New prime minister Liz Truss has crammed her cabinet with her closest allies — but where do they stand on LGBTQ+ rights?
Truss rewarded her most loyal supporters while those who backed her leadership opponent, Rishi Sunak, were largely left empty-handed.
In a race for Downing Street marked by its diversity, Truss tapped the three top cabinet posts to three MPs of colour.
Yet not a single cabinet member is LGBTQ+ (and there hasn’t been since 2019).
Considering the previous government has whipped up countless ‘culture wars’ over LGBTQ+ rights, the leanings of Truss’ cabinet may hint at how the next few years will shape up for LGBTQ+ Brits.
‘Over the last seven years the UK has slipped from its position as a global leader on LGBTQ+ rights,’ Stonewall communications director Robbie de Santos told Metro.co.uk.
‘But Liz Truss’ new cabinet now has the opportunity to get the country back on track.’
Here are the some of the top Cabinet member’s histories on LGBTQ+ rights.
Thérèse Coffey
Thérèse Coffey, who served as work and pensions secretary under Boris Johnson, was named deputy prime minister and health and social care secretary.
A rigid social conservative, Coffey was one of 136 Tories who voted against same-sex marriage before joining a gaggle of MPs who called on the House of Lords to block the bill.
In 2020, Coffey made it clear that her opinion on same-sex marriage hasn’t budged, telling Sky News: ‘I took the view at the time, and I still hold to that.’
‘It is worrying that the new health secretary has a voting record that perpetuated inequality,’ Matthew Hodson, executive director of NAM aidsmap, said.
‘The current outbreak of monkeypox in the UK, which remains almost exclusively confined to gay and bisexual men, demonstrates the importance of ensuring that health services are both sensitive and responsive to the needs of LGBTQ+ people.’
‘The government response to date has been desperately lacking,’ added Ceri Smith, policy head at sexual health charity the Terrence Higgins Trust. ‘It’s now or never.’
Kwasi Kwarteng
Kwasi Kwarteng will now hold the purse strings in Number 11 as chancellor of the Exchequer.
The former business secretary twice voted against marriage equality and has been absent on all other LGBTQ+ votes since.
When his Spelthorne constituent begged him to vote in favour of same-sex marriage in 2013, he said: ‘I don’t believe that this is a change which has been driven by the gay lobby; nor do I think it substantially changes the rights enjoyed by homosexual couples under civil partnership legislation.’
James Cleverly
Former education secretary James Cleverly, another keen Truss ally, was appointed foreign secretary.
Though Cleverly has never voted on any LGBTQ+ legislation in parliament, his remarks over the years hint he’s an ally.
As recently as 2019 he supported LGBTQ+ servicepeople in the British Armed Forces, while as far back as 2005 he said he supported marriage equality in a blog post.
Suella Braverman
As inflation, a recession, labour unrest, skyrocketing household bills and possible fuel shortages loomed, then attorney general Suella Braverman launched her bid for Tory leader by lambasting ‘woke rubbish’.
The new home secretary has called on schools to no longer teach ‘keywords’ about LGBTQ+ people and misgender trans pupils as well as force them to use a ‘third’ bathroom.
Braverman has been adamant about barrelling ahead with the previous administration’s ‘cruel’ plan to offshore asylum seekers to Rwanda, said Leila Zadeh, an executive director for LGBTQ+ refugee group Rainbow Migration.
‘This cruel scheme means that LGBTQ+ people fleeing violence and torture in their countries of origin will be punished for attempting to rebuild their lives in the UK and instead sent to a country where they will be in danger,’ she argued.
Kit Malthouse
Kit Malthouse has become the fifth education secretary to hold the post in the space of 12 months.
Previous education secretaries have see-sawed when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights, such as introducing mandatory inclusive sex and relationship education and axing LGBTQ+ bullying projects the next.
Malthouse hasn’t made many public remarks about LGBTQ+ rights, but he did vote for marriage equality in Northern Ireland and said if he had the chance he would done the same in 2013’s vote for Britain.
Nadhim Zahawi
Alongside being chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Nadhim Zahawi also holds a very important role for LGBTQ+ rights — minister for equalities.
Zahawi, as then education secretary, suggested teachers should out trans kids. His leadership bid was no different, as he said children should be ‘protected from damaging and inappropriate nonsense’.
‘The minister for equalities is responsible for ensuring that the UK improves the quality of life of all marginalised people; instead, Zahawi’s comments have rightly drawn comparisons with Section 28,’ said trans rights charity Gendered Intelligence.
Michelle Donelan
Michelle Donelan is now culture secretary, a role that will see her have sway over issues such as trans women’s participation in sports, something her predecessor Nadine Dorries was keen to put a stop to.
Donelan voted against marriage equality in Britain and in Northern Ireland.
During her time as higher and further education minister, the devout Christian pushed the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech Bill) that activists warn could force universities to platform homophobes.
Among those Donelan has defended their right to free speech is Kathleen Stock, a former University of Sussex professor who resigned following student-led backlash to her anti-trans views.
Jacob Rees-Mogg
Jacob Rees-Mogg has slowly climbed up the Cabinet from Brexit minister to business secretary.
The Etonian said that his Catholic faith is what has compelled him over the years to snub marriage equality for Britain, Northern Ireland and for queer service personnel outside of the UK.
When Franklin Graham, a preacher who thinks ‘sinful’ gay people ‘take other people’s children’, saw UK venues cancel his planned tour in 2020, Rees-Mogg blamed Graham’s critics for their ‘intolerance’.
Kemi Badenoch
Kemi Badenoch, a rising star of the Conservative Party known for her outspoken contempt for all things ‘woke’, has become international trade secretary.
During her time in the Government Equalities Office, Badenoch held a secret meeting with the LGB Alliance (widely seen by LGBTQ+ groups as anti-trans) as well as with leaders of a so-called ‘ex-gay’ group
She described trans women as ‘men using women’s bathrooms’ in leaked audio and has criticised gender-neutral toilets.
‘For years now the Tory party have used trans issues as a political football to distract from scandals and poor governance, but it’s clear (as evidenced by recent YouGov data) that it’s not going to win hearts, minds, or votes,’ added Gendered Intelligence.
‘It’s hard to see how the new prime minister will be able to rebuild relationships with the LGBTQ+ community unless she — and her cabinet — can show serious commitment.’
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