Ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, Out for Independence asked SNP candidates to sign the following pledge:
We, the undersigned, pledge to uphold and protect the hard-won rights of LGBTQIA+ people.
We pledge to stand against homophobia, lesbophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and all other forms of discrimination and hate against our communities. We recognise and support the right of LGBTQIA+ people to freely choose how they live and love – including their right to bodily autonomy.
We condemn the culture war being perpetrated by Labour, Reform UK and Conservatives alike, who seek to make scapegoats of LGBTQIA+ people, migrants, ethnic minorities, disabled people, and people living in poverty to deflect from the ongoing failures of the Westminster parties, including their ideological commitment to Brexit.
We recognise the harm and fear that this rhetoric has caused, and the dangerous polarisation which said culture war has induced. As such, we commit to defending the rights, dignity, and humanity of marginalised people.
We pledge to stand up for LGBTQIA+ people against the Westminster parties’ attacks and discriminatory policies, fight harmful conversion practices, work towards accessible and efficient trans healthcare, protect the right to an abortion and double down on the ambition to end HIV transmission in Scotland by 2030.
Last but not least, we commit to fight for fundamental change: Independence from the Westminster system and Union which have consistently failed to deliver for the people of Scotland.
66 candidates signed the pledge, 44 of whom were elected MSPs:
- John Swinney – Perthshire North
- George Adam – Paisley
- Karen Adam – Banffshire & Buchan Coast
- Clare Adamson – Motherwell & Wishaw
- Heather Anderson – Dundee City West
- Tom Arthur – Renfrewshire West & Levern Valley
- David Barratt – Cowdenbeath
- Colin Beattie – Midlothian North
- Dawn Black – Angus North & Mearns
- Declan Blench – Glasgow (List)
- Gary Bouse – Falkirk West
- Deidre Brock – Edinburgh Southern
- Keith Brown – Clackmannanshire & Dunblane
- Siobhian Brown – Ayr
- Graham Campbell – Glasgow (List)
- Kate Campbell – Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh & Tranent
- Michelle Campbell – Renfrewshire North & Cardonald
- Ross Clark – South Scotland (List)
- Callum Cox – Central Scotland & Lothians West (List)
- Jackie Dunbar – Aberdeen Donside
- Jérémie Fernandes – Highlands and Islands (List)
- Stephen Flynn – Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine
- Stephen Gethins – Dundee City East
- Michael Gibbons – West Scotland (List)
- Jenny Gilruth – Mid Fife & Glenrothes
- Neil Gray – Airdrie
- Emma Harper – Galloway and West Dumfries
- Katie Hagmann – Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley
- Clare Haughey – Rutherglen & Cambuslang
- Jamie Hepburn – Cumbernauld & Kilsyth
- Michael Hutchison – North East Scotland (List)
- Euan Hyslop – Edinburgh Northern
- Lyn Jardine – Edinburgh North Western
- Denis Johnston – Strathkelvin & Bearsden
- Fatima Joji – Aberdeenshire West
- Calum Kerr – Midlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale
- Simita Kumar – Edinburgh South Western
- Robert Leslie – Orkney Islands
- David Linden – Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston
- Ben Macpherson – Edinburgh North Eastern & Leith
- Màiri McAllan – Clydesdale
- Paul McLennan – East Lothian Coast & Lammermuirs
- Stuart McMillan – Inverclyde
- Marie McNair – Clydebank and Milngavie
- Gillian Martin – Aberdeenshire East
- Lloyd Melville – Angus South
- Colm Merrick – Glasgow Anniesland
- Jack Middleton – Aberdeen Central
- Jenni Minto – Argyll & Bute
- David Mitchell – Mid Scotland & Fife (List)
- Laura Mitchell – Moray
- Eilidh Munro – Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch
- Kirsten Oswald – Eastwood
- John Redpath – Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire
- Angus Robertson – Edinburgh Central
- Emma Roddick – Inverness and Nairn
- Tommy Sheppard – Edinburgh & Lothians East (List)
- Alyn Smith – Stirling
- Shirley-Anne Somerville – Dunfermline
- Pauline Stafford – Bathgate
- Collette Stevenson – East Kilbride
- Kaukab Stewart – Glasgow Southside
- Alison Thewliss – Glasgow Central
- Stephen Thompson – Dumfriesshire
- Maree Todd – Caithness, Sutherland & Ross
- Sophie Traynor – Dumbarton
