Lorraine Kelly takes aim at Ann Widdecombe and TV broadcasters that ‘debate’ LGBTQ equality
The queen of daytime TV comes out swinging as she undergoes a dramatic drag makeover for Attitude's January 'Activists & Allies' issue.
By Will Stroude
Words: Tim Heap
Lorraine Kelly has once again thrown her weight behind the LGBTQ community, asserting herself as an ally to the trans community.
As she undergous a fierce drag makeover with the stars of Channel 4’s Drag SOS for the cover of Attitude’s ‘Activists & Allies’ January issue, the queen of daytime TV admits she’s “very uncomfortable” with the current trend of broadcasters inviting transphobes to ‘debate’ transgender equality on-air.
“I don’t like it and I don’t think it gets us anywhere. Because those people that are entrenched will not change their points of view, sadly, and sometimes it’s almost an ambush”, Lorraine says.
Lorraine Kelly, shot by Conor Clinch exclusively for Attitude’s January ‘Activists & Allies’ issue, out now
“I’d rather hear the person’s story and how they got to where they are, and they should be applauded for that.”
The 60-year-old broadcaster, who was the recipient of our Honourary Gay Award at the 2015 Attitude Awards, goes on: “I think what’s going on with trans people just now is kind of what the gay community went through years ago.
“One would like to hope that it will get better, but in the meantime we’ve got people having a shit time… just because they want to be the person that they’re supposed to be. And God, don’t we all deserver that?”
As well as daytime TV queen, Lorraine has had moments of Twitter queendom in the last year, with sassy snippets from her TV interactions going viral for all the right reasons.
Photography: Conor Clinch
Recently, she gave a no-filter rebuke to Jennifer Arcuri’s limp attempt to “clear the air” on Good Morning Britain, and in June, she gave a frosty reception to former colleague and now-Tory MP Esther McVey, who has suggested parents should be able to prevent their children from learning about LGBT relationships in school.
Maintaining her stance, Lorraine widens the scope to include former Shadow Home Secretary and sometime TV personality Ann Widdecombe, saying, “I have never bought into the ‘Ann Widdecombe is a national treasure’ malarkey, you know, when she was on Strictly.
“To me, that’s just somebody who is so bigoted and homophobic, and never gets called out on it enough. That’s shameful and harmful, and kids are getting bullied and it’s almost like they enable that to happen.
“They might not realise that that’s what they’re doing, but they are. And I just think sometimes you have to go, ‘*Ahem*, excuse me!’”
Lorraine goes on: “We’re all entitled to our points of view when it comes to politics and all of that, but if something’s actually wrong, it doesn’t matter whether you’re really left, right or you’re in the middle, I don’t care what party you’re in.
“And you’ve got people like Esther McVey and Ann Widdecombe with their stance on the whole LGBT community, which is just wrong.
Photography: Conor Clinch
“I don’t find that political, I just find that this is either right, or it isn’t.”
She adds: “My point of view is that if something’s unjust, or not right, you should call it.”
Read the full interview with Lorraine in Attitude’s January ‘Activists & Allies’ issue, out now.
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