How Scotland became the world leader on lesbian, gay and bisexual representation
![Ruth Davidson makes her way to a polling station in Edinburgh with partner Jen Wilson [Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire].](https://voxpoliticalonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/160523-ruth-davidson-and-partner.jpg)
Ruth Davidson makes her way to a polling station in Edinburgh with partner Jen Wilson [Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire].
The interesting aspect of this is that it seems the Conservative Party is leading the way in a progressive direction.
What a refreshing change.
“I get more abuse for being a Tory in Scotland than I do for being a gay woman,” says Annie Wells, one of a batch of new MSPs voted in at the election this month that has made the country’s parliament the most proportionally gay-friendly in the world.
Her step up to a seat in Holyrood has brought the total number of openly gay, lesbian and bisexual politicians to ten, seven per cent of all MSPs. In Westminster, 35 of the 650 MPs – just over five per cent.
Source: How Scotland Became The World Leader On Lesbian, Gay And Bisexual Representation
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Although I agree wholeheartedly with the bill on equal marriage and that it is good to see LGBT MSPs, I do have a slight problem with the article quoted.
Just out of curiosity, I wonder who the 4th LGBT main party leader is. Tory, Ruth Davidson, Labour, Kezia Dugdale and Greens, Patrick Harvie. Since SNP, Nicola Sturgeon and LibDem, Willie Rennie are both happily married (we are told anyway), I can only assume that the atricle refers to David Coburn of UKIP. How on earth can anyone describe UKIP as a main party in Scotland?
More importantly, the article seems to be saying that a trans MSP should be elected, presumably to cover all bases. Much as it’s good to see the lack of discrimination, should MSPs not be elected for their policies and effective representation of constituents, rather than their sexuality?
We’re back to that old question about equal representation of men and women then, aren’t we?
“Shouldn’t we have an equal number of men and women in Parliament?”
“Sure – if they merit it. Can’t we just have the best people for the job, whether male or female?”
(Repeat until nauseous.)
Taking that to extremes, surely we should have an equal number of Tories, Labour, LibDems, BNP etc, just to avoid accusations of discrimination. It doesn’t work that way though. We vote for those with policies we agree with.