LGBT+ Liberal Democrats

From LGBT Archive
Jump to: navigation, search
Rainbow Bird of Liberty logo
LGBT+ Liberal Democrats is the LGBT group within the Liberal Democrats. It was founded soon after the foundation of the Liberal Democrats in 1988, as successor to the Liberal Lesbian & Gay Action and Social Democrats for Lesbian & Gay Action [1]groups in the respective parties which merged to form the Liberal Democrats.

The Chair in 2023 was Charley Hasted. Previous Chairs include Ed Fordham and Adrian Trett.

In June 2013, the President was Layla Moran MP and the Patron Bernard Greaves.

LG to LGBT to LGBT+

When formed in 1989 the organisation was called Democrats for Lesbian & Gay Action, usually abbreviated to DELGA. After a number of bi and trans activists became more engaged in its work, the group changed its name to reflect a broader LGBT remit. From 1996 to 2011 its name was Liberal Democrats for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Action. In 2011 it became LGBT+ Lib Dems, as its work expanded to other gender & sexuality minorities. Differing views on gender led to the formation of a LGB Liberal Forum in 2022 [2]. Members of the Forum include Richard Kirker and Toby Keynes.

Formal Recognition

The organisation is a Specified Associated Organisation (SAO), meaning it is treated like a constituency Local Party with powers to submit policy to party conference and be formally consulted on policy-making in relevant areas.

External links

References

  1. Founded in 1981 as the Gay Social Democrats with Toby Keynes as Founder Officer
  2. https://lgbliberalforum.org.uk/