Britain's first openly lesbian MP, Maureen Colquhoun, has died today, aged 92. Between 1974 and 1979 she made history, being a high profile out gay woman, and suffered prejudice and discrimination from some members of her own party. She fought back. She was a role model to many.

"Battling Maureen" was deselected by her local constituency Labour party in 1977. Her "lesbianism was the underlying issue in the moves to unseat her".

"I am gay and proud of it", said Ms Colquhoun.

Ms Colquhoun talked to @pollytoynbee in the Guardian about being gay, and @DailyMirror backed her rights on a front page, calling out the discrimination she was suffering. Lesbians lobbied and picketed for Maureen. And Labour's NEC decided Maureen should retain her position.

The trailblazing MP backed lesbian and gay rights in Parliament at a time when it was unpopular to do so. For example, in 1976 she chaired a meeting of Action for Lesbian Parents when it met at the House of Commons.

Ms Colquhoun lost her seat in 1979. It is poignant that her last recorded entry in Hansard is in respect of homosexuality, with her urging the government to decriminalize sexual acts between men in Northern Ireland which, at that time, remained completely illegal.

Here's an article by @NickMDuffy in @PinkNews which contains a lovely tribute by @kezdugdale: "I made sure she knew I couldn’t have been me without her." https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/02/02/first-out-lesbian-mp-maureen-colquhoun-dies-92/

And here's an article by @hugo_greenhalgh for @Openly which contains a quote from me. https://www.openlynews.com/i/?id=9bb93e63-31e3-4a4c-8e63-3f4de596cb8a