Life

Queen Elizabeth II: Here’s how LGBTQ+ people responded to her death

By Conor Clark

9th September 2022

BBC

Prominent LGBTQ+ people have been responding to Queen Elizabeth II’s death after Buckingham Palace made the announcement on 8 September.

She was in power since 1952 and was the only British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service.

Her death came after news that the Queen had been placed under medical supervision when doctors became concerned about her health, with tributes from a number of world leaders and public officials pouring in as soon as news of her passing ws shared later that day.

Liz Truss, the 15th and final Prime Minister to be asked to form a government by Her Majesty the Queen, was among those paying their respects.

“With the king’s family, we mourn the loss of his mother,” she said in a statement. “And as we mourn, we must come together as a people to support him. To help him bear the awesome responsibility that he now carries for us all.”

Writing on Instagram, Elton John paid a heartfelt tribute to the late monarch: “Along with the rest of the nation, I am deeply saddened to hear the news of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s passing.

“She was an inspiring presence to be around, and lead the country through some of our greatest, and darkest, moments with grace, decency and a genuine caring warmth.

“Queen Elizabeth has been a huge part of my life from childhood to this day, and I will miss her dearly.”

Ian Green, the Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said her “immense support for charities and good causes has been a hallmark of her reign.”

He continued: “Whether it is meeting a London-based patient with an AIDS-related illness in 1989, opening the Mildmay HIV Centre in Kampala, Uganda in 2007, or visiting an AIDS memorial garden in 2015, she has taken her message of compassion to a global audience time and again.”

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Author and food campaigner Jack Monroe thanked the Queen for her service and urged people to “let folks grieve in peace without petty pointscoring + crass remarks.”

“Have had the pleasure of meeting her a few times in this mad life and was always struck by the time, care, interest and kindness she showed to everyone around her,” they continued. “We’ve lost something remarkable and irreplaceable this afternoon, but god, we were so very lucky to have her.”

Cher said she was “sad about the passing of Queen Elizabeth II” before detailing a time she met her and saw her “great sense of humour” first hand.

LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall send its “deepest condolences to the Royal Family” and said the Queen’s death is a chance to “reflect on the the end of a very significant era for the UK.”

Jamie Wallis, the UK’s first MP to come out as transgender publicly, said she “will be an inspiration for all of us as we mourn her loss.”

A number of other LGBTQ+ figures paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, including prominent campaigners and Drag Race UK stars:

 

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