Stonewall Cymru Manifesto - 2021-2026 Equality for lesbian, gay, bi and trans people in Wales
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Stonewall Cymru Manifesto 2021–2026 Equality for lesbian, gay, bi and trans people in Wales
Stonewall Foreword
The 2021 Senedd Cymru election will be Over the past year, the COVID-19 We want to secure commitments from
Cymru a landmark in our journey as a nation. It
o ers an opportunity for lesbian, gay, bi
and trans (LGBT) people in Wales to
pandemic has had a significant impact
on all of us. But the impact has been
far from equal, and has exacerbated
the next Welsh Government, MSs and
their parties to:
Tackle inequalities in health and
Manifesto hold those seeking to represent them
to account and to commit to improving
their lives.
existing inequalities. While many
people's mental health and wellbeing
has been profoundly impacted, LGBT
people in particular, are more likely to
social care for LGBT people.
Ensure that all LGBT children and
young people can flourish in the
2021–2026 Much was achieved for LGBT people be badly a ected. LGBT people are more education system.
in Wales during the last Senedd term, likely to experience poor mental health,
Equality for lesbian, including: vocal support for the rights partly as a result of discrimination and Protect and extend hard-won LGBT
of trans people; the launch of the Welsh marginalisation.3 Recent research found rights and protections.
gay, bi and trans Gender Service; widening the availability that 42 per cent of LGBT people would
people in Wales of PrEP to all those at high risk of like to access mental health support at Tackle rising hate crime and
coming into contact with HIV; and the this time, rising to 66 per cent for LGBT discrimination faced by LGBT people.
commitment to give every child LGBT- people of colour, 48 per cent for LGBT Join us in encouraging newly elected
inclusive relationship and sexuality disabled people, 57 per cent for trans
Contents education. people, and 60 per cent for non-binary
MSs to make protecting and advancing
LGBT equality a top priority of the Welsh
Despite the progress that has been people.4 It is thus essential that the Government.
made, there is still a long way to go next Welsh Government considers the
• Health and Social Care p4 specific impact the pandemic has had
to improve the lives of LGBT people
• Children and Young People p6 in Wales. In the last five years, LGBT on LGBT people in Wales.
• Protecting and extending people have faced many challenges. In this manifesto, we set out tangible
Hate crimes based on sexual orientation steps that the next Welsh Government
LGBT rights p8
and trans identity are on the rise, with and MSs can take over the next five
• Hate Crime and Community hate crimes reported by trans people years to improve the lives of LGBT
Cohesion p10 more than doubling since 2017.1 Waiting people living in Wales. These include
times for the newly established gender taking proactive steps to tackle
identity service are at an unacceptable discrimination, improve public services,
level, with current average waiting promote equality and wellbeing, and
times for new referrals standing at 30 build an equal Wales. We want the
months,2 and no upcoming provision parties and candidates standing for
planned for children and young people. election to consider these commitments
Alongside this, wider health inequalities and endorse those they feel passionate
for LGBT people still exist. These about achieving.
experiences tell us that there is so
much more to do if we are to eradicate
the challenges facing LGBT people in
Wales.
3 Stonewall, LGBT in Britain, Health Report (2018),
available online HERE
1 UK Home O ce, Hate Crime Figures available online 4 LGBT Foundation, 2020, Hidden Figures: The impact of
here: 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020 the Covid-19 pandemic on LGBT communities in the UK,
2 Welsh Gender Service, available online HERE available online HERE
STONEWALL CYMRU MANIFESTO 2021-2026 PAGE 2 STONEWALL CYMRU MANIFESTO 2021-2026 PAGE 3Health and
We're calling on MSs and We're calling on the
their parties to support next Government to:
and commit to: Continue making health and social
Social Care Ensuring LGBT people experience fair care more inclusive of LGBT patients,
and equal treatment when accessing and ending existing significant health
health and social care services, with inequalities.
sta trained to e ectively support Act to ensure that maternity and
LGBT patients and service users. fertility services are accessible
Commit to tackling inequalities in health and straightforward to use for LGBT
Tackling LGBT mental health
and social care for LGBT people inequalities by producing targeted people. No additional barriers should
work on mental health improvement be placed on a couple looking to have
Now more than ever, it is vital that everyone, including LGBT people, feel safe and a child, whatever their sexuality or
and prevention, and ensuring that
comfortable when accessing health and social care services. Yet many LGBT people gender identity.
these services are fully equipped
in Wales continue to face unacceptable inequalities in health and social care. As
to support LGBT people. Ensure that all health and social
Stonewall's LGBT in Britain: Health Report demonstrated,5 LGBT people face
widespread discrimination from healthcare sta . Ensuring that the Welsh Gender care professionals are able to meet
Service is fit for purpose, and taking the needs of their LGBT patients by
The mental health inequalities experienced by LGBT people are particularly stark. incorporating consistent training on
action, as a matter of urgency, to
Research suggests that LGBT people are an at-risk group for poor mental health, LGBT issues for sta at all levels.
substantially reduce the lengthy
with disproportionately high numbers experiencing depression, anxiety, self-harm Impact should be closely monitored
waiting lists for first appointments.
and suicidal ideation, with these experiences being most acute for trans people.6 to ensure the outcomes of sta
Establishing a Welsh Gender Service training improve service delivery,
These mental health outcomes are recognised as being linked to experiences of
for children and young people. through targeted analysis of LGBT
prejudice in wider society. Targeted work investigating how to ensure mental health
service users' experiences.
provision is accessible for all LGBT people is vital, particularly given the distinct impact
on LGBT people's mental health as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.7 Stonewall Take forward targeted work on LGBT
Cymru also recognises the disproportionate e ect the pandemic continues to have on mental health improvement. This
people of colour and minority ethnic people, the Welsh Government should ensure that should involve training mental health
actions are taken to address this. professionals on supporting LGBT
people, and taking action to address
Finally, while the development of a Welsh Gender Service is a positive step for Wales,
systemic LGBT mental health
we must ensure these services are fit for purpose and reduce lengthy waiting times
inequalities.
for patients wishing to access the services. Current waiting lists of 30 months8 are
unacceptable. No trans person should have to wait beyond the 26-week national Establish an NHS Wales Gender
standard waiting time from referral9 for their first appointment with the Service for children and young
Gender Service. people, in line with international
standards for care in providing
a rmative treatment.
Continue to push for improvements
in the implementation of the Welsh
Gender Service in cooperation with
community groups. This should
encompass an urgent, targeted
commitment to considerably reduce
lengthy waiting times for first
appointments.
Commit to improving outdated
5, 6 Stonewall, LGBT in Britain, Health Report (2018), available online HERE online sexual health resources with
7 LGBT Foundation, 2020, Hidden Figures: The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on LGBT communities
in the UK, available online HERE
an accompanying public information
8 Welsh Gender Service, available online HERE campaign to promote new resources.
9 NHS Wales, Rules for Managing Referral to Treatment Waiting Times, available online HERE
STONEWALL CYMRU MANIFESTO 2021-2026 PAGE 4 STONEWALL CYMRU MANIFESTO 2021-2026 PAGE 5Children and
We're calling on MSs and We're calling on the
their parties to support next Government to:
and commit to: Ensure the e ective implementation
Young People Ensuring that the implementation of of the new curriculum. This should
the new curriculum for Wales works involve a particular focus on
for all, including developmentally- professional learning and develop-
appropriate relationships and ment around LGBT-inclusive RSE, and
sexuality education (RSE) under- ensuring a 'whole-school approach'
Ensure that all LGBT children and young pinned by a whole-school approach. to LGBT-inclusive education is taken
All content must be inclusive of LGBT across Wales.
people can flourish identities and should fully reflect the Ensure the principles on diversity,
The new Curriculum for Wales o ers a huge step towards ensuring that all children diversity of Wales. inclusivity and RSE as proposed in
receive an education that reflects the true diversity of modern Wales. While welcoming the Curriculum and Assessment
the new curriculum, Stonewall Cymru still see a number of opportunities to improve (Wales) Bill are not hindered in
the experiences of LGBT people in education, and to ensure that the rollout of the new their implementation.
curriculum meets the potential set out in the legislation. Stonewall Cymru want to see
a Wales where all young people are free to be themselves and to flourish, underpinned Provide a statutory, national trans
by a Children's Rights approach. guidance resource for schools and
local authorities.
Train teachers in tackling homo-
phobic, biphobic and transphobic
bullying, which Stonewall Cymru
research has found is endemic in
primary and secondary schools in
Wales.10,11
Ensure that any national strategy
combatting poor mental health
among young people considers the
When I was at school it was traumatic just distinct needs of LGBT young people,
particularly their access to appropriate,
being bisexual. [There needs to be] some e ective and timely mental health
support.
sort of resource, it’s hard for kids to believe
Provide funding and resources to
in themselves when they are told their LGBT youth services and youth
groups across Wales. These services
existence is wrong - it’s traumatising.” are currently dependent on volunteer
organisations, meaning accessibility
varies widely across Wales. Support
should also be given to ensure all
open-access provision is LGBT
inclusive.
Ensure any future Welsh Government
homelessness strategy provides
targeted action to tackle LGBT youth
10 Stonewall Cymru, The Teachers' Report, 2015, homelessness, as research has found
available online HERE that LGBT young people in Wales are
11 Stonewall Cymru, 2017, School Report, available
online HERE
disproportionately at risk of
12 Llamau, 2019, Out On The Streets: LGBTQ+ experiencing homelessness.12
Homelessness in Wales, available online HERE
STONEWALL CYMRU MANIFESTO 2021-2026 PAGE 6 STONEWALL CYMRU MANIFESTO 2021-2026 PAGE 7Protecting
We're calling on MSs and We're calling on the
their parties to support next Government to:
and commit to: Take proactive steps to protect
and extending Protect and progress LGBT equality LGBT rights here and abroad. This
in policy and explore legislative should include constantly reviewing
measures through which LGBT rights relationships with countries who
can be advanced, for example through violate these rights, and providing
LGBT rights extending the rights of trans people support to countries who are working
in Wales. towards greater equality.
Ensure trans rights are protected
to the fullest extent, using devolved
powers.
Commit to protecting and extending
Take steps towards ensuring the
hard-won LGBT rights and protections legal rights of non-binary people in
Since devolution there has been significant progress on LGBT equality, including making Wales, such as through introducing 'X'
schools a safer place for LGBT young people, reviewing the policy of blood donation gender markers in o cial documents
deferral for men who have sex with men, launching the Welsh Gender Service, and the to enable non-binary people to be
Welsh Government's continued and vocal defence of the rights of trans people in recognised.
Wales. It is vital that these developments are not taken for granted, and that this
Support LGBT asylum seekers
progress doesn't stall.
settling in Wales, including by helping
In a global environment where LGBT people have seen their rights eroded, these hard- them to understand their rights and
won rights and protections must be protected. Wales has the chance to take a stronger protections, and providing access to
stance on LGBT rights than the UK Government. This was most notably shown by the relevant support services and being
previous Welsh Government's vocal commitment to upholding the rights of trans provided with safe and appropriate
people in Wales, in the face of starkly di erent messages from the UK Government. housing.
There are many ways in which LGBT rights in Wales can be extended. From recognising Vehemently oppose any rollback of
non-binary identities, to exploring the Welsh Government's legislative powers to further hard-won LGBT rights in the Brexit
the rights of trans people, even more can be done to ensure that LGBT people are free negotiations process, including the
to be themselves and that their rights are protected in law. dilution of the Human Rights Act,
which could potentially upset the
devolution settlement. Ensure that
there is legislation promising that
Welsh citizens will never have fewer
rights and equality protections than
we did as EU members.
“I personally want to feel safe and that Ensure that the Welsh Government's
NGO partners include objectives in
my human rights will be protected. Better their work that support LGBT equality
and local human rights defenders.
education about our rights with good training, Undertake a public information
and professionals should receive training that campaign to raise awareness of
human rights and obligations, targeted
at those who are often marginalised
includes transgender issues.” and oppressed on the basis of their
identities. This should serve to
empower those of marginalised
identities to take action when their
human rights are challenged.
STONEWALL CYMRU MANIFESTO 2021-2026 PAGE 8 STONEWALL CYMRU MANIFESTO 2021-2026 PAGE 9Ensure that LGBT people can fully
Hate For many LGBT people in Wales, concerns
about discrimination, harassment and
safety in their community and in their
We're calling on the
next Government to:
Tackle LGBT hate crime. Home O ce
participate in grassroots sport by
removing barriers to participation
such as widespread homophobic,
Crime and own homes are part of day-to-day life.
Hate crimes against LGBT people
continue to rise,13 most notably against
figures broken down for Wales since
2017 state that hate crimes based on
sexual orientation have risen by 13 per
biphobic and transphobic abuse and
discrimination.18,19 Work alongside
Sport Wales and other governing
Community trans people,14 and it is vital that
government action is taken to address
this and to guarantee the safety of all
cent, while hate crimes against trans
people have more than doubled (106
per cent).15 Almost one in four LGBT
bodies to eradicate barriers to
accessing sport for all, including
LGBT people.
Cohesion LGBT people in Wales.
people have experienced a hate
crime or incident due to their sexual
orientation and/or gender identity
Investigate means through which
online harassment and abuse su ered
by LGBT people20 can be tackled in
We're calling on MSs and in the past 12 months (as of 2017).16
Improve community Wales within devolved powers.
their parties to support Develop adequate measures for
safety and inclusion and commit to: accurately reporting LGBT hate crime,
Review how LGBT refugees and people
seeking asylum in Wales are treated
for LGBT people Improving community safety and
outline plans to make the data collected
and supported. Research21 suggests
publicly available, and create a distinct
across all areas of inclusion for LGBT people. This should plan of action based on the data.
that LGBT refugees and asylum
involve funding LGBT-specific inclusion seekers in Wales su er high levels
Welsh society services and community groups, and Continue to undertake targeted of discrimination. More must be
tackling social issues such as hate awareness and education campaigns done to justify Welsh Government's
crime, homelessness and social to inform LGBT people about what commitments to making Wales a
isolation, including targeted LGBT- constitutes a hate crime and how it Nation of Sanctuary, especially when
specific measures. can be reported. it comes to LGBT people of colour.
Commit to funding LGBT-specific Ensure that LGBT support services
services for LGBT homeless young and community groups across Wales,
people across each of the six regions including in rural areas, have the
of Wales, taking the successful Tŷ funding and resources they need to
Pride project as a proof of concept. e ectively support LGBT people and
As research by Llamau attests,17 to improve inclusion and challenge
LGBT people in Wales make up a prejudice in their local communities.
disproportionately high amount of
“The community spaces that do exist are the homelessness population.
Ensure the experiences and needs
of older LGBT people are included in
not inclusive - not bi or trans inclusive or Push the UK Government to update national strategies, policies and action
legislation so that hate crimes based plans related to older people.
inclusive of black, Asian and minority ethnic on sexual orientation, gender identity
or disability are treated equally to
people or religious people. There is a total those based on race and faith. This
should include classing these crimes
and utter lack of recognition for these as aggravated o ences, which would
18 Stonewall Cymru & Sport Wales, 2012, Lesbian, Gay
increase the maximum sentence for and Bisexual (LGB) People in Sport: Understanding
groups to be funded.” judges to apply on conviction. LGB sports participation in Wales, available online
HERE
19 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans People and
Physical Activity: What You Need to Know, National
LGB&T Partnership, 2016, referencing Health Survey
for England, 2012, and the Partnerships own survey
15 Hate Crime Figures available online here: of LGBT people, 2015
2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020 20 Stonewall Cymru, 2017, LGBT in Wales, Hate Crime
16 Stonewall Cymru, 2017, LGBT in Wales, Hate Crime and Discrimination, available online HERE
and Discrimination, available online HERE 21 Ourania Vamvaka-Tatsi, (2019), BAME LGBTQ
13, 14 Gov.UK statistics, Hate Crime 2018-2019, 17 Llamau, 2019, Out On The Streets: LGBTQ+ Refugee Arrival and Settlement Experiences: A
available online HERE Homelessness in Wales, available online HERE South Wales Case Study, Cardi University
STONEWALL CYMRU MANIFESTO 2021-2026 PAGE 10 STONEWALL CYMRU MANIFESTO 2021-2026 PAGE 11You can also read
