APPG welcomes Prime Minister's opening statement at the Commonwealth Head of Government meeting

On the morning of Tuesday 17 April, the Prime Minister expressed the British Government's "deep regret" at the legacy of colonial-era homophobic laws, meaning that today over a billion people in the Commonwealth live under anti-gay legislation.  Her comments were made at the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

This apology built on her remarks last year at the PinkNews awards, at which she recognised this legacy gave Britain a "special responsibility" to persuade  countries to reform in favour of equality, and follows a number of meetings with ministers at which APPG Officers lobbied to secure LGBT rights as an agenda item at CHOGM.

A full report of her speech can be read here - the importance of her remarks are underlined by the fact that 36 of the 53 Commonwealth countries represented at the meeting, still criminalise same-sex acts.

The APPG's Chair Nick Herbert, called the statement a "powerful address" in defense of LGBT rights throughout the Commonwealth - you can read his tweet in response here.