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30 YEARS OF PROGRESS: WHAT YOU CAN DO NEXT FOR LGBT EQUALITY was founded 30 years ago by a small group of people who had been active in the struggle against . We’re here to let all , , bi and trans people, here and abroad, know they’re not alone. But our work is not finished yet. Not until everyone feels free to be who they are, wherever they are. Despite many successes in the last 30 years, our society is still far from equal for LGBT people. This briefing discusses our collective achievements over the past 30 years in three key areas – trans rights, LGBT-inclusive education and same-sex marriage – and highlights work that still urgently needs to be done. Together, let’s make sure to not roll back the clock, let’s keep working to make progress, and let’s be the best in the world on LGBT rights. Three things you can do to help right now are:

1. Standing shoulder to shoulder with your trans constituents, their friends and families. Please show your support by writing to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Women and Equalities to express your support for a reformed Gender Recognition Act, so this stays high on the political agenda and we get the change that’s so urgently needed.

2. Being a local champion for LGBT-inclusive education in all schools in your constituency, to ensure all young people in your constituency get the education they deserve.

3. Urging the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to legislate to extend same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland. GENDER RECOGNITION ACT TODAY: In July 2017 the UK government committed to reform the Act and streamline and de- 30 YEARS AGO: medicalise the process. The government repeatedly made it clear that being trans is not a mental illness. They launched a consultation on reform of the law around gender There was no legal way for people to change their gender. This meant the state recognition and we’re waiting for the results. We expect the government to bring didn’t recognise trans people for who they really were. Trans people were essentially forward new legislation based on this consultation. branded by society as not valid, leaving them feeling isolated, rejected, and The UK dropped to eighth place in the Rainbow Europe LGBT rankings in 2019, having unwelcome. previously topped the list as the best place to be LGBT in Europe. The drop has much to do with an increase in anti-trans sentiment in the media and online, and progress is WHAT’S HAPPENED SINCE: needed in reforming the GRA to ensure the UK reclaims its place as the best place in Europe to be LGBT. In 2004, legislation was passed allowing trans people to apply for a gender recognition certificate (GRC) to legally change their gender. Led by Press for Change, this was a landmark moment for trans rights in the UK, and a huge step forward towards equality. LET’S KEEP WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE PROGRESS:

However, applying for legal gender recognition is a long and arduous process, with There’s no question that the GRA was a huge step forward. Fifteen years on, however, significant barriers for many trans people – the government estimates just 12 per cent action is needed to make sure all trans people know the state recognises who they of trans people have a GRC. Forty-four per cent of trans people without a certificate truly are. haven’t applied because they don’t tick the boxes of this demeaning medical model, which demands psychiatric reports, a medical diagnosis and the person to have lived Stonewall believes the new system should: ‘in role’ for at least two years. • End the requirement to provide medical evidence. Because of the barriers in the way of trans people obtaining GRCs, many trans people • Introduce a simple administrative process based on self-determination, in line have not benefitted from the legislation that was supposed to improve their lives. Since with best practice in other countries such as Ireland, Malta, Argentina and so many trans people have been unable to legally change their gender, most still do not Norway. This means that a trans person will sign a legally binding statutory have the legal recognition they deserve, 30 years on. declaration affirming their true gender. As the Prime Minister said in July 2018: • Include legal recognition for non-binary people (those who don’t identify only as male or female). What was very clear from our [National LGBT] • Lower the age to access gender recognition to 16, and give access to under- Survey is that people across the UK find 16s with parental consent. the process of legally changing their gender overly • Ensure that an individual’s spouse can’t block their right to have their gender bureaucratic and invasive… I want to see a process recognised. that is more streamlined and de-medicalised – because Changing the law would transform trans people’s lives and bring the UK in line with being trans should never be treated as an illness. best practice on trans equality. We’re two years into the GRA reform process, and it’s fair to say progress hasn’t come easily. There’s been a horrendous backlash against trans rights, leaving many trans people once again feeling isolated, rejected, and unwelcome. WHAT YOU CAN DO TO KEEP MAKING PROGRESS FOR TRANS EQUALITY:

We ask you to stand shoulder to shoulder with SECTION 28 your trans constituents, their friends and families. AND LGBT EDUCATION Please show your support by writing to the Prime IN SCHOOLS Minister and the Minister for Women and Equalities to express your backing for a reform of the GRA, to make sure this stays high 30 YEARS AGO: on the political agenda and In 1988, the government put in we get the change that’s so place legislation across Britain urgently needed. that banned the ‘promotion’ We expect the government of , effectively to bring forward legislation stopping teachers and others once they’ve finished from talking about LGBT issues analysing the consultation – this was within many of our responses. Your support for lifetimes. this legislation is vital. We’d welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss this in more detail. WHAT’S HAPPENED SINCE: DON’T TURN BACK THE CLOCK: Thanks to the support of a great many parliamentarians and campaigners, Section 28 was repealed in 2000 in Scotland and and . Through the struggle It’s clear that LGBT-inclusive education is sorely lacking for far too many young people. lesbian, gay and bi people faced huge levels of toxic press coverage and political The recent backlash against LGBT-inclusive education has echoes of Section 28, and ‘debate’. for a moment it looked like there was a real danger that – for some children and young people – the clock could be turned back 30 years. TODAY: However, thanks to the action you, and other MPs took last month, from September 2020 onwards: Education around LGBT people, families and relationships is still lacking in many • At secondary level, all schools in England will be required to teach schools, while LGBT pupils still experience widespread discrimination and bullying. Relationships and , including about sexual orientation and There’s also recently been a backlash from organised campaign groups against LGBT- gender identity. inclusive education. This has understandably led to many LGBT pupils, teachers and families feeling even more isolated and discriminated against. • At primary level, all schools in England will be required to teach Relationships Education, including about different families, which can include LGBT Stonewall’s School Report 2017 found that: families.

In Wales, the Welsh Government is introducing Relationships and Sexuality Education as a compulsory part of the new Welsh curriculum for ages 3-16. LGBT-inclusion will be a core principle in the subject area. This is a huge step forward for children and young people in Wales. We need to ensure this teaching really happens in all schools across the UK and is Nearly half of LGBT pupils aged Two in five LGBT pupils aged 11- fully LGBT-inclusive, and properly resourced. Here’s just one example of the positive 11-19 (45 per cent) – including 19 (40 per cent) are never taught difference LGBT-inclusive education can make 64 per cent of trans pupils – are anything about LGBT issues at bullied for being LGBT at school. school. [My school] made a popular LGBT group, where we meet up once a fortnight and discuss issues. It gives us a community of friends who understand each other. - Emma, 16, secondary school (Wales).

Just one in five LGBT pupils More than half of LGBT pupils (53 (20 per cent) have learnt about per cent) say that there isn’t an safe sex in relation to same-sex adult at school they can talk to relationships. about being LGBT. WHAT YOU CAN DO STOP US TURNING BACK THE CLOCK FOR LGBT EDUCATION: SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

Be a local champion for LGBT-inclusive education in all schools in your constituency, to make sure all the children and young people in your constituency get the inclusive education they deserve. 30 YEARS AGO: Work with your colleagues Marriage was exclusively in the Welsh Assembly to for different-sex couples. hold the Welsh Government According to the British Social to account, making sure Attitudes survey 1989, two thirds this does really happen in (69 per cent) of people said all schools in Wales and is homosexuality was ‘wrong’. properly funded. And support your colleagues in the UK Parliament to achieve the same thing for children and young people in England. WHAT’S HAPPENED SINCE: WE CAN BE THE BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD:

In 2004, Parliament took its first step towards marriage equality by passing legislation to While the introduction of same-sex marriage was a huge leap forward for equality, but allow same-sex couples to enter civil partnerships across the UK. These were legally it’s not acceptable that couples in Northern Ireland are still excluded from that right. binding agreements that provided the same benefits and protections as marriage. The Love Equality campaign, a coalition of organisations in Northern Ireland, is In 2014, thanks to widespread support from Parliamentarians and the hard work of campaigning for same-sex marriage to be legalised in Northern Ireland. Stonewall’s campaigners, legislation came into force to allow same-sex marriage in England, partner in Northern Ireland, the Rainbow Project, is a member of the campaign and has Wales and Scotland. The ability to convert civil partnerships into marriage was also said: introduced. But despite this progress, same-sex marriage still isn’t recognised in Northern Ireland. While Northern Ireland has evolved in many positive TODAY: and progressive ways over the past quarter of a century, the north remains stubbornly out of step with Between 2014 and 2016, 18,362 same-sex couples in England and Wales were finally modern attitudes to the LGB&T community – Stormont’s able to have their relationships recognised in the same way as different-sex couples – refusal to recognise same-sex marriages being by getting married. According to the British Social Attitudes survey 2016, there’s been a perhaps the most headline-grabbing barometer of this hugely positive shift in public perception towards same-sex relationships. societal lag.

WHAT YOU CAN DO HELP US BE THE BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD FOR SAME-SEX COUPLES: Two thirds (64 per cent) of people say same sex relationships are ‘not wrong at all’, compared Urge the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to legislate to extend same-sex to two thirds (67 per cent) of people saying they marriage to Northern Ireland. were morally wrong 30 years ago.

A poll in April 2019 showed 76 per cent of the Northern Ireland public were in favour of legalising equal marriage.

At least 55 of the 90 members of the Northern Ireland Assembly have publicly voiced their support for equal marriage. 30 YEARS OF PROGRESS

1989 Founding of Stonewall 1991 Sir Ian McKellen’s meeting with John Major, is first time PM has met LGBT campaigner 1994 Same-sex kiss between two women on Brookside, builds on first kiss between two men on EastEnders 1994 Rainbow Project heralds a new dawn for LGBT rights in Northern Ireland 1998 Human Rights Act opens the door to LGBT rights 1999 First Bi Visibility Day kicks off in 2000 Stonewall Scotland opens its doors – and helps take down Section 28 2000 LGBT people are free to serve openly in the Armed Forces 2001 Love wins! equalised for gay and bi men 2002 Same-sex couples free to adopt with the Adoption and Children Act 2003 Stonewall Cymru opens 2003 Section 28 bites the dust 2003 Freedom from discrimination and harassment at work 2004 ‘Love that dare not speak its name’ is celebrated after Civil Partnerships Act passed 2004 First Gender Recognition Act gives trans people a way to change their legal gender 2004 UK Black Pride celebrated for the first time 2005 Stonewall’s Education for All campaign is launched, teaching love and tackling bullying 2007 ‘Some People Are Gay. Get Over It!’ campaign breaks new ground 2008 Prescription for Change – landmark report on lesbian and bi women’s health 2008 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act – it’s love that defines what makes a parent 2010 The Equality Act – a broad base for fairer treatment for all 2011 Equality – it’s in the blood. Ban on gay and bi men giving blood is lifted 2012 Stonewall starts to work with LGBT campaigners across the world 2013 First Trans Pride in the UK 2013 Rainbow Laces kicks off Stonewall’s sports campaign 2014 I do! Marriage Act means same-sex couples can tie the knot 2015 Stonewall extends remit to become LGBT charity, and begins journey to trans inclusion 2017 Historic injustice recognised with posthumous pardons for gay and bi men 2017 Statutory Relationships and Sex Education – a big step forwards 2018 GRA consultation begins reform journey toward full trans equality 2018 Review launched to improve response to LGBT hate crimes

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