‘Sack Theresa May’ says Facebook group
By politics.co.uk staff
More than 30,000 people have joined a Facebook group requesting the resignation of equality minister Theresa May over her voting record on gay rights.
A further 10,000 have signed a related petition demanding the same thing.
Conservative MP Ms May became only the country’s second-ever female home secretary when named in David Cameron’s new Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition government Cabinet this week.
Campaigners say Ms May voted against the repeal of section 28, against lowering the age of consent in homosexual relationships to 16 and against gay adoption rights.
“Please remember: this is not an anti-Tory campaign. This is not an anti-Theresa May in office campaign. We do not oppose her appointment as home secretary. We simply do not believe she is appropriate for the position as equality minister,” the Facebook group and petition states.
“As a result of her clear stance on these issues we do not think she is at all qualified to be minister for equality, and would like to call for her immediate resignation from this post.”
Ms May voted against equal adoption rights for homosexual couples and reducing the age of consent for homosexual acts, was absent from votes on the repeal of Section 28 and the Equality Act but voted in favour of the civil partnership bill.
During the general election campaign David Cameron’s attempts to distance the Tories from their ‘nasty party’ image was hit by several setbacks over gay rights.
Former shadow home secretary Chris Grayling, demoted to work and pensions minister in the new government, said he backed B&B owners’ turning gay couples away.
Former shadow defence minister Julian Lewis said gay sex was as dangerous as fighting on the frontline in a war zone, while a Tory candidate was suspended for saying homosexuality was wrong.
