Stonewall research

Our Rainbow Cymru report paints a picture of the social acceptance of lesbian, gay, bi and trans people in Welsh society – as well as the size of the population who identify as a lesbian, gay, bi, or trans.  

The latest groundbreaking report uses data from the 2021 England and Wales Census, Ipsos and Opinium to shine light on a Wales that accepts and embraces its LGBTQ+ community – a true Rainbow nation. 

LGBTQ+ people, our lives and experiences are now more visible than they have ever been - in every workplace and community, and in all aspects of life, in Wales.

Download this report in Welsh.

Unlocking the potential of LGBTQ+ people.

The UK is now a rainbow nation, as more of us feel able to live openly and proudly as LGBTQ+ people. One in 30 people is LGB+ and one in 200 is trans and we live in every part of the country. We are old and young, we come from all class, race and faith communities, and many of us are disabled. And as we look across the generations we see that the future base of voters is more queer, particularly with Millennials and Gen Z.

But in the face of this incredible shift in British society, an extreme minority opposing LGBTQ+ rights have re-tooled and re-organised for the 21st century.

It is only eight years since the UK’s legal framework for LGBTQ+ rights was recognised as the most effective in Europe. But five years of delays, u-turns and ‘culture wars’ has led to the UK slipping further down the rankings for LGBTQ+ rights in Europe and Central Asia. The UK has fallen off the tracks on LGBTQ+ equality. Failure to act on the real issues that LGBTQ+ people face is ruining lives.

This is a pivotal moment. It’s time to get the UK back on track, so that all LGBTQ+ people in Britain can live freely and safely and fulfil their potential. It is not too late.

Our report sets out how the UK Government can drive forward improvements to policy and the law, working with devolved administrations and all political parties, in all parts of the UK, to once again lead the way for LGBTQ+ equality.

Join us in getting the UK back on track for LGBTQ+ equality.

We're proud that this plan is supported by 24 leading LGBTQ+ organisations:

Diversity Role Models

LGBT+ Consortium

Live Through This

Naz and Matt Foundation

Manchester Pride

Proud2Be

Ozanne Foundation

Outvertising

The Proud Trust

Gendered Intelligence

Mermaids

elop

London Friend

GIRES

Intercom Trust

Stonewall Housing

Pride Outside

17-24-30 National Hate Crime Awareness Week (1184819) 

LGBT Switchboard (Brighton & Hove) 

Tonic Housing

LGBT Foundation

Switchboard

Rainbow Migration

Allsorts Youth Project

LGBT Mummies

Research with the UK Lesbian & Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG) on the experiences of LGBT asylum seekers in British detention centres.

• One in eight trans employees (12 per cent) have been physically attacked by a colleague or customer in the last year
• Half of trans people (51 per cent) have hidden their identity at work for fear of discrimination
• A quarter of trans people (25 per cent) have experienced homelessness

LGBT in Britain - Trans Report is Stonewall's new research, based on research with 871 trans and non-binary people by YouGov and highlighting the profound levels of discrimination and hate crime faced by trans people in Britain today.

Key findings

• Two in five trans people (42 per cent) who would like to undergo medical intervention as part of their transition, haven’t done so yet, because they fear the consequences it might have on their family life.
• Almost half (48 per cent) of trans people don’t feel comfortable using public toilets through fear of discrimination or harassment.
• A third of trans people (34 per cent) have been discriminated against because of their gender identity when visiting a café, restaurant, bar or nightclub in the last year.
• More than a quarter (28 per cent) of trans people in a relationship in the last year have faced domestic abuse from a partner.
• More than two in five trans people (44 per cent) avoid certain streets because they don’t feel safe there as an LGBT person.
• One in four (25 per cent) were discriminated against when looking for a house or flat to rent or buy in the last year. One in five non-binary people (20 per cent) have experienced discrimination while looking for a new home.
• When accessing general healthcare services in the last year, two in five trans people (41 per cent) said healthcare staff lacked understanding of trans health needs.
• More than a third of trans students (36 per cent) in higher education have experienced negative comments or behaviour from staff in the last year.

What respondents said

I get shouted at every single time I leave my house and threatened at least once a week. I try to closet myself from my family because I’m so close to getting kicked out.  I can’t access hormone replacement therapy without going private.  I’m disabled.  It’s a lot to deal with and I’m crumbling under the stress but I consider myself a warrior.  But really, something needs to change.

Stevie, 21 (Wales)

Even just five years ago it was not safe for me to come out as trans, the pace of change has been amazing. Unfortunately, there now appears to be a backlash against that progress in the last year with hate from the media against trans increasing disturbingly in the last six months. This increasing transphobia is accelerating and is causing acute anxiety in my daily life.

Willow, 40 (Wales)

We are constantly questioned on our existence, treated hostilely and ridiculed in the name of debate.  We are constantly exposed to hate and criticism in the media and daily life as the public respond to the media’s attitudes.  I’m sick of being described as a mentally ill freak.

Esme, 32 (Scotland)

I have recently started​ at a new university. I was laughed at, ridiculed, and became the butt of jokes that normally gender me as a woman. This has been constant since day one.

Taylor, 23 (South East)

What you can do

Stonewall is also calling for everyone to take a visible stand against anti-trans discrimination where they find it. People can:

• Call out anti-trans abuse whenever they see it, so long as it is safe to do so. Supporting those being targeted lets them know they have allies.
• Let local business owners know if they witness an anti-trans incident from staff or other customers so they can tackle it. Make clear that they could risk losing customers if they don’t.

• nfpSynergy spoke to representatives from 15 organisations across Britain
• Many participants say reform of the Gender Recognition Act would have no relevance to how they deliver their services
• Report follows intense speculation on the impact of reform to the Gender Recognition Act

A report looking at the experiences of professionals delivering support to trans women in domestic and sexual violence services.

The qualitative research, conducted by nfpSynergy, is based on in-depth interviews with representatives from 15 organisations across England, Scotland and Wales.

Key findings show:

• Domestic and sexual violence services in England and Wales have been supporting trans women in their single-sex women-only services for some time with many taking proactive steps to ensure their services are trans-inclusive.
• Services take a personalised, client-centred approach.
• Many participants told us that reform of the Gender Recognition Act would have no relevance to how they deliver their services.
• Several participants expressed concern that there are trans survivors who are being let down when seeking support, with some likening their experiences to the struggles faced by many black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) women, lesbians, bi women and disabled women seeking support.

​The report was commissioned by Stonewall, in response to the intense media attention focused on inclusion of trans women in single-sex services.

Much of this reporting was sparked by the UK Government’s announcement that it would reform the Gender Recognition Act (2004).

The voices of the service providers have been largely missing from this coverage.

This research was commissioned to better understand the experiences of professionals in the field and to hear their views and approach on trans inclusion.

Representatives from the three main political parties have written forewords for this research and fully endorse the effort to gain greater evidence.

The Rt Hon Maria Miller MP (Conservative), Chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee said: ‘In 2016, I was proud to lead the Women and Equalities Select Committee’s inquiry into transgender equality. Alongside fundamental changes within our healthcare, education and criminal justice systems, we concluded that reform of the Gender Recognition Act 2004 is urgently needed.  

‘But while there is cross-party support for trans equality, misinformation is holding back progress.

‘That’s why Stonewall and nfpSynergy’s report is so important. It provides a clear, balanced account of the provision of women-only services to trans survivors. It shows us that many services already support trans women on the basis of self-identification; streamlining the legal system of gender recognition will not have an impact on the way they are able to operate.

‘As the public consultation progresses, I hope that reports such as this will be used to inform an evidence-based conversation, where everyone can be heard and treated with dignity and respect.’

Labour MP Jess Phillips said: ‘We need to remember that it is trans people who will benefit from the reform of the Gender Recognition Act. Of course, there needs to be discussion and that needs to be conducted in a way that is considered and civil. The public conversation has been the exact opposite.

‘Stonewall and nfpSynergy’s report shows why it’s so important that we hear from women’s refuges and rape crisis centres, who assess the needs of the vulnerable women in their care day in, day out. In this report, they’ve shared their experiences of supporting trans women. And they talk about the ways in which all survivors need personalised support.

‘I hope that, throughout the consultation process, we continue to listen to each other and place our trust in the experts.’

Baroness Burt of Solihull, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Women, said: ‘The Gender Recognition Act is in urgent need of reform. The changes we want to see introduced will simply make it easier for trans people to have their gender legally recognised. But we’ve seen a wave of attacks from a vocal minority in the media and online portraying these proposed changes as a threat. One often cited fear is what will happen to domestic and sexual violence services.

‘This report shines a light on the experiences of professionals whose voices have been largely missing. Opponents of reform portray scenarios that are very different from reality. It is therefore crucial we listen to services providers and hear about what is actually happening. It’s clear that their efforts to progress trans inclusion are an integral part of their work to make their services inclusive for all women.

‘Through working collaboratively, we can end this damaging speculation, and focus on building a society where all marginalised women are treated with dignity and respect.’

This research uncovers the profound impact that LGBT-specific factors (including family rejection and anti-LGBT bullying), on top of wider challenges (such as limited career support, caring responsibilities and managing disabilities), can have on LGBT young people’s mental health and their engagement with education, training and employment – and how these can limit their life chances.

Based on the experiences of bi people who took part in our research with YouGov.

2020 Conversion Therapy and Gender Identity Survey

A trailblazing new report from UCAS and Stonewall uncovers that nine out of ten LGBT+ students have a positive or neutral experience of the UK education system – and also shines a light on areas for improvement.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Pride march in the UK. 

It is a time for celebrating the progress we’ve made towards a world where LGBTQ+ can be ourselves and live our lives to the full. It is also a time to take a hard look at the gap between the world we imagine for our communities and the world we’re in, where parts of our community are being left behind.

Over the last 50 years, every battle for the rights of LGBTQ+ communities has been fought in the court of public opinion as well as in the corridors of power. From the fight to decriminalise men who have sex with men, to the fight for trans people’s rights to be protected and respected, our ability to survive and thrive has always been constrained by the views of people who aren’t part of our communities.

So what does the general public think about LGBT people in the UK today? Perhaps more importantly, what do they feel?

In December 2021, Stonewall worked with Opinium to ask more than 2000 adults from across the UK how they feel about lesbian, gay, bi and trans people.

Our findings paint a picture of growing acceptance: a society beginning to truly take pride in LGBTQ+ people as neighbours, colleagues, friends and family. But the findings also show a small minority of people who are still holding on tight to the feelings of disgust and fear that drive homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. Feelings that were all too common when we first marched for our rights though London fifty years ago.

Key findings:

• One in three felt actively respectful towards lesbian, gay, bi and trans people, and one in five expressed admiration
• Less than one in ten said they felt negative feelings such as disgust or resentment
• Of that minority, a significant number (40%) of those that expressed anti-trans sentiment also said they felt the same way about all gay, lesbian and bi people
• Women are nearly eight times more likely to actively respect trans people (35%) than they are to fear them (4%)