February is LGBT+ History Month. It has been 20 years since the age of consent for gay and heterosexual couples was equalised. The South West has played a prominent role in the transformation of LGBT+ rights over the last two decades.

There have been big changes in the law since the 1990s which have improved gay rights, but unfortunately, prejudice still exists. On Valentine’s Day this year, Luke himself faced homophobic comments after sharing a photograph of himself and his partner on Twitter.

“Not everyone has got the message that love is love, I’m afraid. We’ve made great progress over the years with laws being changed and the country has thankfully moved in a positive direction. But, there is still hate out there. In a culture as toxic as what we have in politics right now, we still need to challenge hate and call it out wherever we can.”