UK drops significantly in LGBTQ+ friendliness rankings
May 16, 2024Recent research has shown that the United Kingdom has significantly dropped in ranking for LGBTQ+ friendliness over the last decade.
The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association’s (ILGA-Europe) annual Rainbow Map now places the UK 16th out of 49 European countries based on their legal and policy practices concerning LGBTQ+ people, ‘MSN’ reports.
Until 2015, ILGA had described the UK as one of the most welcoming places for the LGBTQ+ community.
One reason for this decline is the UK’s failure to fulfil its promises to ban conversion practices.
Another contributing factor is the NHS’s recent ban on prescribing puberty blockers to children this year – a decision the UK government said it “welcomed.” However, trans charities have condemned the decision as “deeply disappointing” and further proof that the government is “failing trans youth.”
The Rainbow Map ranking shows that the UK lags behind Ireland, France, Germany, Finland, Spain, and the top-ranked Malta.
Image Credit: Canva
Mermaids, an organisation supporting transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse children and young people, expressed their concerns. A spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: 'Mermaids knows from the trans children, young people, and families we support, how difficult it is to exist as a trans person in the UK today.
“The NHS has consistently failed trans youth who now face a waiting list of 5+ years for a first appointment; trans students are at risk of being outed to their parents by their teachers and being misgendered in the classroom; and there has been an 11% rise in transphobic hate crime, all of which has been fuelled by a sustained and extremist anti-trans rhetoric coming from our Tory government.
“Against this backdrop, it is of little surprise to learn that the UK currently ranks at 16th place in the Rainbow Map.”
Plans to off-shore some asylum seekers to Rwanda have also endangered vulnerable LGBTQ+ migrants fleeing poverty and persecution.
ILGA-Europe’s Advocacy Director, Katrin Hugendubel, commented: “Across Europe, LGBTI people are being targeted by hate speech and violence and their human rights are being actively undermined, yet we still see too many countries across the region stalling in moving legal protection forward and not renewing their commitments through national strategies and action plans.”
“This non-action is dangerous, as without proper legislation in place to protect minorities, including LGBTI people, it will be much too easy for newly elected governments to quickly undermine human rights and democracy.”
This year’s ranking is an improvement from last year when the UK was 17th.
Robbie de Santos, a communications and external affairs director for LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, stated last year in Metro.co.uk: “This year’s (2023’s) report shows that our European neighbours continue to surge ahead while the UK stagnates.”
Cleo Madeleine of Gendered Intelligence also spoke to Metro.co.uk, noting that this year’s ranking is unsurprising. She said: “It’s obvious to everyone at home that this is not a good time in the UK for queer people right now, and it’s obvious to our colleagues abroad.
“It’s unfortunately clear that we don’t have many friends in Westminster at the moment. We have people who really should advocate for us all committed to rolling back the rights and protections of queer people – particularly transgender people,” she explained.
“These are not settled issues – there’s so much potential for positive change in the UK in the years to come, wherever the country goes in the next year.”
Katrin Hugendubel also emphasised to Metro.co.uk: “Laws are an important safety for people, especially in times of increased polarization and hatred.
“I think we’ve unfortunately seen a government that’s been actively blocking legal advances and by doing that, has been contributing to an extremely polarized and hateful public discourse in the UK.”
Since 2009, ILGA-Europe has used a scoring system to rank each country out of 100. A score of 0% indicates gross violations of human rights, while 100% indicates comprehensive support for LGBTQ+ rights.
The group examines several factors that constitute LGBTQ+ rights: equality and non-discrimination, family, hate crime and hate speech, legal gender recognition, intersex bodily integrity, civil society space, and asylum.
According to the ranking, Russia is the worst country for LGBTQ+ people in Europe, holding the 49th position. Other countries in the bottom include Azerbaijan, Turkey, Armenia, Belarus, Monaco, San Marino, and Poland.
Read related myGwork articles here:
ILGA World report highlights digital divide impact on LGBTQ+ people
ILGA-Europe Warns LGBT+ Rights Are Moving Backwards
Rainbow Map 2020: Make-Or-Break Moment For LGBT+ Rights In Europe
Map Reveals Where Homosexuality Is Still Illegal
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