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Yesterday the sultan of Brunei announced that his country won't enforce the death penalty for people found to have had gay sex - a significant u-turn for a policy which had received international condemnation. A few days ago in Sicily, two young women had a picture taken of them kissing as they stood next to Matteo Salvini, Italy's interior minister, and a man known for his anti LGBT stance. The women wanted to send a message of support to everyone whose rights were being called into question. Issues of LGBT rights make frequent headlines. In March this year, we saw protests outside Parkfield community school in Birmingham when parents called for a stop to the No Outsiders programme, an educational package on social diversity, with teaching on family and relationship issues. The majority protesting were Muslims, but several Christian and Jewish parents also rejected the material claiming it wasn’t age appropriate nor did it accord with their views on sexual morality. Andrew Moffat who designed the project explained that the programme wasn’t about sex education, it was about community cohesion, ` preparing children for life in modern Britain.’ Modernity is criticised for many social ills but for me modernity is defined by the struggle for equality. Equality isn’t only about closing pay gaps and inclusive access to education and jobs, it’s about creating a sense of belonging, that no matter who you are and what your background, you belong with the same rights, so that your humanity isn’t always at the mercy of people’s opinions including their religious teachings. I say this not to belittle peoples sincerely held beliefs but because in most religions, there has rarely been a single orthodoxy on matters of gender and sexuality. For their part, Muslim cultures have always struggled with the gulf between doctrine and social realities where neither conscience nor religious teaching could suppress the diversity of human desire and relationships. True pluralism may indeed be a careful balancing of everyone’s rights. But in this month of Ramadan as Muslims prepare for fasting and prayer, it’s important to re- think what faith really demands from each of us – it demands love, family, community and the courage and humility to help someone else in their time of emotional struggle. Within the wider cultural visibility and acceptance of LGBT relationships, there are a growing number of Muslim voices who want to tell a different story of being Muslim and gay. These are brave voices and like many, across all religions, have probably struggled for years with their faith, their feelings and their fears of being rejected by their families and communities. Modern Britain isn’t only defined by what we teach but also by what we show – compassion - a place where everyone belongs.