Liz Truss vs Rishi Sunak: Where does the next Prime Minister stand on LGBTQ+ issues? – Gay Times Magazine

Liz Truss MP

Constituency: South West Norfolk
Position: Foreign Secretary (September 2021 – present) and Equalities Minister (2019 – present)

Nicknamed the “Minister for Inequalities” by some, Truss has done little to advance LGBTQ+ rights since becoming Equalities Minister in 2019. ‘Conversion therapy’ remains legal despite Truss saying she is “determined” to bring an end to it, plans to meaningfully reform the Gender Recognition Act have been scrapped and members of the LGBTQ+ advisory board quit under her tenure – with the group later being disbanded entirely. She has criticised “identity politics” and, during a speech on 19 March, stated that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine should bring an “end” to the “ludicrous debates about languages, statues and pronouns.” Caroline Nokes, Conservative MP and chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, accused Truss of viewing her Equalities Minister role as a “side hustle” to her job as Foreign Secretary, with many rights groups also condemning her time in the position. She has, however, voted in favour of LGBTQ+ rights at every opportunity – except for extending same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland, a vote she was absent from.