Today marks the start of Pride month and one month until the 50th anniversary of the first official UK Gay Pride Rally.

To mark the occasion, Lanark and Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley and East Renfrewshire MP Kirsten Oswald have applied to host a debate in the House of Commons where LGBTQIA+ MPs can share their experiences and celebrate the wider community across the UK.

Pride is a month-long celebration of the establishment of the LGBTQIA+ rights movement that followed the Stonewall riots in New York in 1969.

Three years later, the first official UK Gay Pride Rally took place in London on 1st July 1972.

Pride month runs from 1st to 30th June and is a celebration of the successes of the diverse LGBTQIA+ community while raising awareness of continuing discrimination and issues affecting the members of the community.

Recent progress for the LGBTQIA+ community comes after decades of campaigning in civic society and although significant progress has been made, more can be done to make the UK a safer and fairer place for the community and to spread that message of tolerance and acceptance throughout the world.

Commenting, Lanark and Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley said:

“This June we celebrate 50 years of Pride in the UK and can look back on 50 years of incredible progress in the LGBTQIA+ rights movement.

“From the decriminalisation of homosexuality, to equal marriage, to societal acceptance of rainbow families, the movement has gone from strength to strength.

“The UK has shown an extraordinary tolerance and acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community in recent years, and Pride reminds us that this is something we cannot take for granted.

“I wish all LGBTQIA+ members of my constituency a very happy Pride.”