Hear, hear.

Sentiment score: 0.00

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this matter today. This debate is particularly poignant for me because one of the members of my staff is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Mark, whom I work alongside every day, is someone I value enormously - he is my friend and someone whose experiences remind me that these discussions are not abstract debates. They are about real people, real lives and real journeys. Every LGBT person has their own story. Some are accepted early on in life. Others spend years wondering whether they will be accepted within their families, communities, workplaces or society itself. Some even emigrate to find that acceptance. As a party that was founded to protect workers, Labour can be proud of that achievement. We have always understood that equality is not simply about words or aspirations. The struggle for workers’ rights and the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights are not separate stories. They are part of the same stories; the belief that every person deserves dignity, equality and fair treatment. With that in mind, I want to pay tribute to former Labour Party Minister Mervyn Taylor, who was at the forefront of the struggle to ensure that equality that meant having the right to work, earn a living, provide for one's family and live with dignity, free from discrimination. To echo Deputy Crowe, not one person from any community, background or gender who walks into their place of work should feel bullied, isolated, ignored or discriminated against. No one should walk into their place of work with anxiety or have to take a circuitous route to get to their place of work to avoid someone who might make them feel like they are not good enough. To Mark, my staff member, and to the wider LGBTQ+ community, I hope I have done you justice to bring your experiences to life in the Chamber today.

Sentiment score: 0.21