Thank you, mr. Speaker. I have a dream. I have a dream that one day a sentence with such a heavy impact that would change the world forever, when Martin Luther king gave the speech, he was addressing the plague of racism across the country. He was a campaigner for acceptance in a world where there was none. Well, i too, have a dream, i have a dream that one day lgbt plus youth will no longer live in fear, that one day they will truly be a time of acceptance among people of all orientations and identities. That cannot be obtained without the support today. I believe it wont be realized today, or tomorrow, but to set that dream in motion to begin to right the injustices felt by lgbt plus constituents, thats what we can accomplish today. As according to the qualities act of 2010, sexual orientations and gender identities are protected characteristics, but this legislation does not always translate into the real world. As is often made apparent, discrimination is not an intrinsic feature to the human condition, it is a learned behavior, which begs two questions. Where is it this hateful attitude so harshly felt originate from and what can we do to combat them. Ignorance breeds contempt and education is the key. According to cambridge university, the School Report, 40 of lesbian, gay, bi and trans young people are never taught. Education begins with educators. So to eliminate ignorance we have to start with a power impact on our young peoples lives. They face horrific abuse on a daily basis, unacceptable reality and to approximately one in two youths of lgbt plus, this motion affects half of all your constituents. Half of young people victimized and attacked, afraid to show their true selves. And what precedent does that set for the remainder of the association. A world of fear and oppression is not one i want any part of. Is it one that you and your constituents want . For the sake of all lgbt plus constituents, i urge you to accept this motion. Organizations like stone wall that has been engaged are doing all they can, but more funding, more education and more awareness is Still Necessary because currently there is a lack of support, lack of basic care for lgbt plus young people and their persecution is still ongoing. Is this really what we want to be remembered for . Or do we as mps and larger community, as uk youths ourselves, do we want to make a difference, be members of a generation of perpetual hate and ignorance or be remembered as a generation of progression . Visibility is key to our success and to our justice. Thank you for your time. [ applause ] kate, thank you for that fine and rousing start to our proceedings. Youve given a very uplifting opening speech in which you can be very proud. Colleagues, just before we proceed with the opposing speech and speeches from the floor, i should say now that this will be a feature of the day, i will from time to time reference parliamentary colleagues of mine who i can see are present and they are here in order to show their support for you. Ta it is a great pleasure for me to welcome, sitting in front of the sergeant at arms chair, Lloyd Russell moore. Raise your hand. The newly elected labor member of parliament for brighton, can kemp town and very importantly himself, i believe, a former member of the Youth Parliament. He made it from the Youth Parliament to the house of commons as a full constituency member. Appreciation for lloyd, who hasnt forgotten where he came from. [ applause ] please give an equally warm and supportive welcome to the opposer of the motion from yorkshire, i call lara ferguson. [ applause ] thank you, mr. Speaker. I want you to imagine the future, a future where people can live side by side, free of oppression, and stigma tization. I want you to imagine a future where our friends and our relatives could introduce us to their partners and whatever their gender, it would be okay and accepted. Now, envision a time where there is no longer a need to come out, where lgbt friends would not be required to declare their sexuality or gender any more than the notion of coming out perpetuates inequality that exists within our society. It marginizes one in two of us young people that create the premise that by loving someone different, youre somehow different, abnormal and distinct. Such definitions confine us with labels and force us to place ourselves within boxes where we shall remain forever more. But that is no disputing the lgbt rights approved incrementally in the last 50 years. In 1967, my gay relative could finally hold the hand of his partner in the street without being prosecuted. And in 2002, they could adopt a child and form the family they could only previously have ever dreamed of. In 2014, they could declare their life and affection in the form of marriage. But the fight for equality isnt over yet. Each year families lose their cherished ones, victims to horrific homophobia that riddles throughout our society, while others are left contemplating their existence wondering when the misery and torment will end. This horrific level of disparity cannot be allowed to continue. We need to act before more lives are so painfully lost. But my friends, this is regrettably not an issue amendable through an act of parliament or a campaign, we need change, social change. Our time is not best spent commandeering countless not bes commandeering tireless campaigns across the country. The Albert Kennedy trust, the lesbian gay foundation, just to name a few, all better equipped and better funded than we can ever be. Instead we need to be paving the way towards the future we en visage by contesting slurs and opposing discrimination, we can be the change we need to see. Soon this will no longer be a matter of lgbt rights but a matter of humanity, a matter of what is right and what is wrong. Now, i want you all to imagine the future. Blissful, safe and accepting. Thank you. [ cheers and applause ] lara, thank you for a highly articulate and equally passionately delivered speech, the approval of which i think would have been very clear to you, from the reaction of your fellow members of the Youth Parliament. Just before i call the first back bench speaker, i want to reference a nonmember, who not for the first time is here in support of the uk Youth Parliament. I am referring to the gentleman in the undergallery at the back, dont be shy, you never have been. And unless its a failure of eyesight on my part, i dont think it is, im looking in the direction of steven ben. Am i looking in the direction of steven ben . Dont be shy. I am. Now, stevens father, tony, who sadly passed away in early 2014, was one of the outstanding parliamentarians of the 20th century. Tony believed passionately, of course, in his socialist principles. But he believed passionately in parliamentaryism and debate and representation and speaking from the heart, as well as from the head. And its a characteristic of all members of the ben family. And i remember just before tony died, i welcomed him in the speakers house at parliament reception, and i said, what are you doing . And he said to me that he had just finished what was almost going to be his last book that was due to be published. And i said, where are you publishing it, and he said, well, it hasnt been decided yet. And i said, well, i think you should launch it from speakers house, if you wish. And he said thats immensely kind. And he did. And the book, if i remember correctly, was 32 letters, i think, to my grandchildren. And he said to me, you know, mr. Speaker, the only purpose of the old is to encourage the young. And tony did that throughout his career. And steven and hillary ben, serving member of parliament in leeds, as many of you know, and other members of the family have always done that. So steven, thank you for joining us. [ applause ] now i will try to call as many colleagues as i can in this debate as in all the others. Im looking at this stage. If possible, stand if you wish to speak. Im looking to call somebody from the southwest of england . Anybody from the southwest want to speak on this motion . The first person i saw is the gentleman at the back, nearest to the end with the blue tie. Yes, you, sir. Please say who you are, and tell us what you think. Thank you very much, mr. Speaker. So im finton yateman. Im not going to stand with disagree with protecting lgbt, but im going to stand with the motion we should make it a campaign. It should not be a Campaign Pledge to protect our minority communities. We should not have to say, okay, lets protect these minorities, this minority, just to get ourselves more publicity and perhaps more Political Support from a variety of people. We should make it our duty and it should be everything that we stand for, as ambassadors and people that represent young people. We are fighting for their voice. We are better representatives than the government. So to that end, i call this chamber, not to make protecting lgbt communities a campaign, but to make it our duty, and a duty of our fellow peers and our friends and our family and everyone in this country to protect those that lack the voice. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Thank you [ cheers and applause ] i think nyp has become more eloquent every year. And im very impressed. Is there somebody on either side of the argument from the northwest who wishes to speak . Well probably get to you in due course. But im going to call the young person there. Yes. Your good self. Jacob woods. From the northwest, as you already know. And i would just like to say that i believe that although weve come a long way in the past 50 years since living as a gay member de criminalized, weve got a long way to go. And i can quote statistics at you all day. I can talk about the increased rate of bullying that lgbt people face, the likelihood that transgender young people will attempt suicide, which is nearly half of transgender people. I could go on all day. But i wont. Im going to talk about personal experience. Im going to talk about gay friends of mine who have been attacked. Physically attacked. Subjected to constant harassment for their identity. I myself as a bisexual man have been told to pick a side, been told that its not a real thing. Been told that im immature and its just a phase. And it undermines your selfconfidence. It undermines your sense of who you are. And so weve still got a long way to go. And so i urge this chamber to put as much support and as much effort behind this motion as we possibly can. Because theres so much that needs to be done. And it affects, as has been said, so many young people. [ applause ] thank you thank you, jacob for what you said, and for your own personal testimony. Thats what this place is about. And youre setting a fantastic example. Do we have a speaker on the subject . I must say, im looking for a female speaker, if possible, because weve had a number of male speakers now. Have we got somebody from sco scotland who wants to take part in this debate . A young woman from scotland . Yes, please. Im from scotland. None of us are going to stand here today and say we dont want to protect this community. None of us are going to say its wrong to do this. But its clear we already support it. This is not away from a challenge. Its simply not stepping on the good work already been done that we dont need to double do, you know . We dont need to do something thats already been done by our counterparts who have a stronger voice, more resources, more financial support. We can put our resources into something that can really be changed. This is something we can support, show our support and letting people who are already doing it get on with it. Thank you. Thank you [ applause ] what about somebody from london . Who have we got from london . Yes, the young woman here. Corrina cheek. The first start, i would like to say thank you for the opportunity to speak, as i was a contributor to this motion. The uk Youth Parliament has been a standard bearer for upholding lgbt rights since we became one of the first organizations in the uk to make a manifesto commitment in favor of samesex marriage. On this achievement, we absolutely have the right to congratulate ourselves. But its simply not enough. The struggle of lgbt young people in this country did not conclude with the legalization of gay marriage. Its an issue we battle every single day, in classrooms, on public transport and at work. Unlike other motions debated today, there can be no doubt that we as a youth parcel are the right group to lead the campaign on this issue. The people sitting in this chamber represent a generation with an unparalleled understanding of sexuality and gender. As such, we have a responsibility to make a stand against lgbt discrimination in a way past generations could not, unanimously. Ukyp prides itself on its achievements in diversity. Past campaigns have made it clear that we do not tolerate discrimination on the grounds of race or religion. Its time we were able to say the same about sexuality. Thank you. [ applause ] thank you what about the West Midlands . Who have we got from the West Midlands . Yes, the young man waving here in a distinctive manner. The gentleman nearer to me. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Here we are, members of Youth Parliament for the United Kingdom. We have a job to protect young people in our country. And you know, i want to agree with the honorable member from london, because we have had a lot of strife towards protecting lgbt communities. But so what if a lot of money has been put into it already . So what if a lot of work has been put into it already . We have still got work to do. We have still got work to protect young people in our society. We have got work to ensure that the rights of young people in our community is protected. Now, we have two choices. We have the option to gain a new right, vote at 16 or an option to protect our current rights. And you know what . I would rather give up my right to vote at 16 to ensure that a young person can live without discrimination. Thank you. [ applause ] thank you thank you, very much, for that excellent speech. Im sure our friend from the West Midlands has a name. Sorry. Jake cooper, the member of Youth Parliament for dudley. Well done. Thank you. Excellent. Now, do we have a wouldbe speaker from Northern Ireland . Anybody from Northern Ireland who wishes to speak in this debate . Yes, the gentleman here, please. Lets hear you, sir. Ben sharky from logan valley. I learned nothing of sexual identities when i was at school. I learned nothing of the struggles and everyday dilemmas that lgbt people face. This motion is for the protection of this community. But that must start at the ground level with comprehensive education and understanding and acceptance brought in from a young age. Thats the only way to make a real change that actually lasts. Many of you know Northern Ireland was thrust under a magnifying glass after the last election and many of you posted your outrage about what you find on facebook. There are a lot of people in Northern Ireland growing up with mindsets stuck years in the past, concerning matters from sexuality to religion to race to political alignment and more. And we only move on when an entire generation are learning from impartial sources instead of embedded realities. That is why we need curriculum for life in the uk. Thats the way we can actually start to make real change towards acceptance. So that we can allow anyone and everyone to be viewed on an equal level, regardless of circumstance. Thank you [ applause ] now, members of the uk Youth Parliament, do we have an aspiring speaker from the east of england . Who have we got from the east of england . One person from the east of england. You, sir. Were about to hear the contents of that fine book. Of your mind. Im here today to tell you that this is a possible campaign, because we have done something similar in south end. My colleagues at the fantastic south end Youth Council have been working tirelessly on a project in order to set up an lgbt youth forum in our area. So were going to use a local library or other group to create a forum for all young people who are lgbt or supporters to meet and discuss their issues. We are linking up all of the school lgbt societies together, and working with charities in order to create a community so no one in our constituency who is lgbt feels left behind or alone. This is something we can all do, because if we have done it in my constituency or in the process of doing it in my constituency, then every one of us can. And if we had an lgbt forum or some sort of linked network of school lgbt societies in every single constituency in the country, it would mean not one lgbt person would feel left alone. And that is why i think we should support this campaign, because it is achievable, and we can do it, because in south end we are in the process of doing it currently. Thank you. [ applause ] thank you. Thank you very much. Another excellent and very succinct speech. Do we have a speaker from wales . Who wants to speak from wales . Wi the first person i saw gesticulating at me in a mildly demonstrative fashion some time ago was the young woman here with the pink cardigan. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people deserve to be treated the same as everyone else. Discrimination needs to be challenged. I strongly believe that lgbt young people should not be excluded or rejected. Studied by steefs and koran, psychologists, states there are higher rates of depression generalized as anxiety disorder and Substance Use in youth. Suicidal thoughts with the samesex partners. Lgbt youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide or experience suicidal thoughts. Between 38 and 65 of transgender individuals experience suicidal ideation. In order to make sure these issues are minimized in their negative effect in young people, we should ensure minority stress is tackled. Minority stress is a type of stress due to stigma and discrimination. Myps, i urge you so much that you support this motion for fair and equal society. Thank you. Thank you [ applause ] thank you very much indeed. What about the northeast . The northeast of england. Anybody from the northeast of england . Yes, the young woman here. Please. Hi, im from the northeast of england. And i think half of lgbt people are bullied in our schools nationally every year and i think even though it is one year, and that it cant really make a difference what people think, in the past, we have shown that we actually can make a difference in a year. Weve done it before. And were going to do it again with lgbt people and i think we should. Thank you. [ cheers and applause ] thank you very much indeed. What about the southeast of england . Who have we got from the southeast of england . The first person you saw was the young woman here with the white top. Thank you. Thank you, im from the Southeast Region of kemp. As much as i believe nobody should be discriminated against based on their age, gender, social background, ethnicity or sexual orientation, i also believe that there are others in society discriminated again. Disabled people, people with Mental Health issues, the black and minority ethnic group. These are just some people discriminated against in society on a daily basis. As young people, we all share a common experience, and that is discrimination. Not one of you in this room can tell me you dont know what it feels like to be different. Were myps. Not many people are its true facts. Adult mps are making decisions. We can be decisionmakers too. Imagine what it can feel like. You cannot feel your full potential just because of the color of your skin or because your name is 27 letters long. I believe that everybody in this room and everybody in this country is entitled to equal opportunities, and i feel that you shouldnt be discriminated against based on your age, your sexual orientation. However, we shouldnt prioritize one group of society. There are so many people discriminated against. I feel we should incorporate culture into our curriculum to team pea teach people about the different foods people eat and different clothes people wear. You should understand what theyre going through at a point in time. Everybody should be accountable when it comes to discrimination and not one person should be singled out when it comes to being cared for. Thank you. Thank you [ applause ] thank you for that heartfelt and powerful speech, which is warmly appreciated by members of the uk Youth Parliament. Im now looking i think for a contributor from the east midlands . Yes. I shall take the woman in the burgundy dress. Claret or burgundy. Yes, please. Hi, im from the east mid lands. In my constituency, this was the most voted for issue. And, in fact, actually put forward by myp called chandler who unfortunately cant be here today. But chandler is the very first nonbinary person ive been able to meet. Ive just been able to meet chandler has taught me so much, changed my whole perception of what gender is. With this campaign, what we need to do is get as many people to actually meet these people of different genders and sexualities, because when you meet them, and you can ask those difficult questions, and really have those conversations about what is gender, and how can sexualities be different, your whole mind changes. It opens up. And i really think this is something we can change. And yes, there are already lots of organizations, as mentioned before, like stone wall. But if we Work Together and we come with them, we can make even better change. When i look at the other option, which is 16, which is, again, obviously another really important issue, i just believe the lgbtplus motion is something that we can make more of an actual change and in a year look back and be like, yeah, we actually did Work Together and manage to make an amazing, amazing change with the work that we put in. So i would really, really urge all of you to think about whether or not you the work we could put in could make a difference, and i think it can. Thank you. [ applause ] thank you for another very clear and incisive speech. We havent had a back bench contributor, because i havent called such. We had a we havent had a back bench contributor. So its a toss up. It was very close. I think i saw you first. So ill take you, if i may. Thank you. Im liberty, and im from leeds. Everyone deserves to be happy. Age, appearance, race, doesnt matter. Why should it be any different with sexuality . It shouldnt. As young people representing our constituents, it is our responsibility to make sure no one is discriminated against. We can do so much if this is our campaign. Speak to groups, pledge awareness and change peoples perspectives. No one deserves to be alone. We need change. And as Nelson Mandela once said, be the change you want to see in the world. And today, i am asking you, members of Youth Parliament, to be that change. So i urge you to vote for this campaign. Thank you. [ applause ] thank you, colleagues. Look, there are always more people wanting to speak than there is time to accommodate. If you werent called, keep trying in other debates. If youre interested. And if i can call you, i will. Thats always the intention, to call as many as possible. To conclude the debate, i want you to give a very warm welcome to our speaker from the West Midlands, miles perry [ cheers and applause ] thank you, mr. Speaker. Id like to start by dedicating this speech to all those who have suffered and lost their lives as a result of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia throughout history. Friends, nearly 100,000 11 to 18yearold voted to protect lgbt people. Among them, members of the Lgbt Community themselves and will likely have experienced the horrific feeling that comes from continuous targeted hate. As sadly, mr. Speaker, have i. However, many will also know how ineffective and sometimes down right unhelpful many generic, untargeted, be onesizefitsall National Campaigns can be. Perhaps this is a Campaign Best left to local authorities, or to schools. On that subject, stone wall School Report for 2017 states that one in five lgbt people do not feel safe in their schools. And 70 are regularly skipping school after fear of being attacked or abused. How horrible is that . Young people, afraid to leave their own homes. Simply for being themselves. This means the lgbt discrimination is depriving people of valuable education, taking away opportunities and actively harming their future prospects. I say to schools, take action. Protect all your peoples. Schools should be a safe area. Every person across this United Kingdom has the right to feel safe, comfortable and accepted, whoever they are, whoever they love, and no matter where they live in the uk. Rural or urban, city, town or village. They have that right [ cheers and applause ] however, as previously stated, there are multiple organizations better equipped, better funded and in a better position to deliver this sort of campaign. I recently attended a residential event run by stone wall, and that environment of acceptance and freedom to be yourself without fear is an environment i would like everywhere, especially our schools. I implore you. Listen carefully to each and every point made today. Make your decision, vote your conscience, represent your constituents. If we want something to happen, we cannot just wait. We must act. For in the words of william shakespeare, it is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves. We are often told as young people that cannot make a difference, to leave it to the adults. But i say to you, members of uk Youth Parliament and to any young person watching this debate, if there is Something Like lgbt rights that you are passionate about, do not be scared to fight for what you believe in. Do not be afraid of making your voice heard. Stand up and be counted thank you. [ cheers and applause ] amias, thank you for that inspiring speech, a speech of real quality and distinction, which i hope youll treasure and remember for a very long time to come. That was, if i may say so, a superb opening debate. I hope that its opened your eyes to your own quality, what you can deliver. And encourages all those who follow to emulate the very, very, very high standard, which has got us under way. Were about to move on to the second motion, but i just want to mention, oh, what a pity. I think hes just left the chamber. But a moment ago during that fine windup speech, we were joined by the clerk assistant in the house, who is the secondmost senior clerk in the house. That is to say, a procedural expert in parliamentary privilege, and the bible of parcel mentary who sits at the table and advises the speaker, me, the deputy speakers, members of the house, including members of the government, members of the opposition. Dr. John benger. Thank you, john, for turning up. The Youth Parliament will now consider the fifth and final motion of the day, a curriculum to prepare us for