The “loony left” and their defiance against homophobia

Under Tory-controlled governments in the past, the LGBT community were used as scapegoats to fearmonger the public. One prominent anti-LGBT period in modern history was certainly the Margaret Thatcher years of 1979–90. She was vindictive to allow the 80’s AIDS epidemic to contribute to hostility towards gay men.

Until this day, many members of the Conservative party, even as far up as the Cabinet, have been excoriated for their homophobic values. The incumbent chancellor, Philip Hammond, refused to approve the same-sex marriage bill of 2013 when acting as foreign secretary under David Cameron. He was also condemned for his comparisons of same-sex relationships with incestuous ones. Hammond represents the inhumane values conservatives uphold during a socially liberal generation. Although openly expressing support for LGBT rights, many party members still struggle to refute Thatcher’s anti-gay propaganda.

The “loony left”, the leading presence in the modern Labour party but formerly a splinter group, have been consistently sympathetic to LGBT rights. With the likes of current leader Jeremy Corbyn, former parliamentarian, Tony Benn, and one-time byelection candidate, Peter Tatchell, the LGBT community were given a podium to speak out.

The far-left Labour faction of the 1980’s was a robust act of defiance to stymie the anti-LGBT hysteria that perpetuated the country. Contemporary polls indicated that more than half of the population deemed LGBT relationships to be unacceptable. Tony Benn and his followers ignored this and voted to support the rights of gay people. Benn instantly lambasted the Section 28 law and when speaking on equal marriage was famously quoted as saying:

““When you think of the number of men in the world who hate each other, why, when two men love each other, does the church split?”

Alongside his outspoken consternation of Tory homophobia, he had supporters in Corbyn and Tatchell. Corbyn was the sole Labour MP to vote for a Liberal Democrat-amended 1998 bill that aimed to outlaw discrimination against LGBT. He has also voted in favour of lowering the age of consent, repealing section 28 and allowing same-sex couples to adopt. Corbyn and Benn both notoriously defended the Labour candidate, Peter Tatchell, for the Bermondsey byelection in 1991. Tatchell was crucified by the media and his constituents for being openly gay. Since his defeat, he has become an influential voice for Labour’s stance on LGBT issues, although he was denounced by then-leader, Michael Foot.

The “loony left” have become the rising stars of British politics and its current climate. Who would have believed that Corbyn, known previously as a rebel against centrism, would become leader of the Labour party?

As the UK and her European neighbours succumb to far-right tendencies, Labour’s shift to the left is of utmost importance. The rights of LGBT voters do not seem as stable when illiberal democracy has pervaded through European political culture. The rise of the far-right here and across the channel has catapulted anti-LGBT hysteria to the forefront. Last year, Hungarian president, Viktor Orban, hosted an anti-LGBT hate group in Budapest. In Austria, the newly-elected Freedom party tends to oppose LGBT equality.

In it undeniable that far-right sentiments from the British public has a lot to do with media bias and the Brexit vote of 2016. If Britain leaves the European Union with a hard approach in March, the anti-discriminatory laws for LGBT individuals under the European jurisdiction will diminish. Labour, albeit seemingly ambiguous on their Brexit strategy, will undoubtedly do their best to ensure the rights of minority groups are protected under UK law.

Whatever the public opinion may be on the hard left’s invasion of the Labour leadership, it is critical to explain the history of their pro-LGBT stance. Corbyn and his inner circle have pledged to fight for the rights of groups who are subject to brutal hate crime. Whether someone is gay, bisexual transgender of queer, the “loony let” have always been here to listen.