EXCLUSIVE: Harriet Harman to attend Pride London

By Tony Grew • June 11, 2008 - 16:42

Harriet Harman will address the crowd in Trafalgar Square

5 Comments on EXCLUSIVE: Harriet Harman to attend Pride London

LGBT Labour has announced that the Minister for Women and Equality will be attending Pride in London later this year.

Harriet Harman will address the crowd in Trafalgar Square after the main parade, as she did last year.

There had been speculation that a more junior member of the government might be sent, but Ms Harman's office has confirmed she will be there on July 5th.

LGBT Labour, which is a society within the party that pushes for gay rights, was jubilant that Ms Harman, who is also Leader of the House of Commons, Lord Privy Seal and Deputy Leader of the Labour party, will be back this year.

Simon Wright, LGBT Labour co-chair, told PinkNews.co.uk:

"We are very glad that Harriet will be celebrating Pride in London with us again this year.

"Harriet has been a long-standing and loyal friend to the LGBT community, helping to transform our rights over the last decade.

"It's a very different story with Boris Johnson, who has been busy disowning his homophobic comments since deciding to run for Mayor.

"And I don't know how David Cameron, who has said he might come along, can look us in the eye just weeks after he voted to make it harder for lesbian couples to become parents through IVF."

The Conservative Mayor of London Boris Johnson and the Liberal Democrat party leader Nick Clegg will both address the crowds.

There are unconfirmed reports that the Tory party may have a float in the Pride parade this year, a tactic used by parliamentary candidate David Bull in Brighton in 2007.

His float, replete with topless twinks, attracted the attention of some national newspapers.

For more information about Pride London, including how to volunteer, click here.

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