Current Affairs

Munroe Bergdorf joins Labour LGBT+ advisory board

  • Feb 27 2018
  • Written by Jasmine Andersson

Munroe Bergdorf has announced that she will join the Labour Party as an LGBT+ advisor.

Attending an LGBT+ History Month reception hosted by Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn, the model announced that she would be part of a team of public-facing LGBT+ figures who would assist the Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities in creating LGBT+ inclusive policy.

“Thrilled to announce that I’ve been asked to be part of an LGBT+ advisory board for The Labour Party,” said the East London based model.

“We will advise Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, Dawn Butler MP, on issues affecting the LGBT+ community, to help form and push through fairer and more effective policy change.”

Actor and director Jake Graf, Entrepreneur Anthony Watson, the co-founder of Black Pride Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, and actor Charlie Condou will also join Bergdorf on the panel.

“Truly honoured to announce that I’ve been asked to be part of the @UKLabour LGBTQ Advisory Panel with these fabulous people. Massive thanks to @DawnButlerBrent , the amazing @LindaRiley8 and @jeremycorbyn #LGBTHM18 #trans ,” wrote Graf.

Butler announced that she would be creating the advisory board in January after a debate surrounding self-identifying trans women being included on all-women shortlists came to a head.

Former Labour Party member Jennifer James spearheaded a campaign to block self-identifying trans women from all women shortlists in the Labour Party .

The creator of the Crowdfunder campaign Jennifer James has since been suspended from the Party.

“I think if a trans woman wanted to be included in an all-women shortlist then that should be considered,” she said to In House magazine.

“I just don’t think people really need to make a big fuss about it. I mean if one of my team members came into the office and decided that James wanted to be called Jane and was now a woman I would not say ‘prove it, what do you mean?’.

“We will be taking guidance and advice from people who are LGBT+ – who don’t all agree – round the table, because they are not a homogeneous group who all agree on one thing or another. You need people who have lived experiences in order to make informed decisions,” she added.

Corbyn also spoke out in support of self-identifying trans women, and said that their identity “should be respected”.

“My mind is that I look at the person in front of me. That’s their identification, that should be respected,” said Corbyn.

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