The UK Government's new equalities minister Kemi Badenoch has criticised the chief executive of an LGBT+ news website in her first parliamentary appearance in the role. On her first full day in her new post Tory MP Ms Badenoch was asked in the Commons about PinkNews after the outlet's CEO, Benjamin Cohen, posted a string of tweets critical of her record on LGBT rights.
Ms Badenoch told MPs that Mr Cohen used Twitter "as a tool for defamation". She said: “We are running a compassionate equality strategy and we should not be distracted by people who use Twitter as a way to insult or accuse members of parliament.
“What I would like to say, Mr Speaker, as we do begin a new era of equalities is that the Equality Act is a shield, not a sword. It is there to protect people of all characteristics whether they’re young or old, male or female, black or white, gay or straight. This particular individual is someone who uses Twitter as a tool for defamation."
