Labour needs to shout louder when it comes to international LGBT rights

Over 80 jurisdictions around the world criminalise same-sex sexual relations between consenting adults. Punishments range from short prison sentences to the death penalty. With 42 of those jurisdictions being members of the Commonwealth, and the Commonwealth headquarters being in London, The UK clearly has the potential to influence change. It is imperative that Labour seize that opportunity and own this issue if it hopes to maintain its position as the arbitrator of social justice.

There is no question that historically Labour has been the party of equality and dignity. We were the party that brought human rights home with the Human Rights Act 1998, the party that introduced the Race Relations Act 1976 and the party who continues to defend the vulnerable at every opportunity. So why is it that we are we not shouting the loudest when it comes to international LGBT rights?

Last year Uganda passed a draconian law which introduced life imprisonment for the offence of homosexuality and even criminalised parents who failed to report their gay children. It seems inevitable that the UK, and especially Labour, should have something strong to say about this. The UK did respond but it was through Tory MPs like Crispin Blunt and William Hague who publically said that the UK Government did not support the legislation.

While some Labour MPs, like Kerry McCarthy and Stephen Twigg, also spoke out against it and called for travel bans on the ministers responsible for the Act, our response was reactionary and piecemeal. We left the door wide open for the Conservatives to invade our space and claim to the authority on human dignity. The Conservative party neither have the historical legitimacy nor the mandate within their own party to become the party of social justice. All they do by taking the mantle on this issue is undermine our claim to speak about dignity and equality. These are concepts which underpin many of our other policies so we cannot afford to lose ground on them.

In addition to promoting the core values of the party, Labour has made specific commitments to support asylum seekers, a pledge which we can fulfil by supporting LGBT people abroad. The Labour party could mitigate the number of applications for asylum it gets from places like Uganda, Nigeria and Cameroon where LGBT individuals face a realistic prospect of persecution and so therefore have a right to claim asylum here. We can achieve this by standing up for the basic rights of LGBT people in their home countries.

Domestically, the Labour LGBT movement has been extremely successful at helping to cut through political rhetoric around same-sex marriage and reframe it as being a fight for equality. This is the kind of creative dynamism that we need in international fora. We need to fight for social justice beyond our shores, this will offer us measurable returns for our policies on asylum, but more importantly will allow us to defend our position as the party of dignity for all.

Alex is a Labour Councillor Candidate in Epsom and runs The Commonwealth Equality Network which represents the voices of LGBTI organisations from around the Commonwealth.