During an address to the UK Parliament
on Wednesday, Queen Elizabeth II pledged to protect the LGBT
community from discrimination.
“My government will make further
progress to tackle the gender pay gap and discrimination against
people on the basis of their race, faith, gender, disability or
sexual orientation,” she said during her annual “Queen's Speech.”
The Queen's comments come after Prime
Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party failed to win a majority in
parliament in the recent election, forcing a coalition with the
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of North Ireland, a conservative
party staunchly opposed to marriage equality. Gay and lesbian
couples in England, Wales and Scotland started exchanging vows in
2014. The DUP has blocked legislation legalizing such unions in
Northern Ireland.
LGBT rights advocate Stonewall said in
a
statement given to Pink
News that it was concerned that the Queen made no mention of
protecting transgender individuals.
“While today’s Queen’s Speech
understandably focused heavily on Britain’s exit from the European
Union, we were pleased to hear a clear acknowledgment that more must
be done to tackle discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation
in the next two years, alongside other forms of discrimination. But
we are very concerned no mention was made of tackling discrimination
based on gender identity,” the group said.