Last night - Saturday 17th April - LGBT Labour members canvasssed the gay bars of Newcastle last night, with Labour candidate Chi Onwurah. Aspiring Newcastle Central MP, Chi, spoke with members of the gay community about the successes of the last 13 years and the on-going homophobia and cultural lag that undoutably exists in society.
 
Chi Onwurah said about the campaign visit:
 
"Hearing first hand from absolute strangers the different that Labour has made in government makes me so proud. Civil partnerships, repealing the hateful section 28 and granting equal fertility rights for lesbians are all life changing achievements.
 
"It was such fun, I had a really good time and people we keen to talk and told me how much more there is to do - tackle homophobia in schools, introduce compulary sex education and recognise civil partnerhsips in other EU states - all important work that Labour in government is committed to tackling.
 
"Labour is proud to have a future offer to the LGBT community - under the Tories who have voted against most gay equality - things at best will stay the same but I can imagine them turning back."
 
Richard Angell, National Secretary of LGBT Labour said:
 
"Getting Labour politicials into the gay community to whitness first hand the changes we have made and the challenges that remain is important work - we are glad Chi was keen to host such an event in the North East.
 
"We received an excellent welcome and found people voting for Chi but also voting Labour in Newcastle East, Newcastle North and further a field including Jarrow, South Shields and across the North East.
 
"Our message was - Vote Labour, the only party to deliver equality. If it can turn back in California where Harvey Milk was campaigning 40 years ago - it could turn back here. The Tories try to tell people they have changes but since Cameron became leader, they have failed at every hurdle -most recently when Chris Grayling called for B&B owners to have the right to turn away lesbian an gay couples - shame on them."

Earlier in the week, Harriet Harman launched Labour's LGBT Manifesto which promised to remove the Waddington Amendment on Incitement to homophobic hatred, bring in compulsary sex education and a renewed focus on homophobic bullying - all of which is featured in the main manifesto.

More information is available at www.lgbtlabour.org.uk/manifesto.