These are the 21 MPs who just voted against LGBT-inclusive sex and relationship education
It's time to name and shame.
By Will Stroude
Words: Will Stroude
On Wednesday night (27 March), British MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of new guidelines introducing LGBT-inclusive sex and relationship education (SRE) in schools in England.
If approved by the House of Lords, the new guidelines will make LGBT-inclusive sex and relationship education mandatory in all secondary schools, as well as introduce mandatory relationship education at primary school level, with a focus on “equality and respect” and the characteristics covered by the 2010 Equality Act.
The move marks the first time sex and relationship education guidelines have been overhauled in almost 20 years, and comes as parents at schools across Birmingham and others parts of the UK protest against classes teach LGBTQ acceptance.
Despite the vast majority of MPs standing up for the next generation of LGBTQ children, however, a small group of political dinosaurs voted against the proposals in the Commons last night (not including those who abstained).
Of the 21 MPs who voted against acknowledging the existence of LGBTQ people in the classroom – a group made up almost exclusively of straight, white men (no surprises there) – all but two are members of the Conservative Party or the Democratic Unionist Party.
In total, 12 Conservative MPs voted, seven DUP MPs, one Labour MP, and one Independent (formerly Labour) MP voted against the measure. Guess their LGBTQ constituents know what to do come election time…
See the full list of shame below:
Christopher Chope (Conservative, Christchurch)
Bob Blackman (Conservative, Harrow East)
Philip Hollobone (Conversative, Kettering)
Charlie Elphicke (Convervative, Dover & Deal)
James Gray (Conservative, North Wiltshire)
Philip Davies (Conservative, Shipley)
Edward Leigh (Conservative, Gainsborough)
Martin Vickers (Conservative, Cleethorpes)
Julian Lewis (Conservative, New Forest East)
Marcus Fysh (Conservative, Yeovil)
Ranil Jayawardena (Conservative, North East Hampshire)
Matthew Offord (Conservative, Hendon)
Nigel Dodds (DUP, Belfast North)
Paul Girvan (DUP, South Antrim)
Gregory Campbell (DUP, East Londonderry)
Jeffrey Donaldson (DUP, Lagan Valley)
Sammy Wilson (DUP, East Antrim)
Gavin Robinson (DUP, East Belfast)
Jim Shannon (DUP, Strangford)
John Spellar (Labour, Warley)
Fiona Onasanya (Independent, formerly Labour, Peterborough)
For more about what the current and incoming guidelines for sex and relationship mean for kids in the classroom, click here.