Queen Elizabeth II (Via Royal.Gov.Uk)
BY CAVAN SIECZKOWSKI
Huffington Post Gay Voices
Queen Elizabeth II is expected to sign a new charter for the Commonwealth, a document which many have interpreted as a nod to gay rights. On Monday, Queen Elizabeth will sign the Commonwealth Charter which lays out the core values of the 54 member states, NPR notes. One particular line in this document is making headlines around the world because people have interpreted it as the first time Queen Elizabeth will openly support gay rights in her 61-year reign.
British LGBT activist Peter Tatchell told the Independent that if the Queen choose to back equality now, it will stand in contrast to her previous inaction. “While I doubt that Elizabeth II is a raging homophobe, she certainly doesn’t appear to be gay-friendly. Not once during her reign has she publicly acknowledged the existence of the LGBT community,” he said. “While she has spoken approvingly of the UK’s many races and faiths, for six decades she has ignored LGBT Britons. If she treated black and Asian Britons in the same way, she’d be denounced as a racist. Why the double standards?”
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