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Five questions to ask general election candidates about LGBT equality

On the doorstep, in an email, in the street or at a public meeting, please ask your parliamentary candidates about their support for LGBT equality. Not only can these questions help you make up your mind who to vote for, but they also show candidates that LGBT equality matters to the people they want to represent.The decisions our MPs make affect every aspect of our lives. They have a say on everything from our education system, and whether schools teach about LGBT families, to criminal…

Trans Day of Remembrance: what is it and why is it needed?

Today, 20 November, is Trans Day of Remembrance, which was founded by Gwendolyn Ann Smith in 1999 to commemorate the life and death of Rita Hester, a black trans woman murdered in Boston, Massachusetts.This year, there have been 331 known killings of trans people worldwide that Stonewall and other LGBTQ+ communities and organisations around the world will remember. Sadly, these numbers include the murder of Amy Griffiths, a 51 year old trans woman, in Droitwitch, Worcestershire, in January…

Dispelling myths around detransition

Over this past weekend, we saw some worrying headlines and conversations online about trans and cis people whose exploration of their gender identity involves detransition.So let’s start with the reality: most people who transition do so without any regrets. Detransitioning is very rare, but it does happen. A research analysis showed that of the 3,398 trans patients who had appointments at an NHS Gender Identity Service between 2016 and 2017, less than one per cent said in those…

The Stonewall uprising: 50 years of LGBT history

On this day 50 years ago, an uprising took place at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. As it was raided by the police in the early hours, three nights of unrest followed, with LGBT people, long frustrated by police brutality, finally fighting back. Lesbians and trans women of colour were some of the key people involved in the act of resistance, including Stormé DeLarverie, Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. This anniversary is a reminder of the power of standing together in defiance of…

7 ways to get your MP’s attention

This summer, individuals and organisations will be writing to their MPs calling for action on for Gender Recognition Act reform.David chairs the Wandsworth LGBTQ+ Forum which has built support for LGBT equality at local and national levels by building relationships with local MPs. Here, he shares their experience to help you make an impact on your local MP.  1. Don’t be party political.Here in Wandsworth, we have three MPs of different parties and have been able to build good…

Top 10 tips for LGBT inclusion in the workplace

People perform better when they can be themselves, and if you’re looking to make sure that lesbian, gay, bi and trans (LGBT) people are fully included in your workplace, we’ve got some tips to help.1. Ensure that your policies are fully inclusive of LGBT peopleThis includes pensions, family and leave policies, health insurance and relocation allowances. You should make sure your policies explicitly mention LGBT people.2. Get people involved across your organisationThis could include setting up…

Statement on the UK Government’s decision to block Scotland’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill

We are saddened that the Prime Minister has decided to block the implementation of the Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Bill, through an order under Section 35 of the Scotland Act, for the first time in the history of devolution.This is a piece of legislation that simply seeks to make the process for legally recognising a trans man or trans women’s gender more respectful and straightforward.  Scotland’s Bill aligns it with leading international practice endorsed by the United…

Stonewall statement on likely GRR intervention from UK Government

Ending reciprocal recognition of Gender Recognition Certificates (GRCs) from countries that support trans people changing their legal gender using a self-determination model is a disgraceful low for the UK Government’s approach to LGBTQ+ rights.This comes as the UK Government considers challenging the Scottish Government’s mandate to implement the Gender Recognition Reform (GRR) Bill - a bill that was passed with overwhelming cross-party support from MSPs in December 2022.Trans people from…

Statement on Gender Recognition Act reform in Scotland

Colin Macfarlane (he/him), Director of Nations at Stonewall, said: "The Scottish Government has an overwhelming mandate to reform the Gender Recognition Act. The proposed reforms are one of the most consulted on in the Scottish Parliament’s history. In May this year, the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee undertook ten weeks of detailed evidence hearings on the proposals, hearing from a wide range of witnesses both supporting and opposed to the…

Stonewall calls on Conservative leadership candidates to respect Rainbow Britain

As the Conservative Party enters a leadership election, Stonewall is calling on all candidates, their supporters and the media to ditch the divisive ‘culture war’ and promote values that bring Britain’s diverse communities together. Britain takes pride in being a tolerant family of nations. Just two thirds of Britons are exclusively straight, three quarters of us are closely connected to a lesbian, gay or bi person, and 1 in 4 of us know a trans person. LGBTQ+ people…