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Dan Carter looks at the LGBT stance of UKIP

Dan Carter looks at the LGBT stance of UKIP

UKIP launch anti LGBT Manifesto

In the last week, the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), under the leadership of Gerard Batten, launched their 2018 interim manifesto. It has never been a secret that UKIP has been on the right wing of British politics, but this week UKIP has cemented themselves as a hard-right party with a manifesto filled with hatred and bigotry. There is a lot that can be said for this so-called political document but as an LBGT outlet we will focus on what it would mean for members of the LGBT community if UKIP ever got their way.

UKIP has now taken a stance to oppose LGBT inclusive sex education in schools with a pledge to “oppose gender confusion ideologies and the implementation of compulsory LGBT-inclusive relationships education in primary schools.”

The new party direction has no interest in helping LGBT children in schools and would rather see nothing done to stem the horrific levels of bullying that still happen in UK schools. In a 2017 report it was found that 64% of trans students were bullied due to being LGBT and 10% of which had received death threats.

In another part of the manifesto UKIP demonstrate their willingness to see discrimination and hatred become common place in the UK with a vow to tear up anti-discrimination laws and retract the Equality Act (2010) which extends full anti-discrimination protections across the work place and in the administration of services.

They argue that the Equality Act is in place to give “special rights and privileges to certain groups with ‘protected characteristics.’”

It is important to note that the Equalities Act and other pieces of anti-discrimination legislation gives protection to many minority groups across the country. UKIP has planted their flag with those who want to see minority groups crushed and take LGBT rights back to a more unpleasant place.

Even former UKIP leader, Nigel Farage, who whilst being no friend of the LGBT community, has come out and said that the party faces “utter marginalisation” if continues down its current path. It is worth remembering that whilst he was leader the party opposed same-sex marriage vigorously so please don't think I'm complimenting the man. 

On a more positive note to finish the article, UKIP is currently only polling at 6% in the polls and this could reduce to half this with the roll out of their new racist and heavily bigoted manifesto. It is increasingly likely that a hard right UKIP will go the same way as the British National Party did in 2010…….nowhere!

Published: 4-Oct-2018: (5076)

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