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Jeremy Corbyn has called for the leaders of the British Commmonwealth nations to be confronted on their anti-LGBT+ laws.

This could be done by the Foreign Office but Her Majesty the Queen is head of the Commonwealth so the famously anti-monarchy Labour Leader is understood to be asking her to take action also.

Following a theme about gay MPs, Corbyn went on to say: “…the routine abuse of gay people in many parts of the world, the murder of gay people in many parts of the world, the illegality of homosexual relations punishable by the most awful sentences carried out in many parts of the world. So [sic] later this week the Commonwealth heads of government come here and I think that’s a time to also say it’s not acceptable for any commonwealth country to practice this kind of behaviour and discrimination against people because of their relationships.’

His comments were made at the launch of the Labour Party’s new team of LGBT+ advisors, with OutNews and Diva Magazine publisher, Linda Riley as leader.

The launch has been overshadowed by controversy, however, after it was discovered that the trans model and equality campaigner, Munroe Bergdorf was part of the team.

The 30-something racial equality champion is considered racist herself by some, after she was caught on Facebook saying: ‘Honestly I don’t have energy to talk about the racial violence of white people any more. Yes ALL white people.’

Daily Mail headline Feb 27

The comments were widely shared without context and she was unceremoniously dropped from an upcoming campaign by L’Oreal.

Her appointment to the group advising Shadow Women and Equalities Minister, Dawn Butler is unpaid and the panel is not managed by Labour.

A spokeswoman for Ms Butler said: ‘Dawn is proud to stand with those challenging discrimination. Dawn will consult with the LGBT+ advisory group on a wide-range of LGBT+ issues.’

 

OutNews editor-at-large, Andy West, with Dawn Butler and Jeremy Corbyn

Meanwhile, Conservative vice-chair Helen Grant urged Ms Butler to reconsider the appointment. Citing Bergdorf’s history of controversial comments, Ms Grant said: ‘There really is no excuse for these abhorrent slurs and, fundamentally, they damage the campaign to promote equality and diversity across public life.

‘When Jeremy Corbyn was elected Labour leader, he promised a ‘kinder politics’. Yet it seems every day we see some new example of abuse from the Labour Party. The kind of language Bergdorf has used has no place in public life, and ought to be condemned by all those who are serious about promoting equality.

The launch event at Jeremy Corbyn’s offices had a clear open-to-all agenda and was also attended by the Tory-supporting owner of the conservative gay website PinkNews, Benjamin Cohen as well as Josh Rivers, the controversial former editor of Gay Times who was sacked after a string of racist, classist, sexist and anti-semitic tweets.

 

 

 

 

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