By Cllr Joanna Camadoo-Rothwell, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Inclusion.

This weekend Ealing is flying the rainbow flag over the Town Hall in celebration of our LGBTQ+ communities and the annual Pride parade in London.

The Labour Party has a strong history of standing up for LGBT+ rights – including scrapping section 28, delivering civil partnerships and passing the Equality Act – and I’m proud to be a part of that tradition. In Ealing, flying the flag means standing in solidarity with our communities, and that Ealing council is committed to standing up for every form of family, stating our unequivocal support for comprehensive sex and relationship education, and speaking out against hate.

At our last full council meeting we passed a unanimous motion against all forms of discrimination, including homophobia and transphobia. Pride is an opportunity to remind all of us of our duty to stand against hate, and to protect the hard-won rights of our LGBT+ friends, families and neighbours.

Whilst undoubtedly a fun event celebrating how far we’ve come, it’s also important to remember that Pride has never been just a party – it’s inherently political. This year’s parade is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, when LGBT+ people rose up against the oppression of their communities.

In 2019, we’re still seeing challenges to LGBT+ rights around the world, and complacency isn’t an option. Ealing Labour are proud to stand with the LGBT+ community and fly the rainbow flag this weekend – and I hope everyone marching has a wonderful day tomorrow.