Anna Robinson

New report on 'conversion therapies' published by ILGA World

We are please to see that today ILGA World has published a new report on the damaging impact of so-called "conversion therapies”, Curbing deception - A world survey of legal restrictions of so-called ‘conversion therapies’ .

As well as exploring possibilities for legal reform the report looks at other methods to curb this harmful practice.

The report found that:

  • 3 UN member States (Brazil, Ecuador and Malta) have enacted nationwide laws to restrict so-called ‘conversion therapies’

  • in other 3 UN member States, subnational jurisdictions have enacted bans or restrictions on these practices: Canada (3 provinces and several cities), Spain (5 regions) and the United States of America (19 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico and numerous cities and counties)

  • in 5 UN member States (Argentina, Uruguay, Fiji, Nauru and Samoa), mental health laws prohibit diagnosing patients exclusively on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity: these laws act as indirect bans

  • 10 countries have introduced bills in national legislative bodies to restrict these practices. In several other countries - including Australia, Canada, Mexico, and the United States - sub-national jurisdictions continue to discuss these bills

  • At least 6 court cases have been litigated in 3 different countries with positive results

  • The World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Medical Association and the World Psychiatric Association—as well as more than 60 health professional associations spread across more than 20 countries - have repudiated efforts to change a person’s gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation.

We expect that our upcoming inquiry will also cover the link between religion, conversation therapy, and LGBT+ equality.

You can read the report here.

LGBT History Month - the UK Parliament's first openly pansexual MP

Earlier this year, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran came out as pansexual, becoming the first openly pan MP in the UK - and according to research by Dr Andrew Reynolds, the first openly pansexual parliamentarian in the world.

She writes “I did not come out to be heralded as a trailblazer. But upon coming out, I realised that my public visibility meant a lot to a lot of people. Many people in the LGBT+ community, especially those who fall under the ‘B’, ‘T’ or ‘+’, don’t feel visible to or accepted by the rest of society. These identities are often treated with suspicion or cynicism because people simply don’t know what they are.”

Read more here.

LGBT+ people disproportionately impacted by homelessness

Today MPs will debate the issue of homelessness. Research demonstrates that LGBT+ people, especially young people, are at particular risk of experiencing homelessness, and LGBTIQ+ people who are homeless have specific needs that differ to the rest of the homeless population.

  • LGBT in Britain: Home and Communities (2018), Stonewall and YouGov research into the experiences of over 5,000 LGBT people across Britain, found that nearly one in five LGBT people (18 per cent) – including 25 per cent of trans people, and 28 per cent of LGBT disabled people – have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives.

  • Llamau’s report "Out on the Streets - LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness in Wales"  (August 2019) found that LGBTQ+ people are disproportionately affected by youth homelessness. LGBTQ+ young people are four times more likely to become homeless than their peers. 

  • LGBT Youth Scotland’s Commission on Housing and Homelessness found that:

    • LGBT young people were not presenting as ‘homeless’ to local councils

    • Young people said that they simply didn’t know where to go and many said they didn’t want to have discussions at open desks

    • LGBT young people were fearful of disclosing their LGBT identity/ ‘coming out’ to support services

    • Some had negative experiences of ‘coming out’. There were also perceptions that religious organisations were more likely to be homophobic or biphobic

    • Trans and non-binary young people faced additional barriers to accessing shelters and accommodation

    • Trans young people faced prejudice from service users and felt that staff were not always equipped to respond. Some transgender young people had been denied access to single-sex services and non-binary young people often felt there was no suitable alternative for them

    • There were inconsistent levels of LGBT awareness training with most professionals stating that they had no training at all

    • The majority of respondents rated their confidence to support LGBT homeless young people as low

    • Services are not consistently recording sexual orientation and trans identity

  • Research by the akt shows that 24% of homeless youth identify as LGBT.  According to akt:

    • 103,000 young people in England are currently at risk of homelessness (Centrepoint, 2018); up to 24% identify as lgbtq+ and 77% cite familial rejection and abuse after coming out as the primary cause of their homelessness (akt 2015). According to Homeless Links’ recent survey (2019) young people identifying as lgbtq+, those seeking asylum and those identifying as people of colour comprise the three most at risk groups of young people facing homelessness; this represents the intersection most prevalent amongst akt’s client base. Therefore lgbtq+ people are amongst the most vulnerable and over-represented young people at risk of homelessness in 2019. 

    • The true level of lgbtq+ homelessness remains hidden by such factors as: up to 40% of mainstream homelessness and housing providers failing to undertake comprehensive and inclusive monitoring of gender and sexual identity during assessment (akt, 2018).

    • Due to the unique (e.g.homo/bi/trans phobia) and/ or higher prevalence (e.g. of mental health and substance misuse) which lgbtq+ youth face once they experience homelessness, the cost to the state to address the outcome of their homelessness (if there is no intervention) can rise to £44,000 per year per person (akt, 2018).

    • People under 30 sacrifice the largest portion of their overall income to pay for accommodation (Guardian, 2019) and local housing allowance across most authorities does not cover the full cost of the most affordable accommodation in the private rented sector. This securing and maintaining a tenancy is a major challenge for young people.

Resettlement of LGBT+ Refugees - APPGs to hold roundtable with speakers from UKLGIG and Rainbow Railroad

Emergency Relocation and Resettlement of LGBT+ Refugees: from Chechnya to the Syria region

The APPG on Global LGBT+ Rights, the APPG on Refugees and the APPG on Migration are please to announce a roundtable on 30 January between 2.30-3.30pm, chaired by Peter Kyle MP, highlighting the struggles facing LGBT+ refugees on a global scale, focusing particularly on the resettlement of Chechen refugees.

with

Peter Kyle MP, Vice Chair of the APPG on Global LGBT+ Rights

Kimahli Powell, Executive Director of Rainbow Railroad 

Leila Zadeh, Executive Director of UKLGIG 


For more information or to RSVP, please contact anna.robinson@appglgbt.org

Rainbow Railroad


Rainbow Railroad works to provide emergency assistance to LGBT+ people who are at imminent risk of persecution. In the past three years, Rainbow Railroad have resettled over 600 people including - in partnership with the Russian LGBT Network and with the support of President Trudeau of Canada’s administration - a large number of Chechens fleeing the brutal crackdown in the region. In addition, Rainbow Railroad was heavily involved in organising in respect of the Equal Rights Coalition (ERC) during Canada’s co-leadership. Furthermore, Rainbow Railroad are preparing for UNHCR Global Consultation on LGBTI refugee issues due to take place in 2020. 


UKLGIG


UKLGIG supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer or intersex (LGBTQI+) people through the asylum and immigration system.


APPG on Global LGBT+ Rights


The UK Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global LGBT+ Rights exists to advance LGBT+ rights around the world.  We provide a forum for parliamentarians and organisations across the public, private and third sectors to work together to champion LGBT+ rights and push back against abuse and discrimination.  We principally focus on international LGBT+ rights but include domestic issues within our remit. 


APPG on Migration


The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Migration was set up to support the emergence of mainstream, progressive policy debate on migration in the UK parliament. It aims to provide a discussion forum for parliamentarians and act as a source of well-evidenced and independent information on key migration issues.

APPG on Refugees

 

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Refugees brings together parliamentarians from all political parties with an interest in refugees. The group’s mission is to provide a forum for the discussion of issues relating to refugees, both in the UK and abroad, and to promote the welfare of refugees.

Panel discussion: Removal of Colonial-Era Discriminatory Laws in the Commonwealth: Looking Back, Moving Forward

The APPG is looking forward to an important panel discussion on “Removal of Colonial-Era Discriminatory Laws in the Commonwealth: Looking Back, Moving Forward” that we are cohosting with Kaleidoscope Trust, the Equality and Justice Alliance, and the Commonwealth Equality Network.

Date:  Wednesday, 29 January 2020

Time: 6.00pm

Location: Maps Room, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, King Charles Street, London, SW1A 2AH ((photo ID is required)

Opening remarks:

Andrew Stephenson MP, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development and member of the APPG on Global LGBT+ Rights

Moderator:

Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, Executive Director of Kaleidoscope Trust

Speakers: 

Caleb Orozco, United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM), Belize

Joey Siosaia Joleen Mataele, Tonga Leitis Association, Pacific

Steve Letsike, Access Chapter 2, Southern Africa

Theresa May’s expression of deep regret during  the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 2018 of the continued impact of discriminatory colonial-era laws on LGBT+ people and women and girls was a momentous milestone for organisations fighting for equality in the Commonwealth. 

This hard fought victory  by The Commonwealth Equality Network (TCEN) - a network of over 50 LGBT+ organisations from Commonwealth countries - resulted in the formation of the Equality & Justice Alliance (EJA), a two-year, £5.6-million programme supported by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 

As part of this work, The Commonwealth Equality Network (TCEN) members in the Caribbean, Pacific and Southern Africa, have been advocating for the reform and removal of discriminatory colonial-era laws. Working in countries and regions to strengthen intersectional movements between women’s rights organisations and LGBT+ organisations, TCEN members, together with partners, have built evidence, interacted with government and engaged in the legislative reform process as part of their advocacy efforts. 

Join us to hear from some of the activists who have been directly involved in delivering this work on progress made in changing discriminatory laws and in making the lives of LGBT+ people and women and girls better, their reflections on what lies ahead and what it means for the Commonwealth.

Click here to register your attendance.

APPG to host Commonwealth LGBT+ Activist Roundtable

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global LGBT+ Rights and Kaleidoscope Trust are pleased to announce that we will hold a parliamentary roundtable discussion with LGBT+ activists from The Commonwealth Equality Network, chaired by newly-elected APPG chair Crispin Blunt MP.

Established in 2013, The Commonwealth Equality Network is a network of Commonwealth civil society organisations working to challenge inequality in the Commonwealth, based on sexual orientation and gender identity. 

Join us on the 29th January, 16:30 - 17:30 to hear from leading LGBTI+ activists from Belize, Tonga, South Africa and more discuss the work they do to champion LGBT+ rights in their own contexts!

For more information or to RSVP, please contact anna.robinson@appglgbt.org.

APPG Vice-Chair Lord Cashman to publish memoirs, ParliOUT to host book event

We want to congratulate APPG Vice-Chair (and co-founder of APPG stakeholder organisation Stonewall), Lord Cashman, who is publishing his memoirs “One of Them  - From Albert Square to Parliament Square”.

ParliOUT is hosting an event to celebrate on Wednesday 26 Feb 2020 2pm – 3:30pm (unfortunately only open to Parliamentary Passholders). It will consist of Lord Cashman presenting the book, a Q&A with the audience, and a book signing - guests can bring their own copy of the book.

Lord Cashman and his book (picture from Twitter)

Lord Cashman and his book (picture from Twitter)

APPG LGBT+ re-established with Crispin Blunt MP as new chair

Today the APPG on Global LGBT+ Rights held its inaugural meeting, re-establishing the group and electing Crispin Blunt MP as Chair. Stewart McDonald MP, Peter Kyle MP (not pictured), Lord Collins, Lord Cashman and Baroness Barker were re-elected as Officers.

APPG Officers Jan 2020.jpeg

We are looking forward to a busy year advancing LGBT+ rights at home and abroad!

You can find minutes to this meeting and previous AGMs here.

Update on the APPG LGBT+ during the General Election 2019

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global LGBT+ Rights - as all other APPGs - does not exist while Parliament is dissolved ahead of the General Election. During this time there are no MPs and thus no All-Party Parliamentary Groups.

Therefore as soon as Parliament is dissolved tonight, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global LGBT+ Rights will have no status as an APPG.

Parliamentary rules prohibit APPGs from making public comment, holding events, campaigning, undertaking research, issuing communications, or allowing others to do so in their name during a General Election.

The APPG is therefore not able to reply to public correspondence or media inquiries during this time.

During the General Election campaign this website or any of the APPG’s social media will not be updated.

It is expected that newly elected parliamentary supporters of LGBT+ rights globally will seek to re-form this APPG to champion LGBT+ rights in the new parliament.

We will update you again after the General Election.

APPG Members meet with Ukrainian LGBTQI Activist

AI Vitalina Koval 2.jpeg

Last week, Ukrainian women’s rights and LGBTQI activist activist Vitalina Koval, with the support of Amnesty International UK, came to the UK Parliament to discuss women's and LGBTQI rights in Ukraine with APPG on Global LGBT+ Rights members Lord Cashman, Martin Docherty-Hughes MP, Crispin Blunt MP, and the Rt Hon Nick Herbert CBE MP, chaired by APPG LGBT+ Vice-Chair Stewart McDonald MP.

While there have been some positive developments in Ukraine in recent months, the overall situation remains extremely concerning human rights in general and LGBT+ rights in particular.

AI Vitalina Koval 1.jpeg

In her hometown of Uzhgorod, western Ukraine, Vitalina is coordinating the work of a community centre for LGBTI people which offers peer to peer support for LGBTI people. As an outspoken LGBTI advocate and activist Vitalina has suffered attacks and was in March 2018 attacked for speaking up for her and other’s rights at a protest held on International Women’s Day. A radical group called "Karpatska Sich" doused her with red paint while she was participating in the event causing chemical burns.

Thank you Vitalina and Amnesty International UK!

Celebrating Intersex Awareness Day

Intersex Awareness Day - Insta .png

Today is Intersex Awareness Day!

We must ensure the basic human rights, bodily autonomy, physical integrity, and self-determination of intersex people are upheld.

Earlier this year, APPG LGBT+ Vice-Chair Baroness Barker raised intersex/VSC issues in the UK Parliament for the very first time. She has also written to call for the UK to ensure its equalities legislation protects the human rights of VSC intersex people and that unnecessary surgeries are banned on intersex infants.

Want to learn more about intersex/variations of sex characteristics?

Read:

Watch:

Listen:

Let's not forget LGBT+ people living in poverty this #EndPovertyDay

Today is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

LGBT+ people around the world are at particular risk of poverty because of discrimination based on SOGIESC, including the lack of access of legal gender recognition, criminalisation of same-sex activity, and the absence of LGBTI-specific anti-discrimination measures.

Sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or sex characteristics often impact one’s access to the labour market, to police protection, to ability to secure stable housing, ability to receive a quality education and healthcare, or rely on family for support.

As the UN Independent Expert on SOGI Victor Madrigal-Borloz has pointed out:

Poverty is a scourge that affects disproportionally some populations and communities, among them #LGTB. Barriers created by negation and stigma are chief factors propel lesbian, gay, trans, bisexual and GD [gender diverse] persons into spirals of exclusion.

Earlier this year, the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) organised an event entitled "A poverty perspective on LGBTI", stating that:

People within the LGBTI community often struggle with poverty in disproportionate and complex ways due to their multiple and intersecting identities, while facing structural and societal norms.

In Ghana, to take only one example, the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Phillip Alston, has highlighted how stigma makes LGBT+ people vulnerable to extreme poverty.

Stigmatization and discrimination make it impossible for them to become productive members of the community because when people know they are a LGBTI person they are thrown out from jobs, schools, homes and even from their community. Some of them choose to hide their sexual orientation and gender identity and are pushed to marry against their will; others leave their homes and communities to find new opportunities and start a new life. Discrimination against LGBTI people makes them vulnerable to extreme poverty and LGBTI people living in poverty experience intersecting forms of discrimination that prevent the full enjoyment of their human rights.

Human Rights Watch reporting echoed Alston’s findings:

Conversations I had with numerous LGBT people in Ghana underscored the urgency of legalizing adult consensual same-sex conduct. For example, a 26-year-old lesbian described the frustration she felt when her employer fired her after he found out she was a lesbian. A 28-year-old lesbian echoed these sentiments, saying “the problem in Accra is that LGBT people can’t get jobs, nobody wants to hire them, and when family members find out about your sexual orientation, they don’t pay your school fees.”

It is crucial to take specific measures to ensure that the realities of LGBT+ people are included in policies which aim to fight poverty.

Want to learn more?

Lord Collins of Highbury raises LGBT+ rights in Commonwealth in Queen's Speech Debate

During the Queen’s Speech debate today in the House of Lords, APPG Treasurer Lord Collins of Highbury questioned the Government on their human rights commitments and work on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and particularly LGBT+ rights, calling for a greater effort to ensure the decriminalisation of homosexuality across the Commonwealth.

If, as the noble Lord, Lord Ahmad, argued yesterday, the UK’s foreign policy is to be used to promote our values and not only our commercial interests, then I would have expected a greater focus on human rights and a review of the Government’s regime for arms exports.

He added that there should be more consistency between the FCO and the DIT with regards to human rights positions:

As the noble Baroness, Lady Tonge, said yesterday, we have an FCO condemning human rights abuses and a Department for International Trade supporting closer relationships—constant mixed messages.

In terms of the UK’s role as Commonwealth chair-in-office, he said that:

Many noble Lords mentioned the role of the Commonwealth, and I certainly recognise its importance. It is a family of nations that, through its charter, provides the means to promote the values of democracy, transparency, the rule of law and human rights. The Minister the noble Lord, Lord Ahmad, referred to our role as chair-in-office, but where are we on the commitments we made at the end of CHOGM? Despite some progress, we still have Commonwealth countries where LGBT people face not only discrimination and anti-gay laws but increased violence. I hope that, in the Minister’s response, we can have greater detail as to how we are supporting efforts to ensure the decriminalisation of homosexuality.

Lord Collins also raised the Government’s approach to the SDGs. Many have argued that the SDGs can also be a powerful tool for LGBT+ inclusion.

If the Government were serious about Britain’s part in creating a just, safe, secure and sustainable planet, free from the fear of hunger and poverty, then I would have expected a clear focus in the gracious Speech on the United Nations 2030 agenda, building a unified approach to deliver the sustainable development goals and to ensure that we leave nobody behind. The Government could have used the gracious Speech to signal a new approach to the SDGs by creating a new policy unit in No. 10 dedicated to them, with a Cabinet Minister responsible for co-ordinating across Whitehall.

The full transcript can be found here.

The full video is here.

APPG Marks International Pronouns Day

Today is the second International Pronouns Day.

What is International Pronouns Day?

International Pronouns Day seeks to make respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns commonplace. Referring to people by the pronouns they determine for themselves is basic to human dignity. Being referred to by the wrong pronouns particularly affects transgender and gender nonconforming people.

Why do pronouns matter?

By displaying your pronoun in your email signature, for example, you send the message to your interlocutors that you want your pronouns and your gender identity to be respected. You also show your willingness to do the same for others. It helps to create a culture where pronouns and gender identities are asked rather than assumed, and all gender identities are respected and celebrated. 

What can you do to be more inclusive of diverse gender identities?

Stonewall has some great guidelines:

✔️ When you introduce yourself, also introduce your pronoun. This can remind people it may not always be obvious what pronoun someone uses.

✔️ Put your pronouns in your email signature and/or social media profile

✔️ Try to avoid addressing groups or people with gendered language, e.g., instead of using ‘Ladies and Gentleman’, use the word ‘everyone’ to address a group.

✔️ If you’re not sure what someone’s pronouns are, ask them.

✔️ If you accidentally misgender someone, just apologise to them and then move on using their correct pronoun.

Concerning figures from Home Office show rise in LGBT+ hate crime

Today the Home Office released statistics on reported Hate Crime in England and Wales over the period 2018/19 which show a marked increase of reported hate crime.

Key results from the report include:

  • There were 103,379 hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales in 2018/19, an increase of ten per cent compared with 2017/18 (94,121 offences). While increases in hate crime over the last five years have been mainly driven by improvements in crime recording by the police, there has been spikes in hate crime following certain events such as the EU Referendum and the terrorist attacks in 2017.

  • The majority of hate crimes were race hate crimes, accounting for around three quarters of offences (76%; 78,991 offences). These increased by 11 per cent between 2017/18 and 2018/19.

  • Religious hate crimes increased by three per cent (to 8,566 offences), sexual orientation hate crimes increased 25 per cent (to 14,491), disability hate crimes by 14 per cent (to 8,256) and transgender identity hate crimes by 37 per cent (to 2,333).

  • Around twelve per cent of hate crime offences in 2018/19 were estimated to have involved more than one motivating factor, the majority of these were hate crimes related to both race and religion.

  • Over half (54%) of the hate crimes recorded by the police were for public order offences3 and a further third (36%) were for violence against the person offences. Five per cent were recorded as criminal damage and arson offences.

Today Galop, the LGBT+ Anti-Violence Charity also released their annual Hate Crime Report 2019; indicating that even in 2019, there are alarming levels of prejudice towards LGBT+ people, especially among young people.

  • 1 in 10 people thought that LGBT+ people were ‘dangerous’ to other people.

  • 1 in 10 people said that being LGBT+ could be ‘cured’.

  • 1 in 5 people said being LGBT+ was ‘immoral or against their beliefs’. This rose to 1 in 4 among 18-24 year olds, higher than other age groups.

  • Around 3 in 5 people responded very positively about having LGBT+ people as neighbours. 1 in 5 people showed reluctance to the idea of LGB+ neighbours, and more than 1 in 4 to trans neighbours.

  • 1 in 2 people agreed that hate crime has higher impact than other types of crime, and that LGBT+ people modify their behaviour in public to avoid being targeted.

  • However, only 4 in 10 thought that violence against LGBT+ people is a problem in the UK

The polling was based on a representative sample of 1,617 people from across the UK. 

MPs debate racism and homophobia in football

Today Dr Rosena Allin-Khan MP asked an urgent question to the the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the racist abuse that was aimed at England players in their match against Bulgaria.

The APPG welcomes this important question, and applauds the several members who raised the ongoing issue of homophobia in sport and its intersections with the pervasive racism within football (previously debated in both Houses several times this year). We welcome the Minister’s stated support to address this.

APPG Member Luke Pollard’s question is below:

As a very proud “out” football player in my youth—I was fabulous in defence and more fabulous than good at stopping surges down the right wing—I recognise that the people who gave me homophobic abuse were frequently the same as those who gave out racist and misogynistic abuse as well. May I ask the Minister what steps he can take to encourage clubs right across the country to show in our games this weekend that there is no place for racism or homophobia at the international or the grassroots level anywhere in our country?

Damian Collins MP contributed:

I completely support the comments from Members on both sides of the House on how UEFA should demonstrate that real sanctions will be applied against national FAs that allow this to happen in their stadiums. Does the Minister agree that the Government’s proposals to legislate on online harms is an opportunity to look at the vile racist abuse that many footballers in this country receive on social media, which is a growing problem, and that we should look again at the status of homophobic abuse in sports stadiums in this country, too? There are big concerns about the increase in homophobia, and we should look again at the Football (Offences) Act 1991 to make homophobic abuse illegal in the same way as racist abuse so that both have the same status in law.

The full transcript can be found here.

The Commons Library did a briefing on the same topic ahead of an Opposition Day debate on Racism in sport which took place on Wednesday 22 May 2019.

Equality and Human Rights Commission launches HumanRightsTracker.com

Today the Equality and Human Rights Commission , Britain’s national equality body and national human rights institution, launched its first ever online human rights monitoring tool, HumanRightsTracker.com.

It is intended to make the UK’s human rights records transparent, and the Government accountable, making information UK’s human rights duties under UN treaties and identify where the Government is falling short easily accessible.

The UK Government signed up to seven UN human rights treaties, which set the standard for human rights across the globe. However, in many cases, it’s failing to meet the obligations to fulfil them, including in the area of LGBTI rights.