Find out what we’ve been up to this LGBT+ History Month 2024!
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Category: Updates
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November Newsletter
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After five years of delays by four Prime Ministers, the UK Government has failed to deliver legislation to ban conversion therapy. Prior to October’s King’s Speech, it was reported that the Government would re-confirm its pledge to ban conversion therapy. However, the final speech neglected to make any mention of the long-awaited ban on the use of conversion practices.
So-called ‘conversion therapy’ or conversion practices, which include any interventions “that seek to change, ‘cure’ or suppress the sexual orientation and/or gender identity of a person”, have been shown to be harmful and are not effective in changing sexual orientation or gender identity. These practices are unethical, harmful and widely refuted by evidence. In addition, over 60% of the British public think that conversion therapy should be banned(YouGov, 2022).
There is a surprising proportion of LGBTQ+ people in Britain that have been encouraged to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. Galop’s recent study found 18% of LGB people (nearly 1 in 5) and 42% of trans people experienced conversion practices. Conversion practices can have devastating impact on the mental health of those who experience them. The mental health charity Mind, published a report on the devastating impact on the mental health of those who have experienced conversion practices “have reported having suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and feelings of guilt, shame, and self-hatred.” A study conducted by Blosnich in 2020 found that people who had undergone conversion practices were twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts and 75% more likely to plan to attempt suicide. These startling statistics show the severity of the impact of these practices and why there is such an urgency from campaigners and LGBT+ charities to call on the government for an immediate and comprehensive ban.
Former PM Theresa May first promised to ban conversion therapy five years ago in July 2018 and the Government has repeatedly failed to act on this promise. Since then, they have held two separate consultations in 2021 and a further in 2022 and former PM Boris Johnson U-turned twice on the government’s promises and offered a ban excluding transgender people. Consequently, Theresa May delivered a warning in June 2022 that the Government needed to avoid backsliding on the issue and stick to its commitment while at three advisors on the government’s LGBT advisory panel advisory quit since 2021 over the lack of a conversion therapy ban being delivered.
Britain is increasingly isolated in this position with eight other countries including France, Germany, Canada and Spain all delivering a ban on abusive practices since the UK Government promised a ban in 2018. Conversion therapies are widely considered to be a violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights outlined that so-called conversion therapies are inappropriate, damaging, and should not be allowed.
Jayne Ozanne, a leading campaigner for a ban and a survivor of conversion practices, said: “I’m extremely angry that the government has continued to promise action, but has consistently delivered only obfuscation and delay. It would seem that this government has no intention of protecting them [LGBT+ youth] and cannot be trusted to deliver on their promises. To be aware of harm, to have the power to protect and to choose to do nothing is a total moral failing.”
The continued practice of conversion therapy impacts LGBT+ communities everywhere. Let’s come together as a community in Tower Hamlets to stand together alongside campaigners and charities calling upon the government to deliver a ban on conversion therapy. Let’s also stand together in solidarity with the trans+ community to ensure their safety and rights are not cast aside.
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Autumn Newsletters
Wondering what we’ve been up to over the past couple of months?
Check out our September and October Newsletters here!
Sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date on our forum meetings, events and activities! You can sign up on our website or by emailing lgbtforum@elop.org
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Newsletter
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Check out our most recent Newsflash about our Insights Survey on the Cost of Living for LGBT+ Tower Hamlets residents which you could receive a £20 gift voucher for here! https://mailchi.mp/024bf46921da/newsflash-insights-survey
Do you want to find out more about what kind of events and activities we’ve organised or promoted this year so far? Then take a look at our monthly newsletters last Quarter:
August Newsletter 2023: https://mailchi.mp/c81a312c3bfd/august-newsletter
July Newsletter 2023: https://mailchi.mp/2017b99be34d/july-newsletter
In March 2023, the Baroness Casey Review was released, finding London’s Metropolitan Police Service (Met) to be institutionally homophobic, racist and sexist and suggested the force is in need of a “complete overhaul”.
The Review was commissioned by government official, Baroness Louise Casey, following the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by Met Police Officer Wayne Couzens in 2021. The report highlights a culture of discrimination and bullying within the Met across marginalised communities. With regards, to the LGBT+ community, the review found that “There is deep seated homophobia within the Met, as shown by the fact that almost one in five lesbian, gay and bisexual Met employees have personally experienced homophobia and 30% of LGBTQ+ employees have said they had been bullied”. Furthermore, it is worth noting that sexism, racism and homophobia/transphobia intersect and therefore some individuals may experience double discrimination due to their dual identities.
Trust, confidence and fairness scores among LGBTQ+ Londoners have also fallen significantly. The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crimes (MOPAC) Public Attitudes Survey showed that between 2015-16 and 2021-22, the general trust score for LGBT+ respondents fell 20%. For those who do not identify as LGBT+, the fall was 12%. The gap is even wider when asked if the police treat everyone fairly; LGBT+ fairness scores have dropped 20% since 2014-15 from a similar start to non-LGBT+ scores to considerably lower (-13%).
One of the most pressing issues explored in the Baroness Casey Review was the increase in hate crimes. She particularly highlights the Met’s failures in stopping serial killer Stephen Port due to homophobic attitudes and stereotyping. Nancy Kelley, Chief Executive of Stonewall, said the report’s findings are “shameful” and show that “London’s police force has not made meaningful progress” since the murders by Stephen Port.
From the perspective of the LGBT+ community, the report reiterates what many, particularly marginalised communities, have been trying to communicate to the police for many years. Further, the LGBT+ anti-abuse charity Galop criticised the Review for its erasure of the force’s treatment of trans people. The 363-page report has a lot to say about homophobia, but the word “transgender” is mentioned just once, and it says nothing about the specific ways trans people are mistreated by the police.
In Tower Hamlets, the rise in hate crime continues to impact the LGBT+ community’s sense of safety. According to statistics from the Metropolitan Police, Tower Hamlets had the third-highest number of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes reported in any London borough between November 2021 and October 2022, behind Westminster and Lambeth.
We have seen another serious incident recently in April 2023, in which an ongoing investigation into an arson attack on an LGBT+ household in Whitechapel is being carried out by police and being treated as a transphobic hate crime.
In addition, Erik Feld was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 28 years following a hearing at the Old Bailey on Wednesday 14 June for the murder of Ranjith Kankanamalage in August 2021. While this is a positive step in gaining justice for this brutal violence and hate, Jack Gilbert from the LGBT+ Independent Advisory Group (IAG), which worked closely with the local police and the homicide team to ensure they incorporated recent learning, stated that they are seeking a multi-agency review linking a range of aspects of the case to ensure LGBT+ trust and confidence. He stated about the sentencing;
“Whilst we saw Feld stride out of the witness stand to express homophobia during testimony, the CPS and Met were unable to find sufficient evidence for homophobic motivation for the crime. It may well be that the law and/or CPS guidelines themselves present a high barrier to convicting hate-related homicide.
“To satisfy LGBT+ trust and confidence, we are therefore seeking a multi-agency review linking a range of related aspects of the case. We would like to capture the innovations and to explore whether they are any opportunities for improvement, including in how the multi-agency processes monitors and manages the risk of hate crime.”
While Sir Mark Rowley, The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, has not conceded that the Met Police’s discrimination is institutional, he apologised for past failings on 7th June 2023, stating, “I am clear that there is much for us to do. I am sorry to all of the communities we have let down for the failings of the past and look forward to building a new Met for London, one all Londoners can be proud of and in which they can have confidence.”
In response to the Casey Review, Sir Mark Rowley, launched his Turnaround Plan, which details how the Met will achieve ‘More Trust, Less Crime and High Standards’. The Plan also looks at refreshed values for its people and sets out nine priority areas that require specific attention. The Met has been engaging with LGBT+ communities to get their feedback, particularly on changes related to the Met’s approach to neighbourhood policing, community engagement and diversity and inclusion. Following this, in early June, the Met announced that it would restore LGBT+ Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) to support their initiatives around rebuilding trust within the LGBT+ community in London. The CLOs will work closely with community members and the LGBT+ Independent Advisory Group and will support the public on LGBT+ issues in addition to their day-to-day duties.
Peter Tatchell, Human Rights activist and LGBT+ equality campaigner, stated, “The restoration of LGBT+ Community Liaison Officers is a good start. We know from past experience that when the police have specialist officers, LGBT+ people have greater confidence and are more likely to report violent attacks, domestic violence and sexual assaults.”
A new LGBT+ Community Liaison Office, PC Andrew Colclough, has been appointed in Tower Hamlets to offer advice and support to their peers and the public on LGBT+ issues. PC Andrew Colclough stated, “Everyone deserves to feel safe and accepted for who they are. I am incredibly passionate in being there to help and support the LGBT+ community and I want to build bridges to ensure that the community are aware we are here for them. I look forward to working with the local community!”
Come to our July Forum Meeting on the topic of LGBT+ related Hate Crime to find out more about what the Met Police in doing locally to address the recommendations of the Casey Report and find out more about the Turn Around Plan.
We will also be holding a Meet & Greet with the new LGBT+ Community Liaison Officer, PC Andrew Colclough.
July Forum Meeting – LGBT+ related Hate Crime & LGBT+ Liaison Officer Meet & Greet
Wednesday 26th July 2023
Positive East,
6pm
Please register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/551131458027
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July Forum Meeting
Wednesday 26th July
Meeting: 6pm
Positive East, 159 Mile End Rd, London E1 4AQ
Topic: LGBT+ related Hate Crime
The Tower Hamlets LGBT+ Forum continue to work on the topic of Hate Crime and Community Safety. In light of the Baroness Casey Review and MET Turn Around Plan, as well as new MET LGBT+ Hate Crime Liaison Officers in each borough, we want to hear how your are feeling about the rise in hate crime and relationship with the police.
This is a chance to share your experiences of LGBT+ related hate crime and community safety in Tower Hamlets and an opportunity to have your say on what needs to improve and change.
If you are LGBT+ and live, work or study in Tower Hamlets then come along to share and take part in conversations about LGBT+ related hate crime.
Click Here to register
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Newsletters 2023
Want to keep updated with the LGBT Forum? Subscribe to our newsletter!
Check out our June 2023 Newsletter here! https://mailchi.mp/6523c267262b/june-newsletter
Do you want to find out more about what kind of events and activities we’ve organised or promoted this year so far? Then take a look at our monthly newsletters so far in 2023:
May Newsletter 2023: https://mailchi.mp/bca65dd68a87/may-newsletter-15089837
April Newsletter 2023: https://mailchi.mp/a744ce065951/april-newsletter-15087149
March Newsletter 2023: https://mailchi.mp/a49f8abfb15d/march-newsletter-15084781
February Newsletter 2023: https://mailchi.mp/73d1176547ea/february-newsletter-2023
January Newsletter 2023: https://mailchi.mp/6d6960db958a/january-newsletter-2023
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), over 1 million people in the UK identified as LGBT+ in the 2021 census.
This represents a significant increase from the 2011 census, where only 480,000 people made such a declaration. The 2021 census found a higher proportion of young people identifying as LGBT+ than older age groups, with around 7% of 16 to 24-year-olds identified as LGBT+, compared to just 2% of those aged 65 and over.
These findings may be partly attributed to a greater acceptance of LGBT+ people in society and a growing willingness to self-identify and could also be a sign of increasing social acceptance of LGBT+ identities among younger generations.
From a geographical perspective, the census also revealed some interesting differences in the LGBT+ population across different regions of the UK with London having the highest proportion of people identifying as LGBT+, with around 3.5% of the population identifying as such. In contrast, the East Midlands had the lowest proportion of LGBT+ people, with only around 1.5%. These regional differences may reflect broader cultural and societal attitudes towards LGBT+ identities in different parts of the country.
In Tower Hamlets, statistics showed that 3.96% identify as Gay or Lesbian, 2.52% as Bisexual, 0.13% as Queer, and 9.76% chose not to answer. Statistics for Gender shows 0.57% stated having a different gender to the one assigned to them at birth, 0.14% are non-binary, 0.14% identify as Trans Male, and 0.14% identify as Trans Female. These statistics show a high population of LGBT+ people living in Tower Hamlets compared to other regions across the UK. In London, Tower Hamlets is one of 9 other London Boroughs, including Central London, Southwark, Lambeth, Westminster, Camden, Islington, Haringey and Hackney, out of the total 32 London Boroughs that have the highest LGBT+ population.
Another key finding of the census was the multitude sexual orientations and gender identities within the community, with many people identifying as non-binary, pansexual, or asexual, among other identities, highlighting the importance of recognizing and respecting the wide range of identities and experiences within the LGBT+ community.
On publication of the results, Nancy Kelley, Chief Executive of Stonewall commented: “Today is another historic step forward after decades of Stonewall campaigning to record sexual orientation and gender identity in the Census, finally painting an accurate picture of the diverse ‘Rainbow Britain’ that we now live in, where more and more of us, and in particular more young LGBTQ+ people than ever before.”
While the census provides valuable data on the LGBT+ population, it is worth noting that there may be limitations to the accuracy of this data. Some individuals may choose not to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity for a variety of reasons, including privacy concerns, fear of discrimination, or simply because they do not feel comfortable doing so. Additionally, the census does not capture the experiences of people who may be questioning their sexuality or gender identity, or those who do not feel that the available options for identification accurately reflect their experiences.
There is still work to be done to ensure that all members of the LGBT+ community feel safe, respected, and valued in society. It is important to continue to raise awareness about the unique challenges faced by LGBT+ people and work towards creating a more inclusive and supportive society for all.
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August 2021 Newsflash
Find our August Newsflash here!
Tower Hamlets LGBT Community Forum 