Liz Truss, who is a Conservative MP and serves as both the Foreign Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities, has called for an end to the “ludicrous debates” surrounding “statues and pronouns” in the UK following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking during the Conservative Party Spring Conference at Blackpool Winter Gardens on 19 March, the 46-year-old said the UK should be “proud of its longstanding commitment to freedom and democracy”.
“This is what is important, this is what matters,” she added.
Truss stated that she believes the Ukraine-Russia war means it is time to set aside what she referred to as “ludicrous debates”.
“Now is the time to end the culture of self-doubt, the constant self-questioning and introspection – the ludicrous debates about languages, statues and pronouns,” she continued.
“Our history, warts and all, is what makes us what we are today,” Truss also stated.
She also said that the West has a duty of changing who it relies on to function.
“We’re ending our dependency on authoritarian regimes,” Truss added. “The West focused on cheap goods at the expense of freedom and security. Never again.”
For months, Western officials reported that Russia was planning an invasion of Ukraine that could begin at any moment – something Vladimir Putin adamantly denied.
In the early hours of 24 February, however, Ukrainian officials stated that Russia had launched an all-out assault on the country, with troops crossing the border – leaving LGBTQ+ people fearful for what the future could hold.
Since then, Russia has faced an array of economic sanctions from nations like the UK in a bid to bring the conflict to a halt.
You can learn more about how to help LGBTQ+ people in Ukraine here.
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