EQUALITY NETWORK - Policy

30/08/2007
European Commission consultation on discrimination law
Please answer this short survey by the European Commission, and help ban sexual orientation discrimination across Europe! more

23/10/2010 - 23/09/2010
Jury's Inn, Jamaica Street, Glasgow
Recognising Relationships
Recognising Relationships: Equal Families, Many Cultures, Better Lives. A conference for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality in Scotland. more

No Current Projects Found

26/10/2009
Submission on the UK Equality Bill socio-economic duty
This is the Equality Network's response to the Scottish Government's consultation on whether the 'socio-economic duty' in the UK Equality Bill should apply to public authorities in Scotland. more

08/10/2009
'Hearts and minds' - challenging prejudice
Research shows that although there is much less prejudice against LGBT people now than there was 20 years ago, a significant minority of the population still hold clearly prejudiced views, and believe that that prejudice against LGBT people is acceptable or justified. more

Equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the third term of the Scottish Parliament, 2007-11

Published April 2007

A pdf version of this document is available here

There have been important changes for Scotland’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people since 1999. The repeal of section 28/2A, gender recognition, civil partnership, and the changes to adoption law have given LGBT people and our families basic legal rights and protections that other people have long taken for granted.

But the job of removing from the law direct discrimination against LGBT people is not yet complete, and ending discrimination cannot be done by changing laws alone. LGBT people continue to face prejudice in our daily lives, with insults, abuse and poorer services commonplace, from school right through to the end of our lives.

This manifesto sets out actions that the Scottish Parliament and Executive can take to bring true equality, and freedom from discrimination, within reach for Scotland’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

It is based on consultation during 2006 with LGBT people and organisations across Scotland.

Legislation

The Scottish Parliament should legislate to extend the statutory aggravation for racist and religious hate crime to cover homophobic, transphobic and disability-related hate crime

The Scottish Parliament should legislate to reform sexual offences law as recommended by the Scottish Law Commission, including removing the remaining discrimination on grounds of transgender identity and sexual orientation

Education and young people

The Scottish Government's Education Department should take immediate steps to counter the discrimination faced by young LGBT people and young people with LGBT families

Leadership against prejudice

The Scottish Government and Parliament should make clear public commitments to LGBT equality, and should speak out against prejudice when it is expressed by others

The Government should use its media profile to promote the message that transphobic and homophobic prejudice and discrimination are unacceptable. A ‘One Scotland’ style campaign should be considered

The Scottish Parliament should ensure that the Scottish Commission for Human Rights, working in partnership with the GB Commission for Equality and Human Rights, places a high priority on promoting respect for the dignity and worth of all people

Equality in employment and services

The Government should redouble its efforts to mainstream equality, including LGBT equality, across its own operations

The Government should take steps to support the sustainable development of the LGBT voluntary sector across Scotland

Working with the Commission for Equality and Human Rights and the LGBT voluntary sector, the Government should promote equality and fairness, including for LGBT people, in employment and access to goods and services, across Scotland

Equality for LGBT families

The Scottish Parliament should legislate to repeal section 86(1)(a) of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 and section 5(4)(e) of the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977, opening up civil partnership to mixed-sex couples and marriage to same-sex couples

07/04/2007
Legislation - Hate crime
Research shows that LGBT people are at much higher risk of harassment and attack, with over half reporting harassment, and more than one quarter reporting physical assault, in one year. Scotland is the only part of the UK where crimes that are motivated by homophobic hatred are not treated as aggravated crimes. more

06/04/2007
Legislation - Sexual offences
Scotland’s common law and statutory sexual offences still discriminate on grounds of gender, transgender identity and sexual orientation. more

05/04/2007
Education and young people
Research in recent years has highlighted the level of abuse and isolation faced by many young LGBT people. Homophobic bullying is common in schools, and because of the difficulty young LGBT people often face in coming out to their families, many have no one to turn to for support. more

04/04/2007
Leadership against prejudice
The Scottish Social Attitudes Survey in 2002 found that a significant minority of people in Scotland hold prejudiced views about LGBT people – for example, 26% felt that a lesbian or a gay man would be unsuitable as a primary school teacher. more

03/04/2007
Equality in employment and services
Westminster legislation bans discrimination in employment, on grounds of gender reassignment and sexual orientation. Discrimination on these grounds in the provision of goods and services will become unlawful during 2007. more

02/04/2007
Equality for LGBT families
Civil partnership gives same-sex couples identical legal rights and protections to mixed-sex married couples. The second term Scottish Executive and Parliament deserve credit for the development and scrutiny of the devolved provisions of this Westminster legislation. Many same-sex couples have already registered a civil partnership, making a public, life-long commitment to each other. more