# LGBTQ+ News Today: Pride Poppy Row, Patrick Stewart Tributes and More

*31 October 2026*

From controversy over a rainbow poppy to a push for LGBTQ+ rights across the Commonwealth, here are four stories making headlines.

### 1. Royal British Legion defends Pride poppy following Reform UK criticism

The Royal British Legion has defended its LGBTQ+ Pride poppy after Reform UK councillor Joseph Boam accused the charity of politicising remembrance.

Boam, a Leicestershire county councillor, criticised the badge as “woke virtue signalling”.

The charity responded that the badge recognises LGBTQ+ Armed Forces personnel, particularly those who experienced discrimination before the ban on openly gay military personnel was lifted in 2000.

[Read the full story at PinkNews](https://www.thepinknews.com/2026/10/30/pride-poppy-badge-2026/)

### 2. Ian McKellen pays emotional tribute to Patrick Stewart

Sir Ian McKellen has paid tribute to his longtime friend and fellow actor Sir Patrick Stewart, who died on 28 October aged 86.

Stewart, best known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in *Star Trek* and Professor Charles Xavier in *X-Men*, was also a prominent LGBTQ+ ally.

McKellen remembered their decades-long friendship, describing Stewart as someone he could depend upon, admire and love.

The pair became close friends through their acting careers and were widely celebrated for their affectionate public friendship.

[Read the full story at Queerty](https://www.queerty.com/ian-mckellen-pete-buttigieg-jeffrey-co-stars-pay-tribute-to-patrick-stewart-20261030/)

### 3. MPs call for LGBTQ+ equality across Commonwealth nations

Liberal Democrat MP Ben Maguire is urging the UK government to challenge laws criminalising homosexuality across the Commonwealth.

Consensual same-sex relationships remain illegal in 29 of the organisation’s 56 member countries, with some imposing severe prison sentences or even the death penalty.

Maguire has tabled a parliamentary motion and organised a cross-party letter ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which begins on 1 November.

The initiative calls for greater diplomatic pressure on countries that continue to criminalise same-sex relationships.

[Read the full story at Attitude](https://www.attitude.co.uk/news/lib-dems-lgbt-equality-across-commonwealth-538643/)

### 4. New documentary follows gay couple fighting for their future

A new documentary, *We Had A Plan*, tells the story of Paul and Daniel, a gay Filipino couple who spent more than a decade living and working in Amsterdam.

After saving money to build a future together, they returned to the Philippines, where their relationship and plans for a new life faced significant challenges.

The film explores love, migration, financial pressures and the difficulties experienced by same-sex couples in countries where their relationships lack legal recognition.

[Read the full story at Queerty](https://www.queerty.com/gay-filipino-couple-fights-for-their-future-in-stirring-doc-we-had-a-plan-20261030/)

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*TheGayUK.com | LGBTQ+ News Roundup | 31 October 2026*