Some 15 years ago, Britain had one of the worst records in Europe when it came to lesbian and gay equality; now it has one of the best. In the last decade alone lesbian and gay people in Britain have witnessed some remarkable changes, giving us some of the most robust equality legislation in the world.
At Stonewall, we’ve campaigned for each and every one of these legal steps forward, but we know that legislation alone doesn’t necessarily transform people’s lives.
Serves You Right, the first statistically significant national poll of lesbian and gay people ever conducted, has found that despite recent legislative advances, from the repeal of Section 28 to civil partnerships and last year’s new ‘goods and services’ protections, a majority of gay people still believe they will be discriminated against when accessing public services. From police stations to family courts and from housing to health services, gay people remain uncertain of fair treatment, an uncertainty all too often based on personal experience.
The evidence from the report is groundbreaking not just because it’s the first time any major polling organisation has actually surveyed a significant body of lesbian and gay people, but because it challenges any risk of complacency that everything in 21st century Britain is now fine for lesbian and gay people.
Serves You Right reveals that more than one-in-five of Britain’s 3.6 million lesbian and gay population think that, when reporting a crime, they would be treated worse than a heterosexual. Over a third, according to the YouGov poll sponsored by Accenture, think they’d be treated worse if they were thought to have committed an offence themselves.
The report reveals expectations of discrimination across a wide range of areas. Nine-in-ten expect barriers to becoming a foster parent, while one-in-five expect worse treatment when applying for social housing. 60 per cent expect to face barriers to becoming a magistrate.
Cases that Stonewall deals with all too often demonstrate completely inappropriate treatment by services that gay people are, of course, funding themselves as taxpayers. A patient having nerves in her hand reattached at a hospital in West Sussex approached us after being subjected to a torrent of homophobia from the surgeon involved while she was under local anaesthetic. Lesbians regularly contact us after being refused smear tests.
In spite of exemplary recent support from the Department for Children, Schools & Families for initiatives to tackle homophobic bullying in schools, too many – either unwilling, or unable – still fail to address bullying which blights the lives of so many young people on a daily basis.
Health secretary Alan Johnson MP recently acknowledged that: ‘Genuine equality will not be achieved by providing the same service for everyone. It means recognising the diverse needs of different communities and individuals and responding appropriately.’
Dozens of public bodies recognise that an extension of their existing duties to promote equality to include lesbian and gay people will help them deliver public services fit for the 21st century. Stonewall urges the government to fulfil its manifesto commitment to require public bodies to implement proactive measures to prevent discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in the way they’re required to do for race, disability and gender.
The evidence provided by Serves You Right is a stark reminder to all progressive optimists that changing the law is only the first part of changing the wider world. There’s still a long way to go before we secure equality and fairness across the board for lesbian and gay people, but ensuring quality public services for all would be a step in the right direction.