Wes Streeting has responded to a radio caller's homophobic rant that questioned his appointment as Defence Secretary, urging followers to "be strong by being you" after a clip of the exchange was widely shared online.
Caller's comments and host's reaction
During the LBC exchange, a caller named John claimed there were "too many gays in charge" and criticised Mr Streeting's "camp way of speaking." The host, Henry Riley, labelled John a "dinosaur" and told him to "give your head a wobble" for his remarks.
John said it was a "ridiculous idea" to put Mr Streeting in charge of the Ministry of Defence, but clarified he did not think the Defence Secretary was unqualified. When asked why, he said: "No, it's because he's gay, and he talks very camp."
Streeting's message of resilience
In response, Mr Streeting posted on X: "Water off a duck's back. My message to every single young person who worries about encountering this sort of thing in their lives and careers is simple: we are stronger, they are weaker, and the future is brighter."
In a follow-up post, he wrote: "I also want to share something with those struggling with abuse because of who you are or who you love. It might feel hard now, but it gets better. You will build resilience and you will find - in time - strength from your experience. Be proud. Be strong by being you."
Background and previous abuse
Mr Streeting, who was appointed to the role by Andy Burnham, has previously revealed he has faced an "unbelievable" volume of homophobic abuse. Last week, he told the Edinburgh Fringe that some "cannot cope with the idea" of a gay Defence Secretary.
He said: "I am proud of the fact that in my lifetime we've gone from gay people not being allowed to serve in the military to a gay defence secretary. And in my first week, someone in the MoD said to me, you know, as a gay man, I'm really proud that we have our first gay defence secretary, and it means a lot to many of us who remember the bad old days."
