Media Releases
Today the Crime and Policing Bill has received Royal Assent, changing the law to make anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime an aggravated offence. We have worked hard to make this change, working closely with Parliamentarians and government. This change in law brings penalties for anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime in line with offences motivated by race and religion, and will give LGBTQ+ victims and survivors more time to access criminal justice.
Expanding aggravated offences to include all characteristics covered in hate crime legislation was a recommendation first made by the Law Commission in 2021. The commitment was included in the Labour Party’s manifesto in 2024.
This legislative change comes amidst an increase in hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community in recent years. In the last five years official police-recorded hate crime based on sexual orientation has increased by 20% and those based on trans identity have increased by 50%. Galop also saw a 27% increase in hate crime calls to their National LGBT+ Abuse and Violence Helpline during the last reporting year.
Under current legislation, hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people have a 6-month statutory time limit for cases to be reported, investigated and presented to the Crown Prosecution Service. Galop often hears from victims, like Joanne and Mark, who are denied access to criminal justice because they did not have enough time to safely report their experiences of hate crime to the police.
For over 8 months, Joanne* endured sustained transphobic abuse from her neighbour, including verbal abuse and repeated property damage. Living alone, Joanne felt extremely vulnerable and feared retaliation if she reported the crimes to the police. Instead, she kept detailed logs and evidence while she found a safer place to live. After moving home, Joanne felt able to report the abuse to the police but when doing so, the police told her that no action could be taken as the 6-month statutory time limit had passed.
After hosting an LGBTQ+ photography show, Mark* faced sustained homophobic abuse online from someone he knew. The ongoing harassment severely impacted John’s mental health, and he needed to seek medical support. Once Mark had recovered, he reported the homophobic abuse to the police. Following investigative delays, Mark’s case exceeded the 6-month time limit and his case was dropped, leading to Mark experiencing a second decline in his mental health.
*Names have been changed to protect the anonymity of Galop's clients.
Although anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime has long been recognised in law, offences motivated by race or religion have historically carried stronger maximum penalties as they were classified as aggravated offences.
Under the new legislation, the punishment for anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes will be equalised. They will be considered more serious offences in the eyes of the courts, perpetrators will get stronger sentences and victims will have more time to access justice.
This change in the law will see hate crimes against LGBTQ+ and disabled people carry longer sentences, end the 6-month time limit for investigations, and demonstrate that all victims, no matter their identity, will be taken equally seriously. The amendment also creates a new category of ‘sex’ in hate crime legislation.
Simone Blake OBE, Stonewall CEO, said:
I am delighted that our campaign to equalise the punishment for anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime has been successful, a significant step forward for LGBTQ+ rights. In recent years, rising levels of hate crime against LGBTQ+ communities have been deeply concerning. Everyone deserves to feel safe to be themselves, without fear of harm.
With anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime now recognised as an aggravated offence, I hope this sends a clear message that there is no hierarchy of hate, and that crimes against LGBTQ+ people will be treated with the seriousness they deserve.
I am proud that Stonewall has played a key role in securing this change in the law, marking the first legislative change in Westminster for LGBTQ+ rights in over a decade.
Ben Kernighan, Galop’s Co-CEO, said:
At a time when the LGBT+ community is navigating an increasingly hostile environment, paired with the rollback of LGBTA+ rights across the globe, this long-overdue change in law is a welcome step in addressing the intensifying hate our community faces.
We know from our services that public life is becoming less safe for LGBTQ+ people in the UK, especially for trans+ people. This legislative change means LGBTQ+ victims and survivors will now be given the same protections and access to justice as other groups impacted by hate crime.
Donate to help fund more work like this
We’re committed to shaping policies and legislation which improves the lives of LGBTQ+ people day in, day out. We are determined to educate, motivate, and inspire lawmakers to support equality, and continue shaping the legislative and policy to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people.
Our campaigning and policy work has already helped shape policies that make a real difference to LGBTQ+ lives. But right now, we’re seeing rollbacks on LGBTQ+ rights across the world, and our work has never been more urgent.
Your support keeps this vital work going. If you would like to help us continue to achieve more successes for the LGBTQ+ community like this one, then please consider donating today.
Donate to help fund more work like this
Stonewall has re-freshed its iconic Rainbow Laces campaign, under the banner #MovewithPride and will focus on building a visible network of belonging over 2026. The campaign has launched with support of Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes and footballer, Josh Cavallo, as a YouGov survey released today shows three times as many people in the LGBTQ+ community experience discrimination while exercising.
The new YouGov survey, released today, has found that 76% of people identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community surveyed have experienced, or were currently experiencing, mental ill-health, compared to 44% of ‘all’ respondents.
With the widely accepted connection between exercise, sport and movement and mental wellbeing, and at a time of year when many are resolving to begin or re-start a fitness routine, these statistics give cause for concern, particularly when viewed alongside the survey’s other key findings:
- 37% of LGBTQ+ respondents said they “had experienced discrimination by someone else’s behaviour, attitudes or language while exercising or trying to exercise”.
- More than a third of LGBTQ+ people felt that their sexuality was a barrier to participation in sport, exercise or other forms of movement.
- 45% of those from LGBTQ+ communities are not meeting Government-recommended levels of vigorous exercise.
The statistics confirm the vital importance of movement and exercise for the wellbeing of the LGBTQ+ community, while demonstrating the barriers that remain for many LGBTQ+ people.
Olympic gold medal holder Dame Kelly Holmes is supporting the Rainbow Laces campaign and will be hosting a roundtable in partnership with Stonewall to explore how barriers preventing LGBTQ+ people – including trans people - from getting involved in sport and exercise can be removed.
She said: ‘Movement and exercise remain essential to my wellbeing, they support both my physical and mental health. “I’m supporting the Rainbow Laces campaign because I believe movement and exercise should be accessible to everyone in the LGBTQ+ community. When people feel they belong, confidence grows and taking part in sport supports this to become easier and more joyful.”
Professional footballer Josh Cavallo said:
“Being a sportsman is as integral a part of my identity as being a gay man. I am saddened that other members of the LGBTQ+ community are not always routinely able to access the great enjoyment, wellbeing and mental and physical benefits that sports and exercise - at all levels - can bring. “Everyone should feel like they belong in sport and exercise, and Rainbow Laces and the Proud Pledge are tangible ways of addressing this, so I am really pleased to be able to support this important campaign.”
Simon Blake, OBE, Stonewall’s Chief Executive, added:
"From my own experience as a keen equestrian, I know the joy and sense of wellbeing that taking part in movement brings. The Rainbow Laces campaign is working to make sure that this feeling and its benefits are available to everyone including the LGBTQ+ community. If you are a sporting or exercise organisation, I would encourage you to sign up to Proud Pledge, show your support and enable everyone to feel that can move with pride.”
With the re-launch of Rainbow Laces, individuals across the UK are being invited to help grow a visible network of belonging through a range of activities including wearing the Rainbow Laces, displaying the Rainbow Laces badge and sharing moments of movement, participation and play across digital channels. Organisations are being invited to signal that they are welcoming to everyone in the LGBTQ+ community by signing the Proud Pledge.
Find out more and support the campaign
Today the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) wrote to the Minister for Women and Equalities asking for government action on their draft code of practice.
In response to the letter, a Stonewall spokesperson said:
“The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) statutory Code of Practice provides important guidance to organisations and service providers covering all protected characteristics including race, disability, and religion.
“At this time of turmoil, hostile rhetoric, and increasing hate towards minorities, it would seem ill-advised to revoke statutory guidance leaving those with protected characteristics vulnerable. It is deeply concerning that it is the EHRC, the body tasked with protecting the rights of all, that would make this request to Government.
“The EHRC’s wish to remove the guidance comes in the same week that 160 civil society leaders have written to the Government asking them to take a stand against the scapegoating of marginalised communities.
“The EHRC risks riding roughshod over government and parliamentary processes, hours after the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe warned the Government and others about the UK’s domestic human rights environment.
“Despite the emergence of numerous pieces of case law concerning different protected groups, the EHRC has not updated the statutory Code of Practice since 2011. It is unclear why the EHRC would now risk further damaging societal cohesion by leaving organisations and service providers in limbo.”
-
We are working closely with Parliamentarians, and other LGBTQ+ organisations to ensure the draft guidance is properly scrutinised. This work is made possible by your donations; our policy and parliamentary work is vital to secure legislative change that improves the lives of LGBTQ+ people. To help fund this work, please donate today.
Marking National Trustee Week, Stonewall - the leading UK LGBTQ+ charity - has today announced the appointment of four new members to its Board of Trustees. The new members are:
- The Rt Hon Sir Ben Bradshaw: the first openly gay person selected and elected to Parliament, in 1997, and Minister in Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s Governments.
- Jake Graf: actor, screenwriter and director and prominent advocate for equitable parenthood and trans representation.
- Clare Fielding: coach, lawyer and the first openly trans leader of a City law firm.
- Sean Latus: eminent former equity investment lead and senior banker.
Trustees are responsible for overseeing the charity’s operation and ensuring that Stonewall is accountable, complying with the law and carrying out work for the public benefit and that meets its charitable objects. The combined skills of the four new appointees will further expand the wide range of voices and experiences that Trustees bring to this important role. Sir Ben Bradshaw said, of his appointment:
“I will always be grateful to Stonewall, whose campaigning paved the way for equal rights and transformed the lives of people like me. With those hard-won freedoms and protections under threat again, Stonewall is needed more than ever, and I am hugely honoured to have been asked to serve on its Board.”
Welcoming the new members, Ayla Holdom, Stonewall’s Interim Chair, said:
“On behalf of my fellow Trustees, and everyone at Stonewall, I am delighted that Ben, Jake, Clare and Sean will be joining the Board. As we launch our new strategy – In courage and unity, is hope – the diverse expertise and experience, and important personal and professional perspectives that they will bring to our work will further underpin our commitment to represent everyone in the LGBTQ+ community."
Simon Blake OBE, Chief Executive of Stonewall, added:
“I am particularly pleased that we are making this announcement at the start of Trustees Week 2025. Each year, this is the opportunity for organisations to celebrate our Trustees, and recognise the immense difference that they make. As Stonewall seeks to provide leadership to navigate these turbulent times for the community, Ben, Jake, Clare and Sean will be great assets in our drive to forge and strengthen coalitions, build partnerships, start and join conversations and seek pragmatic and effective means of achieving equality and inclusivity for all LGBTQ+ people.”
Jake Graf commented:
“I have always admired Stonewall’s work, and am very much aligned with their ethos of communication, collaboration and equality for all. It is vital that we now all work together for our rights and place in society, so I am thrilled to become a Stonewall Trustee at this time when we are facing some of the community’s biggest threats to our safety and wellbeing.”
The four new Board members will join Ayla Holdom (Interim Chair) and the five other Stonewall Trustees. Learn more about the current Board of Trustees here.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
For more information, please contact press.office@stonewall.org.uk or phone 020 7593 1857.
Hi-res photos and biographies of all Stonewall Trustees are available on request.
About Stonewall:
Our vision is of a world where everyone, everywhere has equal rights. We will work until every LGBTQ+ person is living free from discrimination, prejudice and inequality, making our shared future safer, fairer and more prosperous.
Find out more at www.stonewall.org.uk
Today the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) wrote to the Minister for Women and Equalities asking for government action on their draft code of practice.
In response to the letter, a Stonewall spokesperson said:
“The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) statutory Code of Practice provides important guidance to organisations and service providers covering all protected characteristics including race, disability, and religion.
“At this time of turmoil, hostile rhetoric, and increasing hate towards minorities, it would seem ill-advised to revoke statutory guidance leaving those with protected characteristics vulnerable. It is deeply concerning that it is the EHRC, the body tasked with protecting the rights of all, that would make this request to Government.
“The EHRC’s wish to remove the guidance comes in the same week that 160 civil society leaders have written to the Government asking them to take a stand against the scapegoating of marginalised communities.
“The EHRC risks riding roughshod over government and parliamentary processes, hours after the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe warned the Government and others about the UK’s domestic human rights environment.
“Despite the emergence of numerous pieces of case law concerning different protected groups, the EHRC has not updated the statutory Code of Practice since 2011. It is unclear why the EHRC would now risk further damaging societal cohesion by leaving organisations and service providers in limbo.”
-
We are working closely with Parliamentarians, and other LGBTQ+ organisations to ensure the draft guidance is properly scrutinised. This work is made possible by your donations; our policy and parliamentary work is vital to secure legislative change that improves the lives of LGBTQ+ people. To help fund this work, please donate today.
Today the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights has written to key parliamentarians about the human rights standards that must be upheld in steps implementing the Supreme Court Judgment.
In a letter to the Chairs of Parliament’s Committees for Women and Equalities and Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty has warned of the risk of infringement on trans people’s ability to participate fully and equally in society; and the risk of leaving them in an unacceptable "intermediate zone”. Government lawyers must now rigorously assess the compatibility of the EHRC Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations with both domestic law and international human rights obligations.
In response to the publication of this letter, A Stonewall spokesperson said:
We welcome that the Commissioner for Human Rights has added his voice to concerns about the current climate for trans people in the UK and emphasised the need to ensure the UK is both meeting its international human rights obligations and ensuring that there are no inconsistencies in its legislative framework for trans people.
Respect for human dignity and human freedom are fundamental British values. As we have said before, we remain concerned that unless the EHRC’s draft Code is seriously revised, the starting point will be one of exclusion which could create legal risk for businesses across the UK.
Government lawyers now need to carefully assess whether the EHRC’s draft Code of Practice is consistent with key international human rights obligations, and existing domestic legislation, before the Minister approves the Code.
While the Code of Practice will be laid in Parliament for 40 days before coming into force, MPs and Lords have no guaranteed opportunities to scrutinise or debate the guidance.
The EHRC’s guidance needs to be clear, practical, and proportionate, and in line with well-established human rights principles.
-
We are working closely with Parliamentarians, and other LGBTQ+ organisations to ensure the draft guidance is properly scrutinised. This work is made possible by your donations; our policy and parliamentary work is vital to secure legislative change that improves the lives of LGBTQ+ people. To help fund this work, please donate today.
Responding to the announcement that former Sex Matters Trustee Tim Allan has been appointed Executive Director of Communications for No 10, Stonewall CEO Simon Blake OBE said:
“We wrote to Prime Minister Keir Starmer this week to express our grave concerns about the appointment of Tim Allan as the new Executive Director of Communications to No 10 Downing Street.
“While undoubtedly a Labour communications veteran, Mr Allan was also, until his appointment on 1 September, a trustee of Sex Matters.
“Right now, the atmosphere surrounding LGBTQ+ rights is more heightened and the whole LGBTQ+ community - particularly trans people – are feeling deeply worried, uncertain and increasingly isolated.
“Mr Allan’s appointment, with responsibility for overseeing the tone, tenor and nature of the Government’s communications machinery, raises questions about how the government will deliver its manifesto commitment to “remove indignities for trans people who deserve recognition and respect.” We urge the Government to re-build trust with the LGBTQ+ community, from a basis of honesty and transparency.”
To mark Pride season, Stonewall has today unveiled a new strategic approach, a refreshed visual identity and a re-imagined approach to workplace inclusion. Together, this will help us meet the challenges facing LGBTQ+ people with renewed focus and commitment.
The approach is unveiled as results of a new YouGov poll, commissioned by Stonewall, reveal two thirds (67%) of the UK public believe the country is inclusive towards LGBTQ+ people. The vast majority of those think this inclusivity is a good thing. Three in five (60%) would see a shift to more negative attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people as unwelcome.
The polling comes as the LGBTQ+ community sees hard won rights under threat globally.
Simon Blake OBE, CEO of Stonewall said:
“Stonewall is taking on the global rollback of LGBTQ+ rights head on. We are standing up – not standing by.
“That’s why today, as the UK’s largest Pride event takes place in London, we are launching our new strategic direction. The approach takes us back to our roots: focused on convening, influencing and alliance building.
“These are turbulent times for the LGBTQ+ community - but in courage and unity, is hope.
“Global rights and the principles of inclusion are under threat. Despite the progress we’ve made with others, there is still so much more to do.
"Over two thirds of the UK public think the country is inclusive and the majority of those believe that's a good thing. But we know many LGBTQ+ people do not feel this in their neighbourhoods and workplaces. In policy terms, the reality is different too. The UK has dropped sharply down the global leaderboard for LGBTQ+ rights.
“Until we have achieved equality under the law for all LGBTQ+ people and the UK has risen back to the top there is important work to be done.”
Stonewall's new strategy - ‘In courage and unity, is hope’
In our new strategy, we are deepening our focus on equality under the law for all LGBTQ+ people, despite global uncertainty.
The new strategy states: "Globally we are in the midst of a cultural backlash and moral panic. It is a time of regressive laws, curtailing freedoms, and the rise of populist movements. We are reminded yet again that hard-won rights are not always secure. We are undoubtedly in another period of turbulence."
As we approach our 40th birthday, we will focus on three core pillars:
- Navigating turbulent times
- Shaping policy
- Inclusive places.
We will return to our roots as pragmatic conveners resisting the rollback of rights for all LGBTQ+ people and advocating for progress with politicians and business leaders.
From being one of the few LGBTQ+ charities in the 1980s, Stonewall is now part of more than 3000 organisations in the sector.
Adding a vision of delivering equality under the law, the new strategy adds: "Together we must educate, motivate, and inspire lawmakers to support equality, and continue shaping the legislative and policy landscape to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people.”
Alongside our new strategy, we’re amalgamating all our workplace programming under the cornerstone banner of the LGBTQ+ movement - Pride. Proud Employers enables organisations to signify their ongoing commitments to LGBTQ+ inclusion for employees, clients and customers.
Stonewall’s new streamlined visual identity is designed to showcase its strategic clarity of focus. We have chosen the historic ‘Proud Purple’ from the original Pride flag to represent the spirit and courage needed to navigate the turbulence currently facing LGBTQ+ people, and the arrow within our logo symbolises both equality and progress.
We have chosen a cornerstone moment in the Pride calendar to launch our strategic direction, with Pride in London bringing together organisations, individuals, and activists a mere stone's throw from Westminster.
Stonewall’s CEO Simon Blake will be speaking on Pride in London’s main stage in Trafalgar Square and Stonewall will be marking the launch of its refreshed approach with business leaders at the London Stock Exchange later this month.
Responding to the Government's decision to compensate LGBTQ+ veterans, Cat Dixon, Chair of Stonewall, said: "Today, nearly 25 years since the ban was lifted, LGBTQ+ veterans whose military careers were ruined because of their sexual identity are finally receiving the justice they deserve for the appalling abuse and discrimination they faced while serving their country.
“Many LGBTQ+ veterans were imprisoned, experienced corrective violence, and lived with the stain of criminal convictions because of who they loved.
“Although long-awaited, we are pleased the Government has finally provided some compensation for the shame and humiliation we experienced during our military careers; when we were simply trying to serve our country.”
Responding to the Government's indefinite puberty blockers ban, a Stonewall spokesperson said: “The decision to restrict access to medication through emergency legislation has already caused significant distress and uncertainty for many trans young people and their families over the last year. The news that these restrictions will be expanded and in place indefinitely will only add to the distress felt, and risks further undermining their trust in the healthcare system and their ability to access the support they need.
“The lack of further information about the proposed NHS trial on puberty blockers only adds to this distress and uncertainty.
“All young people should have access to the very best medical care, guided by evidence, and delivered by qualified and expert clinicians. We urge the Government and policymakers to invest in delivering excellent healthcare for trans young people and to make sure the voices of trans young people and their families are at its core."