FACT CHECK: Did The Guardian Publish A Headline Claiming Islam ‘Embraced The LGBTQ+ Community’?
A post shared on social media purportedly shows a screenshot of an opinion piece from the Guardian, authored by U.K. Labor Party leader Keir Starmer, claiming Islam has “embraced the LGBTQ+ community.”
— Pugh Himple (@GBullstein) June 19, 2024
Verdict: False
The headline is digitally fabricated. Starmer has made no such remarks.
Fact Check:
Ahead of the United Kingdom’s first general election after leaving the European Union, immigration is at the forefront of voters’ minds, NPR reported. The UK has seen record high numbers of immigrants while Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plans to deport migrants to East Africa.
A post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows an alleged headline from the Guardian about Islam in Britain. The alleged article greatly resembles The Guardian’s formatting, including a small picture of Starmer in the corner.
The alleged headline reads, “Islam has embraced the LGBTQ+ community. My aim is to get Britain to embrace Islam”
The claim is inaccurate. The headline does not appear on the Guardian website. Likewise, it is not found on any of their social media accounts.
Fabricated images of headlines from The Guardian have been shared online before. Check Your Fact has debunked several in the past. The Guardian is attempting to take legal action to stop fake headlines from spreading on social media, according to Press Gazette. (RELATED: Viral X Image Does Not Show Authentic Opinion Headline From The Guardian)
This is not the first time misinformation has been shared online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim The Economist published a cover featuring a crosshair on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
