The Conservative Party has included a ‘gay pride’ social event for the first time in this year’s conference schedule.
Conservative Pride is listed as one of just four social events announced so far for the conference in October.
Last year’s Conservative conference prompted a storm when delegates were given vouchers to visit a lap-dancing club as part of their event packs.
The description of this year’s gay pride event reads: “This high profile event is expected to draw over 700 guests who’ll party the night away with surprise special guests and a senior Shadow Cabinet member speaking at the event.”
The event is being advertised with a rainbow coloured version of the Conservative Party’s logo.
Last month it was reported that reaching out to homosexual groups was to become one of David Cameron’s top five priorities as part of a drive “to show that ‘new Toryism’ is still alive and kicking”.
It was also announced that Mr Cameron and fellow Conservative Nick Herbert would be attending a gay pride event this month.
The move has been compared to Tony Blair’s efforts to court the homosexual lobby before he was elected as Prime Minister in 1997.
A raft of ‘gay rights’ legislation was subsequently introduced including gay adoption and the controversial Sexual Orientation Regulations.
Last year Michael Gove, the Shadow Secretary for Children, Schools and Families, said the Conservatives had been wrong to oppose measures such as gay adoption in the past.
In April this year the Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, Alan Duncan, joked during an appearance on the TV news quiz Have I Got News For You about murdering an American beauty queen because of her opposition to gay marriage.
According to the Conservative Party website, Mr Duncan boasts as his proudest political achievement “steering the Civil Partnership Bill through the House of Commons”.