Conservative party attendees have been accused homophobic abuse at an LGBT+ event at the fringes of this week’s annual conference in Birmingham.
Several people were removed for allegedly hurling homophobic insults at an event organised by LGBT Conservatives at the Reflex nightclub, it was claimed.
One attendee was removed by security after calling a gay man a “f**” and another was chucked out for calling two women a “dirty l*****”, according to ITV News.
One of the victims told the broadcaster: “We kicked someone out who was blind drunk and called me a dirty l***** and that I needed to watch my back. I don’t feel like I morally fit in anymore.”
Elena Bunbury, chair of the organising group, said: “The abuse my team at LGBT Conservatives have had tonight is disgusting. We’ve run a free event and it’s spoilt by the few that feel the need to be abusive, not on at all. Thank you to those who were respectful, it means a lot.”
A Conservative spokesperson said: “We have had discussions with LGBT+ Conservatives regarding this incident, which took place outside of the conference secure zone, and offered them our support.”
The party spokesperson added: “If those involved are identified as members of the party, we will launch swift investigations.”
The nightclub event was available to anyone with a security pass for the Tory conference, including party members and lobbyists.
Jessica Zbinden-Webster, head of women for LGBT Conservatives, tweeted: “A lot of people showed themselves up at the LGBT Conservatives party last night. We’re making a list and checking it twice.”
Labour’s Anneliese Dodds, shadow women and equalities minister, said the reports were “deeply troubling”. She said the party “must take these allegations seriously and investigate them urgently – anyone found to have engaged in homophobic abuse must face disciplinary action”.
Ms Dodds added: “Hate crime against LGBT+ people has doubled over the last five years under the Conservatives. Labour would act by making all LGBT+ related hate crimes aggravated offences.”
The Tory conference saw Greenpeace activists stage a protest during the Liz Truss’s speech on Wednesday, brandishing a flag reading, ‘Who voted for this?’
Ms Truss could be heard saying “let’s get them removed”, before being roundly cheered and applauded by party members as the protesters were led away by security.
