‘Watershed moment for LGBTQ+ community’ - Eastwood

Speaking after yesterday’s major political development, the Foyle MLA said: “After decades of discrimination, intolerance and abuse, often at the hands of the state, we have at last taken a step toward recognising the love of LGBT+ people as equal to that of anyone else. This is a watershed moment.

“It is a matter of profound regret for me as an MLA and as a Party Leader that we haven’t yet been able to deliver marriage equality in an inclusive, powersharing Executive. I am delighted, however, that we now have an equality backstop that will ensure the rights of LGBT+ people are delivered either here or at Westminster.”

Mr Eastwood said he wanted to place on record his sincere thanks to Conor McGinn for the “immense amount of work he has undertaken to make this happen”.

“We have been working with Conor on this issue for some time and it’s incredible to see a result,” he said.

“We know that the discrimination faced by members of the LGBT+ community doesn’t begin and end at Marriage.

“The SDLP will continue to press for stronger laws to protect children from homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in our schools, we’ll continue to campaign for equal access to healthcare including drugs and treatments that will save lives and improve quality of life and we’ll continue to support our trans community in the pursuit of gender recognition legislation that meets their needs.”