We are committed to advancing equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and intersex people, and all gender identities and sexual orientations (LGBTQI+) and promoting, protecting and realising the rights of every LGBTQI+ person in Scotland.
We are working collaboratively with our partners to improve the lives of LGBTQI+ people in Scotland. It is particularly important at a time when we are seeing a rise in attacks against the LGBTQI+ community.
Scotland's Census 2022 found that:
- there were 183,860 LGB+ people in Scotland, 4% of people aged 16 and over
- 19,970 people were trans, or had a trans history. This is 0.44% of people aged 16 and over
Read more: Scotland’s Census 2022.
Actions
We:
- are commited to ending conversion practices
- are promoting equality and wellbeing for non-binary people
- provide funding of over £1.1 million to organisations working to promote LGBTQI+ equality in Scotland in 2024 to 2025 through the Equality and Human Rights Fund
- work with NHS Scotland partners to improve access to, and delivery of, NHS gender identity services as first set out by our framework for NHS gender identity service improvement
- published a Hate Crime Strategy for Scotland (March 2023) and its associated Delivery Plan (November 2023), which sets out a vision for a Scotland that lives free from hatred and prejudice and where our communities are empowered, inclusive and safe
- published non-statutory guidance for schools on supporting transgender pupils (August 2021)
- published a National Approach which sets out the steps put in place to ensure LGBT inclusive education can be delivered consistently in schools across Scotland (December 2024)
- continue to develop a Human Rights Bill which will, within the limits of devolved competence, include provision to promote equal access for everyone to the substantive rights contained in the Bill, including LGBTQI+ people
- continue to engage with the UK Government on any plans they have to reform the Gender Recognition Act 2004
- take part in a range of engagements around Pride season and LGBT+ History Month
Background
We developed much of our current LGBTQI+ policy around the Equality Act 2010, which makes it unlawful to discriminate on the basis of certain protected characteristics including:
- sexual orientation
- gender reassignment, where a person is proposing to undergo, is undergoing, or has undergone a process (or part of a process) for the purpose of reassigning the person’s sex by changing physiological or other attributes of sex
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an independent equality and human rights regulator responsible for oversight of compliance with the Equality Act 2010. They have issued guidance for employers and service providers on how to comply with equality law and implement good practice, as well as guidance for individuals to help them to understand their rights.
We are driving an ambitious and progressive agenda to ensure that equality, inclusion and human rights are embedded in all we do. Find out more about mainstreaming equality or read our latest Mainstreaming Report.
Bills and legislation
We introduced:
- the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 which consolidated, modernised and extended existing hate crime legislation. More information on the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 can be found here.
- the Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2020 which introduced mixed sex civil partnership meaning that all couples in Scotland have the same choices should they decide they want a legally recognised relationship
- the Historical Sexual Offences (Pardons and Disregards) (Scotland) Act 2018 which retroactively pardoned men previously convicted of same-sex activity under obsolete laws which have now been repealed
- the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 which introduced same sex marriage
- the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009, which eliminated sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination from sexual offences law
- the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007, which extended the law on adoption to allow same-sex couples to adopt jointly
Contact
LGBTQI+ Equality Policy Team
Email: lgbtipolicy@gov.scot
Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Telephone: 0300 244 4000
Post:
Scottish Government
Equality and Inclusion Division
Directorate for Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ