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Kemptown MP presses Government to promote LGBT rights in the Commonwealth

Sarah Green October 7, 2014

Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, has been encouraging both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DFID) to do more to help promote LGBT rights throughout the Commonwealth.

Simon Kirby

DURING THE recent Commonwealth Games, the lack of LGBT rights in a number of Commonwealth countries was drawn to wider public attention.  Kemptown MP Simon Kirby has been making representations to Government Departments to press for changes.

Simon, a longstanding advocate of LGBT rights in the UK and abroad, has questioned the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as to what is being done to promote LGBT rights in Commonwealth countries that have weak, or no, rights for LGBT people. He has also questioned the Department for International Development about providing international aid to countries with the poorest records, such as Uganda and Malawi.

He said: “As the MP for Brighton Kemptown, I have worked hard to promote LGBT rights throughout the country, and it is so important for the UK to continue to press other countries to make important changes in this area.

“I am pleased that the FCO have assured me that they will continue to work alongside the Commonwealth Secretary-General to promote LGBT rights across all Commonwealth Countries. I am also very happy to have seen that DFID has suspended aid to both Uganda and Malawi, and I hope that any return of aid will be contingent on improved LGBT rights.”

“I am proud to represent Brighton Kemptown, and I intend to continue to work hard to stand up for the rights and concerns of LGBT people both in Brighton and across the world.”

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