After her opponent withdrew from the race, Theresa May will be the next British prime minister. Her win is a victory for LGBT rights in Britain, since her recent positions have been largely accepting and progressive, in contrast with her former opponent Andrea Leadsom, who has challenged marriage equality and same-sex adoption in the past.
However, May was once similarly opposed to the expansion of LGBT rights, having challenged adoptions rights and the repeal of a law that prohibited pro-LGBT discourse in schools and government offices. Her appointment as equalities minister in 2010 caused controversy because she was viewed as homophobic.
May has apparently had a profound change of heart. In recent years, she made several moves for LGBT rights, including sponsoring marriage equality legislation and breaking up a boarder agency that was accused of deporting LGBT refugees. She has condemned bullying, and explained that she “genuinely changed [her] mind” on the issue of same-sex adoption.