LGBT+ Liberal Democrats

Initially known as Democrats for Lesbian & Gay Action, or DELGA for short, the organisation was formed in 1988 from the groups "Liberal Lesbian & Gay Action" and "Social Democrats for Lesbian & Gay Action". The parent parties of those organisations, the Liberal Party and SDP, had merged to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, known generally as the Democrats.[6] The name was officially altered to be Liberal Democrats for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Action in 1996, including bisexual and transgender people in the title and reflecting the renaming of the party to the Liberal Democrats. However, the shorthand DELGA remained in use until 2011, when the organisation renamed to "LGBT+ Liberal Democrats".[7]

One of the early campaigns by the group was "16 or bust". Started in 1991, it pushed to lower the age of consent for sex between gay men from 21 to 16, equal with heterosexual couples. This was in contrast to the approach of organisations such as Stonewall who were in favour of lowering the age to 18, seeing it as an achievable compromise.[1] Although the first round of votes in parliament only lowered the age of consent to 18, it was finally brought in line with opposite-sex couples in 2000.[8]

Because LGBT+ Liberal Democrats is recognised as a Specified Associated Organisation of the Liberal Democrat party it is able to put forward policy motions to the twice-yearly Federal Conference, the main democratic policy making forum of the party.

Motions accepted for debate and passed into party policy have included:

• 2011: "Science Not Stigma" motion on blood donation rules in the UK. [9]
• 2010: "Equal Marriage in the United Kingdom" motion on the introduction of same-sex marriage. [10]
• 2008: "Deportation to States which Persecute on the Grounds of Sexuality and Gender Identity" on treatment of LGBT asylum seekers. [11]
• 1988: Repeal of Section 28, Criminalisation of incitement to hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation, prohibition of legal and social discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. [12]

LGBT+ Liberal Democrats runs a series of fringe events discussing various topic issues at Liberal Democrat conference each year,[13] including regular joint fringes with LGBT+ campaigning organisation Stonewall.[14]

Events at a joint 2011 fringe received widespread coverage after then Stonewall Chair, Ben Summerskill stated that his organisation did not support equal marriage and that he believed it would cost £5 billion to implement. The statement resulted in critical comments from prominent campaigner Peter Tatchell[15] and openly gay Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Gilbert, who stated "it should not be up to me as a member of parliament to lobby Stonewall on equal rights. It should be Stonewall lobbying me".[16] The controversy later caused a split within Stonewall itself, following further criticism from founder members Ian McKellen and Michael Cashman.[17]

In 2013, both G4S and TalkTalk were forced to apologise to the organisation, following separate incidents. In the first incident G4S, who provided conference security, had insisted on checking banners being carried by members of the group for "potentially offensive campaign material".[18] Three months later, TalkTalk issued an apology after their web filter classified the organisation's web site as pornographic.[19][20]

• List of LGBT-related organizations
• LGBT rights in the United Kingdom
• Equivalent organisations in the other major parties include
  • Conservatives: LGBT+ Conservatives
  • Labour: LGBT+ Labour
  • UKIP: LGBT in UKIP
  • Plaid Cymru: Plaid Pride
  • SNP: SNP LGBTI
  • Alliance: Alliance Party LGBT
  • Sinn Féin: Sinn Fein LGBT
  • Green Party of England and Wales: LGBTIQA+ Greens (website)