We are committed to advancing equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people and promoting, protecting and realising the rights of every LGBTI person in Scotland.

Our current work to improve the lives of LGBTI people includes:

  • reform of the Gender Recognition Act
  • over £3 million funding (2021 to 2024) to organisations working to advance LGBTI equality through the Equality and Human Rights Fund
  • taking forward our commitment to end conversion practices
  • a programme of action to promote equality and wellbeing for non-binary people
  • supporting NHS gender identity service improvement
  • continuing to develop a new Human Rights Bill which will, within the limits of devolved competence, include provision to ensure equal access for everyone to the substantive rights contained in the Bill, including LGBTI people
  • continuing to use the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) Rainbow Index as a benchmark

Actions

We:

  • continue to develop proposals for introducing a Bill on ending conversion practices for both sexual orientation and gender identity
  • have funded LGBT Health and Wellbeing to run a helpline to support victims and survivors of conversion practices
  • have accepted the majority of the Working Group on Non-Binary Equality’s recommendations, either in full, or partially
  • are developing a Non-Binary Equality Action Plan to improve equality and wellbeing for non-binary people, based on the agreed recommendations
  • are providing funding of £1.1 million to LGBTI organisations in 2023-24 to enable them to take forward a range of activities to advance equality and tackle discrimination
  • established and funded organisations dedicated to stopping LGBTI-related bullying and discrimination
  • published a new Hate Crime Strategy for Scotland, which sets  out a vision for a Scotland that lives free from hatred and prejudice and where our communities are empowered, inclusive and safe
  • published non-statutory guidance for schools on supporting transgender pupils
  • were the first country to embed LGBT-inclusive education across the curriculum
  • take part in a range of engagements around Pride season and LGBT History Month
  • are working with a range of stakeholders to improve data and evidence on LGBTI people

Background

We developed much of our current LGBTI policy around the Equality Act 2010, which makes it unlawful to discriminate on the basis of certain protected characteristics including:

  • sexual orientation, including how people express this such as through appearance or the places they visit
  • gender reassignment, where a person is proposing to undergo, is undergoing, or has undergone a process (or part of a process) for the purpose of reassigning the person’s sex by changing physiological or other attributes of sex

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an independent public body responsible for oversight of compliance with the Equality Act 2010. They have issued guidance for employers and service providers on how to comply with equality law and implement good practice, as well as guidance for individuals to help them to understand their rights.

We are driving an ambitious and progressive agenda to ensure that equality, inclusion and human rights are embedded in all we do. Find out more about mainstreaming equality here or read our latest Mainstreaming Report.

Bills and legislation

We introduced:

Contact

Email: lgbtipolicy@gov.scot – LGBTI Equality Policy Team

ceu@gov.scot – Central Enquiry Unit

Telephone: 0300 244 4000 – Central Enquiry Unit

Post:
Scottish Government
Equality and Inclusion Division
Directorate for Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ

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