Why "Delga"?

One of the common questions we have had over the years is, "why DELGA? What does it stand for?"

Part of the history of our name lies in the days before the Liberal Democrats, in the group working for gay rights in the old Liberal Party before it merged with the SDP in 1988 to form the Liberal Democrats.

When first formed, that group in the pre-Liberal/SDP merger era was called Liberals for Gay Action (LGA) and later changed its name to Liberals for Lesbian & Gay Action (LLGA).

When the new Liberal Democrats party was formed, it was initially called the Social and Liberal Democrats, with the official shortened name of the Democrats. Hence our organisation became DEmocrats for Lesbian & Gay Action, with the recognised acronym in the constitution becoming DELGA.

In the 1990s the formal name of the organisation was changed to include bi and trans issues, and is Liberal Democrats for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Action. However, the shortened form of the name has stuck. It's just so much easier to pronounce!