This conference season, it’s time to rebuild trust and hope for the LGBTQ+ community

This piece was originally published in PoliticsHome.

It is one year since I became CEO of Stonewall. It’s been a year of turbulence, challenge and change for the LGBTQ+ community in the UK and globally.

We have seen numerous examples of rights being challenged, contested and rolled back across the world. Here in the UK, we have fallen down the global leaderboard on LGBTQ+ rights, and we are seeing hostility, discrimination and division more openly expressed.   

Time and again I talk to people of my generation who are saying that despite how much progress has been made, the atmosphere surrounding LGBTQ+ rights feels horribly reminiscent of the past, and not in a good way.

LGBTQ+ rights, although hard won, remain fragile. We have seen several regressive actions in recent months.

In the UK, some councils have stopped supporting Pride, and flags have not been raised this year.  

Funding for the LGBTQ+ movement globally has reduced and in the UK funding for LGBTQ+ services is incredibly tight.  Same sex marriage is under threat in the US, and some are saying we shouldn’t have passed the equal marriage bill here in the UK. Over the summer, lawmakers in Hong Kong rejected a bill that would have granted limited rights to same-sex couples. 

Rainbow crossings have been painted over in the US and some question them in the UK too. Many trans people are on extremely long waiting lists for healthcare, putting them at risk. Many trans+, gender non-confirming women are becoming fearful in public spaces.

Prejudice towards marginalised groups is unacceptably high; hate crimes are on the rise for the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalised groups and less than half of LGBTQ+ people feel safe holding their partners hand in public.

This anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment is crossing into some workplaces too. Some organisations are dialling down their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) activity - and where they do remain committed to DEI principles, many are renaming activity or merging it into other departments. Some are seeing reduction in budgets.   

The Supreme Court judgment on the meaning of woman and man in the Equality Act, in April this year, and the subsequent inadequate Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) consultation process on a new Statutory Code of Practice, has left the LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans and non-binary people, feeling angry, worried, hurt and uncertain.

This is set against a backdrop of a growing division in attitudes towards refugees, asylum seekers and people of colour. The Union Jack and St George flags being flown with a re-purposed meaning around the UK show that other marginalised communities are being demonised, along with the LGBTQ+ community.

Sadly, we are now living in a world that feels more hostile for many people.

My second year as Stonewall CEO kicks off, like my first, with the political party conferences - a crucial opportunity to advocate again for the legislative change and political leadership we need.

In July we launched Stonewall’s new strategy: In courage and unity, is hope. Our vision is of a world where everyone, everywhere has equal rights. Central areas of our work are navigating turbulence, which reflects the times we live in right now - and shaping policy.

Sustainable and long-term change cannot be achieved by anyone alone. Politicians from all parties play a vital role so we will be continuing to advocate for positive change with a wide range of politicians and policy makers. This year, we are attending the Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Green Party conferences to advocate for a safer and more equal society where LGBTQ+ people can live, work and thrive.

The government has yet to deliver on its election manifesto promises.

In the summer the Prime Minister said he wants the UK to be a leader in LGBTQ+ rights; we simply haven't yet seen the sustained commitment and political courage we need to advance LGBTQ+ equality in the UK. 

Over the past eight years we have been promised time and time again that a fully inclusive ban on conversion practices will be brought forward. The Dutch parliament recently voted to criminalise them, which is a hugely positive step for LGBTQ+ people in the Netherlands. The UK must follow suit.

Government has committed to amend the Crime and Policing Bill to make LGBTQ+ and disability hate crimes aggravated offences. But it is not over the line yet.

Access to trans+ healthcare continues to be inadequate and highly politicised. The new updated relationships, sex and health education guidance for schools needs work and will not reflect the lived experience of young people. Many in the LGBTQ+ community await the gender questioning children guidance for schools with some trepidation.

Trust in the government and many politicians of those across the political spectrum is lacking and that makes it even more important that the needs, voices and realities of the LGBTQ+ community are represented in political debates and conversations.

Our call to action for all politicians is simple: we need moral courage and political leadership to reduce the social, economic and health inequalities that exist in the LGBTQ+ community.  

Despite the challenges there is also so much that gives us hope. There are parliamentarians in both houses who consistently stand up for the rights of the community. The thousands and thousands of people who volunteer their time to answer calls and emails, to run employee and other networks to organise – and attend - Pride events, to fundraise for LGBTQ+ causes, give their time to support Stonewall (and me), organise activities that create space for joy and connection and so much more.

I remain determinedly optimistic. I was lucky to see the former New Zealand Prime Minister Rt Hon Dame Jacinda Ardern speak recently. She said this: “Optimism is a choice – a courageous choice that can sometimes be treated as naivety or not being grounded in the real world. More than hope, courage is the expectation that people, together, can solve what feels unsolvable.” 

We know that progress is possible; we’ve seen it happen, time and time again. I look forward to working with politicians and partners to make that possibility a reality.