On 3 July, APPG Vice-Chair, Crispin Blunt (pictured on set) gave an interview to the Victoria Derbyshire programme on BBC Two.
APPG Vice-Chair interview about conversion therapy on BBC Two
APPG welcomes Government's LGBT Action Plan
On Tuesday 3 July, APPG Officers attended the launch of the Government's LGBT Action Plan, which followed on from the findings of the National LGBT Survey.
Commons debate for International Day and Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
APPG Member Peter Kyle MP secured a 3-hour debate in the Commons Chamber to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on the afternoon of Thursday 17 May 2018. Nineteen MPs from all parties made speeches. Prior to the debate, a number of NGOs briefed APPG Members on the latest issues and research into LGBT issues for them to raise in the debate.
Commonwealth Equality & Business event in Parliament
On Tuesday 17 April the APPG's Vice Chair, Lord Cashman, hosted a Parliamentary reception in partnership with Open for Business, to highlight the role of businesses in securing and defending LGBT rights around the world.
LGBT working lunch in Parliament
On Tuesday 17 April, APPG Officers Nick Herbert, Lord Collins and Baroness Barker, hosted Senator Valerie Woods of Belize, representatives of Parliamentarians for Global Action, Kaleidoscope Trust and activists from the Commonwealth Network for Global Equality. Over the lunch attendees discussed how best to promote LGBT rights across the Commonwealth, you can see a tweet about the lunch from the APPG's Chair, here.
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).
APPG Report cited in media ahead of LGBT rights push in Commonwealth
On Monday 16 April, the APPG's Chair Nick Herbert was quoted in a Guardian article, covering the focus on LGBT rights ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting: "These are countries which have flagrantly breached the Commonwealth charter by their treatment of LGBT people, and both the government and the Commonwealth itself should call them out on it... The Foreign Office has been doing a lot of good work, and the prime minister has taken a stronger stand than ever before. What we should avoid is raising the issue in a way which backfires."
The APPG's 2016 report on how to support LGBT Rights abroad was also referenced in this news story about LGBT Rights throughout the Commonwealth.
APPG co-hosts trade union LGBT reception
APPG Chair meetings with US Congressmen
Between 11-12 April, APPG Chair Nick Herbert met separately with each of the Representatives Mark Takano, Francis Rooney and Harold Rogers to discuss co-operation between the US and UK in promoting global LGBT rights.
On Friday 13 April, Nick followed this up with a joint meeting with Representative David Cicilline and Dwight Evans, of the US Congressional Equality Caucus to forge closer links between their group and the APPG. You may be interested to see Nick's tweet about this meeting here, or the photo above.
Victory Institute meeting
On 12 April, APPG Chair Nick Herbert met with representatives of the LGBT-campaign vehicle, the Victory Institute, to discuss potential areas of cooperation between their group and the APPG. Last December, the Victory Institute invited Nick to chair a panel on marriage equality at their annual International LGBT Leaders Conference.
Council for Global Equality
On 12 April, APPG Chair Nick Herbert met with Mark Bromley and his colleagues from the Council for Global Equality, met with the APPG to discuss further cooperation between their group and the APPG. This meeting was to follow-up issues raised at Mark's visit to the APPG in London last October.
Meeting with UN Assistant Secretary General on Human Rights
On 10 April, APPG Chair Nick Herbert met with Andrew Gilmour, the UN's Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights. They discussed how the UN can best support LGBT rights globally and encourage Member States to do promote equality.
Meeting with 'Freedom to Marry' President
On 9 April, APPG Chair Nick Herbert met with Evan Wolfson, the President and founder of the Freedom to Marry group which led the successful campaign to secure marriage equality in the United States in 2015. They discussed potential areas of cooperation in the campaign to secure LGBT rights globally, including how best to support native marriage equality campaigns in countries which have yet to introduce it.
APPG co-sponsors Northern Ireland Marriage Equality Bill
On Wednesday 28 March, APPG Member Conor McGinn, introduced a Ten Minute Rule Bill to bring marriage equality to Northern Ireland. Conor's Bill was co-sponsored by APPG Chair Nick Herbert and a number of other MPs from across the House.
Adjournment Debate
APPG hosts Commonwealth activists
APPG Officers and Members hosted twenty five activists from The Commonwealth Equality Network in Parliament for a round-table discussion of the LGBT Rights situations in their countries. The activists' testimony will help inform the APPG's work ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April. Also in attendance were representatives from the Kaleidoscope Trust, Stonewall and the Royal Commonwealth Society.
Meeting with Canadian Envoy on LGBT Rights
On Tuesday 23 January the APPG's Chair, Nick Herbert, met with Randy Boissonault, the Canadian Prime Minister's LGBT Envoy, to discuss how the UK and Canada can coordinate international action to protect Global LGBT Rights.
APPG plans for the year ahead
APPG Chair, Nick Herbert, met with the Executive Director of the Kaleidoscope Trust, Paul Dillane, who also runs the recently launched UK Alliance for Global Equality. Nick and Paul discussed the forthcoming address to Parliamentarians by activists from The Commonwealth Equality Network, as well as other campaigns for 2018.
APPG forges international links
APPG Chair, Nick Herbert, hosted two representatives of Rainbow Railroad, a Canadian NGO which helps support and evacuate LGBT refugees from regions where they are in danger of homophobic violence. The Executive Director, Kimahli Powell and Michael Battista the Chair of the Board, met Nick to discuss coordinating international action on Global LGBT Rights.
Meeting with Foreign Office Minister
Officers of the APPG met with the Foreign Office Minister, Lord Ahmad, on Tuesday 19 December 2017 to discuss the inclusion of Human Rights as an agenda item in 2018’s Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting, and to receive updates on the UK’s response to developments in Commonwealth members such as Tanzania and Bermuda. Also discussed in the meeting was how British consulates can better assist in the protection LGBT Rights abroad, and how the APPG can support the FCO in this aim.