Gay rights have been thrust into the spotlight this election (Picture: Getty/Mylo)

Gay rights have been under the spotlight this election, thanks in part to an intense focus on Tim Farron’s views on homosexuality.

The LIb Dem leader did eventually clarify that he does not believe that gay sex is a sin but had previously refused to do so when asked by Channel 4 saying he was not in a position to make ‘theological pronouncements’.

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And so with that in mind, Andrew Marr yesterday asked Theresa May, who like Farron is a Christian, if she believed gay sex was a sin, to which she gave a firm and abrupt ‘no’.

In terms of voting records on gay rights issues, the prime minister’s is mixed, where as Farron and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have generally voted in favour of equal rights.




But the Conservative leader’s softening stance is well-documented. For instance, she suggested the Tories were planning to look at gay marriage in 2010 and said she had changed her mind in favour of gay adoption on becoming equalities minister.

Below we have listed how MPs have voted on prominent gay rights issues from 1998 onwards.

Reducing the age of consent from 18 to 16

Alan Duncan voted against the majority of his party to reduce the age of consent to 16 (Picture: Binnur Ege Gurun/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Reducing the age of consent so that it was equal for both homosexual and heterosexual people was a long a drawn out battle that started long before MPs voted on amending the Crime and Disorder Bill in 1998.

Both Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn were MPs at this point, however, were on difference sides of the fence.

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Like most of his party the now Labour leader voted to reduce the age of consent for homosexual acts to 16, and like most of her party Theresa May voted against the change.

In the end the vote was passed by the Commons, but turfed out by the House of Lords meaning it did not become enshrined in law until it appeared in the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000.

In total 336 MPs voted for the age to be lowered and 129 against. Amongst the 18 Tory rebel MPs, whose views differed from the majority of their party, was Alan Duncan, the now deputy foreign secretary and first openly gay Conservative MP.

In the last few weeks I’ve become aware that if at some young age people felt like criminals, it stays with them all their lives – Ann Keen, Labour MP, who led the motion to reduce the age of consent

Jeremy Corbyn: Aye Theresa May: No

Rebel MPs (who voted against the majority of their party):

Conservatives: Richard Body aye, Tim Boswell aye, Peter Bottomley Con aye, Graham Brady Altrincham aye, Peter Brooke aye, David Curry aye, Alan Duncan aye, Michael Fabricant aye, Alastair Goodlad aye, Edward Heath aye, Robert Jackson Wantage aye Bernard Jenkin aye, Robert Key aye, Eleanor Laing aye, Sir Peter Lloyd aye, Andrew MacKay aye, David Prior aye, Andrew Rowe aye, Shaun Woodward aye

Labour: Donald Anderson no, Stuart Bell no, Gerry Bermingham no, Jamie Cann no, Tam Dalyell no, David Drew no, Gwyneth Dunwoody no, George Mudie no, Bill O’Brien no, Raymond Powell no, Allan Rogers no, Ted Rowlands no, Geraldine Smith no,

Robert Wareing no

Lib Dem: Colin Breed no, John Burnett no, Bob Russell no

You can see all votes here at publichwhip.org.uk

Gay couples’ right to adopt

(Picture: Tolga Akmen/LNP/REX/Shutterstock)

In 2002, the House of Lords rejected a Commons amendment to the Adoption and Children bill which would have allowed unmarried heterosexual and homosexual couples to adopt children.

Back in the Commons, MPs looking to reject the Lords modification and allow unmarried homosexual and heterosexual couples to adopt voted aye and those in favour no.

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Theresa May was amongst those to agree with the Lords decision by voting no, along with 117 other MPs in her party. The vote



However, in 2010, upon becoming the equalities minister she said she had ‘changed her mind’ about gay couples adopting children.

In an appearance on Question Time, she was challenged about her record on voting against gay adoption, as well as missed votes on the Gender Recognition Bill – which gave transsexual people legal recognition in their acquired gender.

As the new equalities minister, Theresa May said she had changed he rmind about gay adoption (Picture: Anthony Devlin – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

‘If those votes were today, yes, I have changed my view and I think I would take a different vote,’ she said.

‘On gay adoption I have changed my mind… because I have been persuaded that when you are looking at the future for a child, I think it’s better for a child who is perhaps in an institutional environment, if they have an opportunity of being in a stable, family environment – be that a heterosexual couple or a gay couple – then I think it’s more important that that child is in that stable and loving environment and I have genuinely changed my mind on that.’

Jeremy Corbyn: Aye Theresa May: No

Rebel MPs (who voted against the majority of their party):

Conservatives: John Bercow aye, Ken Clarke aye, David Curry aye, Julie Kirkbride aye, Andrew Lansley aye, Andrew MacKay aye, Francis Maude aye, Michael Portillo aye

Labour: Donald Anderson no, Joe Benton no, ony Colman no, David Crausby no, Tony Cunningham no, Denzil Davies no, Jim Dobbin no, David Drew no, Stephen Hepburn no, Alan Hurst no, Peter Kilfoyle no, Calum MacDonald no, David Marshall no, Bill O’Brien no, Kerry Pollard no, Frank Roy no, Gerry Steinberg no, Dave Watts no, Jimmy Wray no


Civil partnerships

MPs voted on civil partnerships in 2004 (Picture: Joel Goodman/LNP/REX/Shutterstock)

In 2004 the House of Commons voted strongly in favour of support civil partnerships, which would allow same sex couples to obtain legal recognition of their relationship.

Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn both voted in favour of this.

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On the Third Reading of the Bill, only 47 MPs voted against, 37 Conservative MPs and two Labour MPs.

The Conservative leadership allowed their MPs a free vote on the issue and the majority voted in favour, however, the likes of Iain Duncan Smith and Defence Secretary Michael Fallon were amongst the nos.

Then leader, Michael Howard, outlined his party’s thinking at the time, saying: ‘Civil partnership differs from marriage…To recognise civil partnerships is not, in any way, to denigrate or downgrade marriage. It is to recognise and respect the fact that many people want to live their lives in different ways. And it is not the job of the state to put barriers in their way.’

Jeremy Corbyn: Aye Theresa May: Aye

Rebel MPs (who voted against the majority of their party):

Conservatives: David Amess no, James Arbuthnot no, Julian Brazier no, Alistair Burt no, Bill Cash no, Christopher Chope no, Patrick Cormack no, James Cran no, Iain Duncan Smith no, Michael Fallon no, Adrian Flook no, Eric Forth no, Paul Goodman no, John Gummer no, Nick Hawkins no, John Hayes no, Gerald Howarth no, Greg Knight no, Edward Leigh no, Ian Liddell-Grainger no, David Lidington no, Peter Lilley Hitchin no, Anne McIntosh no, Patrick McLoughlin no, Owen Paterson no, Andrew Robathan no, Laurence Robertson no, Andrew Rosindell no, Andrew Selous no, Bob Spink no, Gary Streeter no, Desmond Swayne no, Teddy Taylor no, Andrew Turner no, Peter Viggers no, Angela Watkinson no, Ann Widdecombe no, John Wilkinson no, David Wilshire no


Labour: Denzil Davies no, Jim Dobbin no

Gay marriage

MPs voted to endorse legisalation to support gay marriage in 2013 (Picture: Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

MPs voted overwhelming to endorse legislation to give gay couples the right to marry in 2013.

However, despite a strong vote in favour, there were 175 MPs who refused to redefine marriage to make it available to all.

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Of the dissenters 139 were Conservative, more than the number of Tory MPs in favour at 132. There were also 75 abstentions.

The dozens that opposed the idea included then environment secretary Owen Paterson, David Davies, the Brexit Secretary, Liam Fox, the International Secretary

But the prime minister said that while ‘strong views’ existed on both sides, he believeed that allowing gay people to marry was a ‘step forward’ for the country.

Of the current party leaders Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn and Tim Farron all voted in support of gay marriage.

Jeremy Corbyn: Aye Theresa May: Aye Tim Farron: Aye

MPs who were opposed to gay marriage:

Conservatives: Nigel Adams (Selby & Ainsty), Adam Afriyie (Windsor), Peter Aldous (Waveney), David Amess (Southend West), James Arbuthnot (Hampshire North East), Richard Bacon (Norfolk South), Steven Baker (Wycombe), Tony Baldry (Banbury), Guto Bebb (Aberconwy), Henry Bellingham (Norfolk North West), Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley), Andrew Bingham (High Peak), Bob Blackman (Harrow East), Peter Bone (Wellingborough), Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West), Julian Brazier (Canterbury), Andrew Bridgen (Leicestershire North West), Steve Brine (Winchester), Fiona Bruce (Congleton), Robert Buckland (Swindon South), Simon Burns (Chelmsford), David Burrowes (Enfield Southgate), Alun Cairns (Vale of Glamorgan), Douglas Carswell (Clacton), Bill Cash (Stone), Rehman Chishti (Gillingham & Rainham), Christopher Chope (Christchurch), Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswolds, The), Therese Coffey (Suffolk Coastal) Geoffrey Cox (Devon West & Torridge), Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire), David Davies (Monmouth), Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire), Philip Davies (Shipley), David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden), Nick de Bois (Enfield North), Caroline Dinenage (Gosport), Richard Drax (Dorset South), Charlie Elphicke (Dover),

Jonathan Evans (Cardiff North), David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford), Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks), Liam Fox (Somerset North), Mark Francois (Rayleigh & Wickford), George Freeman (Norfolk Mid), Roger Gale (Thanet North), Sir Edward Garnier (Harborough), Mark Garnier (Wyre Forest), Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham), Robert Goodwill (Scarborough & Whitby),

James Gray (Wiltshire North), Andrew Griffiths (Burton), Robert Halfon (Harlow), Simon Hart (Carmarthen West & Pembrokeshire South), Sir Alan Haselhurst (Saffron Walden), John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings), Oliver Heald (Hertfordshire North East),

Gordon Henderson (Sittingbourne & Sheppey), Philip Hollobone (Kettering), Adam Holloway (Gravesham), Sir Gerald Howarth (Aldershot), Stewart Jackson (Peterborough), Gareth Johnson (Dartford), David Jones (Clwyd West), Marcus Jones (Nuneaton), Greg Knight (Yorkshire East), Kwasi Kwarteng (Spelthorne), Mark Lancaster (Milton Keynes North), Pauline Latham (Derbyshire Mid), Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford), Edward Leigh (Gainsborough), Julian Lewis (New Forest East), David Lidington (Aylesbury), Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden), Jack Lopresti (Filton & Bradley Stoke), Jonathan Lord (Woking), Tim Loughton (Worthing East & Shoreham), Karen Lumley (Redditch), Karl McCartney (Lincoln), Anne McIntosh (Thirsk & Malton), Stephen McPartland (Stevenage), Esther McVey (Wirral West), Anne Main (St Albans), Paul Maynard (Blackpool North & Cleveleys), Stephen Metcalfe (Basildon South & Thurrock East), Nicky Morgan (Loughborough), Anne-Marie Morris (Newton Abbot)

David Morris (Morecambe & Lunesdale), James Morris (Halesowen & Rowley Regis), Bob Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst), Caroline Nokes (Romsey & Southampton North), David Nuttall (Bury North), Stephen O’Brien (Eddisbury), Matthew Offord (Hendon), Jim Paice (Cambridgeshire South East), Neil Parish (Tiverton & Honiton), Priti Patel (Witham), Owen Paterson (Shropshire North), Mark Pawsey (Rugby), Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead), Mark Pritchard (Wrekin, The), John Randall (Uxbridge & Ruislip South), John Redwood (Wokingham), Jacob Rees-Mogg (Somerset North East), Simon Reevell (Dewsbury), Sir Malcolm Rifkind (Kensington),

Andrew Robathan (Leicestershire South), Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury), Andrew Rosindell (Romford), David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds), David Rutley (Macclesfield), Andrew Selous (Bedfordshire South West), Alec Shelbrooke (Elmet & Rothwell)

Sir Richard Shepherd (Aldridge-Brownhills), Henry Smith (Crawley), Sir John Stanley (Tonbridge & Malling), John Stevenson(Carlisle), Bob Stewart (Beckenham), Mel Stride (Devon Central), Julian Sturdy (York Outer), Robert Syms (Poole), Sir Peter Tapsell (Louth & Horncastle), David Tredinnick (Bosworth), Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight), Shailesh Vara (Cambridgeshire North West), Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes), Ben Wallace (Wyre & Preston North), Robert Walter (Dorset North), James Wharton (Stockton South), Heather Wheeler (Derbyshire South), Craig Whittaker (Calder Valley), John Whittingdale (Maldon), Bill Wiggin (Herefordshire North), Gavin Williamson (Staffordshire South), Jeremy Wright (Kenilworth & Southam)

Labour: Joe Benton (Bootle), Ronnie Campbell (Blyth Valley), Tom Clarke (Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill), Rosie Cooper (Lancashire West), David Crausby (Bolton North East), Tony Cunningham (Workington), Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton), Brian Donohoe (Ayrshire Central), Robert Flello (Stoke-on-Trent South), Mary Glindon (Tyneside North), Paul Goggins (Wythenshawe & Sale East),

Dai Havard (Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney), Michael McCann (East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow), Jim McGovern (Dundee West), Iain McKenzie (Inverclyde), George Mudie (Leeds East), Paul Murphy (Torfaen), Stephen Pound (Ealing North), Frank Roy (Motherwell & Wishaw), Jim Sheridan (Paisley & Renfrewshire North), Derek Twigg (Halton), Mike Wood (Batley & Spen)

Lib Dems Sir Alan Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed), Gordon Birtwistle (Burnley), John Pugh (Southport), Sarah Teather (Brent Central)

For a full breakdown of how individual MPs and parties voted on all gay rights issues since 1998 visit theyworkforyou.com

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