February is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month. To mark the occasion I met with staff, volunteers and visitors at Leicester’s LGBT Centre. You can see coverage of my visit in the Leicester Mercury here.

We’ve made huge progress towards LGBT equality. The last Labour Government introduced civil partnerships and ensured that the 2010 Equality Act protected lesbians and gay men from discrimination when accessing goods and services. I was particularly proud to have voted for equal marriage last year and we’ll see the first of these marriages take place at the end of next month.

But I know more needs to be done because prejudice and discrimination still exist. In particular, we need to tackle homophobic language and create a supportive environment amongst young people and in our schools. That why I’ll continue to work alongside the LGBT community here in Leicester to promote equality, respect and fairness for all.