Ian McKellen leads London march against anti‑LGBTQ laws

Actor and activist Sir Ian McKellen led a protest march through central London on Saturday, calling for an end to laws that criminalize LGBTQ people across the Commonwealth. The demonstration, organized by the Peter Tatchell Foundation and the Out and Proud African LGBTI Network, highlighted that same-sex relationships remain illegal in 29 of the organization's member states.

McKellen, a longtime advocate for LGBTQ rights, addressed participants before they embarked on a route past the diplomatic missions of eight countries: Nigeria, Uganda, Papua New Guinea, Trinidad and Tobago, Ghana, Jamaica, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. He described the situation facing LGBTQ people in many Commonwealth nations as "appalling."

In his remarks, McKellen traced the origins of many anti-LGBTQ laws to British colonial rule. "When Britain had an empire, it introduced into countries far away from here the laws that we had in this country, including the laws against gay people," he said. He noted that while Britain has repealed such legislation, these "old laws" persist in many former territories. He urged member states to "live up to the standards and declaration of the Commonwealth and repeal them."