Labour's Chris Bryant has claimed that he feels more nervous as a gay man in Britain than he has at any point during the last thirty years. Given the rapidly changing demographics of the UK through mass migration and declining native birth rates, there is clearly some justification for that statement. However, the ongoing importation of homophobic cultures is not the reason Bryant provided for his apparent insecurity.
Speaking to the Beeb's Nick Robinson, the Rhondda MP explained that it was the Tory government's 'culture wars' that was to blame. Yes, really.
Captain Underpants (as Bryant is affectionately known) fails to provide any anecdotal evidence to back up his initial statement, instead rattling off a series of vague external factors including the influence of Donald Trump and historical remarks by Boris Johnson about 'bum boys'. It's threadbare stuff and ignores the plight of gays who have been attacked by members of homophobic communities that Bryant's party have persistently invited to settle in the UK.
Descriptions of attackers are seldom issued in such cases. However, West Midlands Police took the unusual step recently of naming three suspects thought to have carried out a violent homophobic attack in Birmingham's 'Gay Village'.
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| Ishaaq Ayaz, Mosin Mahmood and Sohail Khan are wanted in connection to a homophobic assault in Birmingham |
If Bryant had argued that he feels less safe in multi-cultural London as a direct result of changing demographics he may have had a leg to stand on. Instead, his argument doesn't hold up to the most basic scrutiny. The Tories have been in power for over a decade and during that time the LGBT cause has advanced at a faster rate than at any point in history. In the UK we have LGBT History Month in February, LGBT Pride Month in June and Rainbow Laces in November and December.
Bryant fails to mention any of these achievements.
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