The UK Consulate in Los Angeles was representing in full force at this week’s Pride Parade in West Hollywood.
The UK has long been seen as a champion of LGBT equality and proudly celebrates pride with representatives of the UK government participating in a series of events across the US, ranging from pride marches to community-based events. The British Consulate in Los Angeles rode an iconic double decker red bus during the West Hollywood parade on Sunday morning.
Sir Kim Darroch, British Ambassador to the US, said, “The UK was the first foreign government to march in Pride parades in the US, and we continue to participate each year because celebrating diversity, protecting human rights and promoting open society are core British values. But there is more we can do.
“Last year, the UK launched a survey to understand the experiences of LGBT people living in the UK. More than 100,000 people completed the survey, and this year, we’ll be publishing the results – the largest LGBT survey of its type in the world. This information will help us design the next steps in promoting LGBT equality in the UK.”
The UK has had civil partnerships for more than a decade, and equal marriage became legal in 2014 in England, Wales and Scotland. In 2002, same-sex couples were granted equal rights to adopt. Since 2005, transgender people can change their legal gender in the UK, granting them a new birth certificate and affording them full legal recognition of their acquired sex.
