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Labour MP and vocal trans ally Nadia Whittome has joined the Women and Equalities Committee, alongside two other MPs. Whittome – who has represented Nottingham East since 2019 when she was elected at the age of just 23 – is queer herself and has been a tour de force of LGBTQ+ advocacy throughout her time in parliament. Over the years this has included advocating for the rights of LGBTQ+ refugees and slamming the queerphobic asylum system, affirming that trans women are women, spoke out against the widely-criticised Cass Review and called out her own party’s views on trans rights. Announcing her appointment to the committee, which examines the work of the Office for Equality and Opportunity (OEO), Whittome wrote on social media: “Delighted to announce that I have joined the Women & Equalities Committee, alongside Delighted to announce that I have joined the Women & Equalities Committee, alongside @kimleadbeater and Kevin McKenna MP.I’m looking forward to scrutinising the government’s work in this area and championing equality for women and marginalised groups. pic.twitter.com/4FrDGB7wJh— Nadia Whittome MP (@NadiaWhittomeMP) October 28, 2025 “@kimleadbeater and Kevin McKenna MP. I’m looking forward to scrutinising the government’s work in this area and championing equality for women and marginalised groups.” Leadbeater and McKenna are both also queer, and are part of the more than 60 out MPs in parliament. Leadbeater, the sister of murdered Labour MP Jo Cox, has represented Spen Valley – formerly the constituency of Batley and Spen – since 2021. During her election campaign she was chased and heckled by an anti-LGBT+ campaigner over her support for equality. Shakeel Afsar, a Birmingham activist who campaigns against inclusive relationship and sex education in English schools, demanded the know if Leadbeater would stand against “LGBT indoctrination” and told her he had “seen through the Labour lies”. “Why would you shout at a woman on the street?” Leadbeater asked Afsar. “Because I’m very angry,” he responded and denied he was shouting. Leadbeater replied: “This is where I live, this is my community. Don’t come here and shout at me in the street. The Muslim community of Batley and Spen deserve better than this.” Kevin McKenna has represented Sittingbourne and Sheppey since 2024 and this February shared he is HIV positive in a bid to end the stigma surrounding the virus. During a Commons debate on National HIV Testing Week, McKenna opened up about his diagnosis and explained how different living with HIV is now to the experiences of those in the 80s and 90s. “You won’t pass this disease on when you’re treated,” he said. “You won’t suffer. And honestly it’s boring and mundane.”
