in 2008. Beaumont-Bott later defected to Labour following Chris Grayling
Chris Grayling
Christopher Stephen "Chris" Grayling, PC, MP , is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Shadow Cabinet from 2005 to 2010 and was the party's Shadow Home Secretary from 2009 to 2010. Following the 2010 general election, he was appointed a Minister of State in the...
's controversial comments about gay couples in B&Bs.
The second chairman of LGBTory was Edward Butler-Ellis; under his chairmanship official membership was founded to the organisation, and this led to a massive understanding about the LGBT Community's part within the Conservative Party.
The current chairman of LGBTory is Matthew Sephton; under his leadership LGBTory has expanded with the organisation attending more pride events than ever. Sephton is often in the Pink Media as a voice for the Conservatives within the gay community.
Events
As well as social meet ups, Meals and drinks, LGBTory have attended many Gay Pride events and HIV vigils across the country.2010
As well as attending more LGBT Prides and vigils than ever before 2010 was a big year for LGBTory. 2010 saw LGBTory hold a drinks reception at Conservative Spring Forum in BrightonBrighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
this year.
At Conservative Party Conference LGBTory held a joint fringe event with Stonewall that was extremely heavy attended.
LGBTory have also contacted every Conservative MP since the General Election, attended the Prime Ministers LGBT Downing Street Garden reception and played a key roll in the successful Conference Pride 2010 (Held in Nightingales, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
).
Notable LGBT Conservatives
- Nick HerbertNick HerbertNicholas Le Quesne "Nick" Herbert is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Arundel and South Downs...
, Member of Parliament for Arundel and South Downs and Minister of State for Police Reform. - Nick Boles, Member of Parliament for Grantham and Stamford.
- Margot JamesMargot JamesMargot James MP is a British politician and entrepreneur. She is currently a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party with responsibility for women, and the Member of Parliament for the consituency of Stourbridge. She is the first openly lesbian MP in the Conservative Party...
, Member of Parliament for StourbridgeStourbridge (UK Parliament constituency)Stourbridge is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
, Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party. - Alan DuncanAlan DuncanAlan James Carter Duncan is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Rutland and Melton, and a Minister of State in the Department for International Development....
, Member of Parliament for Rutland and Melton and Minister of State for Intentional Development. - Gregory BarkerGregory BarkerGregory Leonard George "Greg" Barker is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he currently serves as the Member of Parliament for Bexhill and Battle...
, Member of Parliament for Bexhill and Battle and Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change. - Iain DaleIain DaleIain Campbell Dale is best known for his conservative-minded British political blog Iain Dale's Diary and for his frequent appearances on UK news channels as a political commentator. He is also a publisher, broadcaster and former Conservative Party politician...
, blogger and publisher of Total PoliticsTotal PoliticsTotal Politics is a British political magazine described as a "a lifestyle magazine for the political community". It was first published in June 2008 and is distributed freely to all MPs, MEPs, peers, political journalists, members of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish assemblies, and all...
. - Matthew ParrisMatthew ParrisMatthew Francis Parris is a UK-based journalist and former Conservative politician.-Early life and family:...
, journalist, aide to Margaret ThatcherMargaret ThatcherMargaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
and former Member of Parliament for West DerbyshireWest Derbyshire (UK Parliament constituency)West Derbyshire was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1885 until it was replaced by the Derbyshire Dales constituency in the 2010 General Election, it elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system.It...
. - Richard Barnes, Deputy Mayor of London for Boris JohnsonBoris JohnsonAlexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
. - Mike FreerMike FreerMichael Whitney Freer MP is a British politician. A Conservative, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Finchley and Golders Green at the 2010 general election...
, former Leader of Barnet London Borough CouncilBarnet London Borough CouncilBarnet London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Barnet in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. Barnet is divided into 21 wards, each electing three councillors...
and Member of Parliament for Finchley and Golders Green. - Iain StewartIain Stewart (politician)Iain Aitken Stewart is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Milton Keynes South.Stewart was born in Scotland and grew up in Hamilton. He went to Hutchesons' Grammar School...
, Member of Parliament for Milton Keynes South. - Dr David BullDavid BullDavid Bull is a British physician, author, and host and commentator on a variety of British television programmes, such as Newsround, Living's Most Haunted Live!, Channel 4's Richard & Judy, the BBC's Watchdog, Watchdog Healthcheck, Tomorrow's World, and Sky's The Breathing Life Awards...
, television presenter, policy writer and former parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion. - David Gold, Former parliamentary candidate for ElthamEltham (UK Parliament constituency)Eltham is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
. - Mark Coote, Former parliamentary candidate for Cheltenham.
- Nick King, Former parliamentary candidate for Mid Dorset and North Poole.
- Simon Nayyar, Former parliamentary candidate for Hackney South and Shoreditch.
- Matthew Sephton, former prospective parliamentary candidate for Salford and EcclesSalford and Eccles (UK Parliament constituency)Salford and Eccles is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It is the successor seat to the previous Salford .The last MP for Salford was Hazel Blears,...
, and Chairman of LGBTory. - Stuart AndrewStuart AndrewStuart James Andrew is the Conservative Member of Parliament for the Pudsey constituency in West Yorkshire, England. He grew up in the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales, and later attended Ysgol David Hughes in Menai Bridge....
, Leeds City Councillor and Member of Parliament for PudseyPudsey (UK Parliament constituency)Pudsey is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
. - Conor BurnsConor BurnsConor Burns is a British Conservative Party politician. He was elected as the Member of Parliament for Bournemouth West at the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
Member of Parliament for Bournemouth West. - Eric OllerenshawEric OllerenshawEric Ollerenshaw OBE is a British Conservative politician and the Member of Parliament for Lancaster and Fleetwood....
Member of Parliament for Lancaster and FleetwoodLancaster and Fleetwood (UK Parliament constituency)Lancaster and Fleetwood is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
. - Crispin BluntCrispin BluntCrispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for the Reigate constituency in Surrey, and since May 2010 he has been the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prisons and Youth Justice within the Ministry of Justice.He first entered...
Member of Parliament for ReigateReigate (UK Parliament constituency)Reigate is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
and a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of StateParliamentary Under-Secretary of StateA Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the government of the United Kingdom, junior to both a Minister of State and a Secretary of State....
in the Ministry of Justice. - Nigel EvansNigel EvansNigel Martin Evans is a British politician. Since 1992 he has been Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the Ribble Valley constituency. Since 2010 he has been First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means, a deputy speaker.-Career:...
Member of Parliament for Ribble ValleyRibble Valley (UK Parliament constituency)Ribble Valley is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
and First Deputy Chairman of Ways and MeansChairman of Ways and MeansIn the United Kingdom, the Chairman of Ways and Means is a senior member of the House of Commons who acts as one of the Speaker's three deputies...
(a deputy speaker). - Allan Finnie, prospective Scottish parliamentary candidate for Falkirk West.
- Ruth DavidsonRuth DavidsonRuth Davidson is a politician, former BBC journalist and the current leader of the Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party...
MSP and Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party.
Conference Pride 2009
Tuesday 6 October 2009 during Conservative Party Conference saw LGBTory host'Conference Pride' in Manchester.Conference Pride was held in SPIRIT nightclub on Manchester's Canal Street
Canal Street
Canal Street may refer to:* Canal Street , England, UK* Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA* Canal Street , New York City, New York, USA...
with a live performance from Angie Brown
Angie Brown
Angie Brown born is a female singer/songwriter from Brixton, in South London.Brown, whose vocals have been featured on tracks of diverse acts ranging from Fatboy Slim to Lisa Stansfield & The Wah Brothers, is more famous as the featured vocalist on Bizarre Inc's two #1 Hot Dance Music/Club Play...
and a free cocktail on the door. Tickets at the cost of £15 were available both on the internet and at the Party Conference ticket booth. The event started at 2130 and finished at 0300 the next morning. Conference Pride sold filled the capacity of the nightclub and was attended by several high profile Members of Parliament and Conservatives.
The event also had extremist anti-gay Christian groups protesting outside as well as an anti-Conservative Party protest group which consisted of the Queer Youth Network and Reclaim the Scene as well as other anti-Tory individuals.
See also
- List of organisations associated with the British Conservative Party
- List of LGBT-related organisations
- LGBT rights in the United Kingdom
- Equivalent organisations in the UK's other major parties include:
- LGBT Labour (Labour)
- DELGADelgaLGBT+ Liberal Democrats is the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender & sexuality minorities equality group of the Liberal Democrats. DELGA was the original name when the organisation was formed...
(Liberal Democrats)
- Equivalent organisations from across the world holding centre right views and principles include:
- Log Cabin RepublicansLog Cabin RepublicansThe Log Cabin Republicans is an organization that works within the Republican Party to advocate equal rights for all Americans, including gays and lesbians in the United States with state chapters and a national office in Washington, D.C...
(United States) - GOProudGOProudGOProud is an American tax exempt 527 organization representing conservative gays, lesbians, transgendered people, and their allies. GOProud advocates for small government conservatism at the level of federal public policy. GOProud was founded by Christopher R...
(United States)
- Log Cabin Republicans