Members of the Political Group LGBTory
LGBTQ individuals who are also political activists have formed official groups within their political parties to advocate for the interests of their specific community. One such organization in the United Kingdom was the group LGBTory.
The LGBTQ political organization of Britain's Conservative Party has gone through several name changes. Originating as the Conservative Group for Homosexual Equality, it subsequently became LGBTory and in 2016 renamed the LGBT+ Conservatives. It has had an impact both within the political party and outside of it in advancing the interests of the LGBTQ community while adopting the official stance put forth by the party itself. More recently, it has spawned offshoots in Canada (2015) and Scotland.
These Conservative Party organizations have a prominent appearance in many global Pride Parades. As well, they often publish position papers on legislation and other matters which impact the LGBTQ community.
There is often a perceived irony that a political party that takes an official stance against many interests of the LGBTQ community can also have active LGBTQ membership. This is certainly the case for the Log Cabin Republicans in the United States, and has often been a bemused observation with respect to LGBTory. The answer may lie in the opinions about the functioning of society, and the respect accorded to individuals within that society. There is often a conflict about being LGBTQ and being public about it, as represented by the process of 'coming out of the closet', and this dissonance is reflected within these political interest groups. At the same time, politics often rewards those who stand out from the crowd, and this works both within and without the various political entities involved. Perhaps the irony lies in the process of stereotyping, and diversity is really more prominent within political organizations than realized.
We have identified the following prominent LGBTQ individuals as having a role in LGBTory. Simply click on their names to read their fascinating biographies.
Canada
Great Britain
- Stuart Andrew
- Greg Barker
- Richard Barnes
- Christopher Kenneth Biggins
- Guy Black, Baron Black of Brentwood
- Crispin Blunt
- Andrew Boff
- Nicholas Boles
- Conor Burns
- Ian Duncan
- Nigel Evans
- Mike Freer
- Justine Greening
- Robert Hayward
- Nick Herbert
- Colm Howard-Lloyd
- Ben Howlett
- Margot James
- Eric Ollerenshaw
- Matthew Sephton
- David Starkey
- Iain Stewart
- Emma Warman
- Annie Wells
Scotland
