UK has highest number of LGBT politicians in the world

Lord Chris Smith was the first openly gay MP in the 1984, marking a significant moment in LGBT rights in Parliament. Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

Two UK politicians joined the growing number of publicly LGBT MPs in the British Parliament over the weekend (20-21 February). SNP's Hannah Bardell and Labour's Nia Griffith are the two latest to join a special photoshoot that celebrated Parliament's increasing diversity.

A group of 28 MPs and peers gathered together for the photoshoot in honour of LGBT History Month, which is celebrated every year in February. According to the Independent on Sunday, the photoshoot marked the largest number of publicly LGBT parliamentarians pictured together. It also commemorated UK Parliament as having more LGBT members than any other parliament in the world – a total of 35 out of 650 MPs (seven members weren't available for the photoshoot).

SNP's business spokesperson, Hannah Bardell, told the Independent: "I only came out to myself and to my family during the election. I then chose not to say anything publicly because I had just got elected and I didn't want it to be one of the first things I said about myself as an MP."

Bardell said she started thinking about her sexuality more after David Mundell, Scottish Secretary, became the first openly gay Tory cabinet member in January 2016. Bardell said she acknowledged how difficult it must have been for him to come out and decided to say something about herself. She chose to come out at the photo opportunity for LGBT History Month.

Bardell said: "I felt this was the right moment – I'm very proud to be out and I'm very happy."

Lord Smith also appears in the picture. His sexuality marked a significant moment in British LGBT politics as he became the first openly gay MP in the 1980s, as well as the first to be appointed to the cabinet with his appointment as Culture Secretary in 1997.

Chris Bryant, the shadow leader of the House of Commons who organised the MPs and peers for the photo, said: "For years, Chris was the only one. But for some of the MPs now, their sexuality is just a mundane part of their lives rather than the only interesting parts of their lives."