Free to be Who You Are

Submitted by: 13 members
Mover: Christine Jardine MP (Spokesperson for Women and Equalities).
Summation: Charley Hasted.

Conference believes that:

1. Everyone should have the freedom to live their lives as who they are, with their fundamental rights protected.
2. Nobody’s life chances should be limited or determined because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
3. Fighting for the rights, dignity and freedom of all LGBTQ+ people is inherent in our core beliefs of liberty and equality.
4. True equality is achieved when individuals are not only free from prejudice and discrimination, but also to fulfil their full potential.
5. Human rights are indivisible, so defending the rights of LGBTQ+ people is crucial to upholding the human rights of all. 

Conference commends the party’s long history of, and reputation for, advancing LGBTQ+ equality, and reaffirms its commitment to continue this proud tradition.

Conference notes with concern that:

1. Too many LGBTQ+ people face prejudice, discrimination and hostility simply because of who they are, with two-thirds in the UK having experienced anti-LGBTQ+ violence or abuse.
2. LGBTQ+ people face deeply entrenched structural inequalities and extra barriers to accessing support throughout many aspects of life, from education to housing and healthcare.
3. Despite progress on public acceptance of most LGBTQ+ people, divisive culture wars set back attitudes, especially when it comes to trans people.
4. Outside the UK, acceptance of LGBTQ+ people is still worryingly low, with 67 countries still criminalising people for being gay, and a number of British Overseas Territories not recognising same-sex marriage..

Conference therefore supports the following policies on LGBTQ+ equality, taken from the spokesperson's paper Free To Be Who You Are:

1. Implement a new LGBTQ+ Action Plan to coordinate cross-government work on delivering LGBTQ+ equality.
2. Give all equalities issues the focus they deserve by creating a dedicated Secretary of State in the Cabinet to lead the Women & Equalities Unit.
3. Tackle anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime by:
   1. Ensuring hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people are counted as aggravated offences.
   2. Giving the Secretary of State for Women & Equalities a clear mandate to coordinate government work on hate crime.
   3. Delivering better training for police on preventing and prosecuting anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime.
4. Enable LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic abuse and hate crime to get the support they need by improving access to specialist 'by and for' support services and making general support services more inclusive through specialised training.
5. End anti-LGBTQ+ abuse in social care by:
   1. Commissioning an urgent investigation into anti-LGBTQ+ abuse in social care settings including care homes, with recommendations on how to prevent it.
   2. Delivering mandatory training for all care workers on acceptance and the particularities of caring for LGBTQ+ people.
   3. Professionalising the care workforce including by creating a national register of care workers, including transparent records of abuse.
   4. Reviewing the Care Quality Commission’s grading system, to ensure that all inspections take into account LGBTQ+ residents' experience in a given care home, and that fresh inspections swiftly follow any allegations of abuse.
   5. Introducing a ‘pride in care’ quality mark and LGBTQ+ care champion scheme for councils.
6. Call on the Government to publish clear and comprehensive guidance on the use of any single-sex and separate-sex exceptions under the Equality Act, which reaffirms existing laws on protecting people from discrimination on the basis of being trans.
7. Include specific provisions to tackle LGBTQ+ homelessness in a cross-Whitehall plan to end homelessness, including central government support for local authorities to give consideration for LGBTQ+ supported housing for older LGBTQ+ people, as has been successful in Lambeth and Manchester, when looking to expand the supply of social housing.
8. Create an education system where all LGBTQ+ pupils can thrive by:
   1. Rolling out a permanent programme to tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools in consultation with teachers, school leaders and families.
   2. Ensuring pupils can receive age-appropriate, LGBTQ+-inclusive relationship and sex education (RSE).
   3. Giving teachers the training and support they need to perform their pastoral and safeguarding duties with care when supporting children who are struggling with issues related to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
9. Tackle disproportionate rates of mental ill-health among the LGBTQ+ community, including through better training for mental healthcare staff and improved access to services.
10. Ban medically unnecessary, non-consensual treatments or surgeries for intersex infants and children.
11. Ensure that all trans and non-binary people have access to the high-quality healthcare they deserve and prioritise tackling unacceptable waiting times by:
    1. Expanding the provision of appropriate and timely specialist healthcare through NHS child and adult services for trans and non-binary people.
    2. Issuing clear guidance for GPs on prescribing hormones to trans and non-binary adults.
    3. Ensuring trans people have access to high-quality healthcare on the same basis we should expect for all patients, with medical decisions made by patients and doctors together, informed by the best possible evidence.
    4. Supporting research using international best practice to improve evidence on the safety and efficacy of potential treatments.
12. Push for all integrated care boards in England to immediately remove the requirement for lesbian couples to pay for artificial insemination before accessing NHS-funded IVF services.
13. Establish a national online portal to provide HIV and STI home testing services across England, with a long-term aim to roll out Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) prescriptions on the same portal.
14. Ban all forms of conversion ‘therapies’ and practices.
15. Facilitate another National LGBTQ+ Survey over the course of this Parliament.
16. Reform the gender recognition process to remove the requirement for medical reports, recognise non-binary identities in law, and remove the spousal veto.
17. Improve accessibility of LGBTQ+-focused spaces for d/Deaf or disabled LGBTQ+ people, LGBTQ+ people from ethnic minority communities and LBT women, ensuring that these spaces are inclusive and cater to the diverse needs of all.
18. Stand up for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers by:
    1. Ending the culture of disbelief for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers in the Home Office, and never refusing an LGBTQ+ applicant on the basis that they could be discreet.
    2. Ensuring the UK offers asylum to people fleeing the risk of violence because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, regardless of their country of origin.
    3. Reducing immigration detention to an absolute last resort with a 28-day time limit, recognising that LGBTQ+ detainees face particular risks of violence and abuse.
19. Promote LGBTQ+ rights abroad, including by:
    1. Developing a comprehensive strategy for promoting the decriminalisation of homosexuality and advancing LGBTQ+ rights abroad.
    2. Hosting a global conference on LGBTQ+ rights in the UK.
20. Consider intersectionality when implementing the aforementioned policies, acknowledging that LGBTQ+ individuals face unique disadvantages and are disproportionately affected by systemic inequalities.

Conference further notes with concern that the current waiting lists for trans people attempting to access Gender Identity Clinics (GICs) in the UK is on average five years, and in many cases even longer. 

Conference believes that: 

1. Trans people have a right to be seen by a specialist within 18 weeks, as set out in the NHS constitution
2. Trans people deserve further support while on an NHS waiting list in relation to mental health support and Gender Affirming Care. 

Conference therefore calls for: 

1. The NHS to provide further support to trans people on waiting lists, including more mental health support.
2. The NHS to commission further gender identity clinics and pilot schemes to bring down waiting lists.
3. The NHS to be supported and encouraged to work with private Gender Identity specialists to a greater extent, to provide shared care agreements for transgender people.
4. The Government to increase funding and capacity in NHS GICs.

Applicability: Federal, except for 3., 4. (lines 44-48), 10. (lines 82-83) and 14. (line 108), which are England and Wales, and 5. to 9. (lines 49-81) and 11. to 13. (lines 84-107), which are England only.

Motion prior to amendment

Conference believes that:

1. Everyone should have the freedom to live their lives as who they are, with their fundamental rights protected.
2. Nobody’s life chances should be limited or determined because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
3. Fighting for the rights, dignity and freedom of all LGBTQ+ people is inherent in our core beliefs of liberty and equality.
4. True equality is achieved when individuals are not only free from prejudice and discrimination, but also to fulfil their full potential.

Conference commends the party’s long history of, and reputation for, advancing LGBTQ+ equality, and reaffirms its commitment to continue this proud tradition.

Conference notes with concern that:

1. Too many LGBTQ+ people face prejudice, discrimination and hostility simply because of who they are, with two-thirds in the UK having experienced anti-LGBTQ+ violence or abuse.
2. LGBTQ+ people face deeply entrenched structural inequalities and extra barriers to accessing support throughout many aspects of life, from education to housing and healthcare.
3. Despite progress on public acceptance of most LGBTQ+ people, divisive culture wars set back attitudes, especially when it comes to trans people.
4. Outside the UK, acceptance of LGBTQ+ people is still worryingly low, with 67 countries still criminalising people for being gay.

Conference therefore supports the following policies on LGBTQ+ equality, taken from the spokesperson's paper Free To Be Who You Are:

1. Implement a new LGBTQ+ Action Plan to coordinate cross-government work on delivering LGBTQ+ equality.
2. Give all equalities issues the focus they deserve by creating a dedicated Secretary of State in the Cabinet to lead the Women & Equalities Unit.
3. Tackle anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime by:
   1. Ensuring hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people are counted as aggravated offences.
   2. Giving the Secretary of State for Women & Equalities a clear mandate to coordinate government work on hate crime.
   3. Delivering better training for police on preventing and prosecuting anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime.
4. Enable LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic abuse and hate crime to get the support they need by improving access to specialist 'by and for' support services and making general support services more inclusive through specialised training.
5. End anti-LGBTQ+ abuse in social care by:
   1. Commissioning an urgent investigation into anti-LGBTQ+ abuse in social care settings including care homes, with recommendations on how to prevent it.
   2. Delivering mandatory training for all care workers on acceptance and the particularities of caring for LGBTQ+ people.
   3. Professionalising the care workforce including by creating a national register of care workers, including transparent records of abuse.
6. Call on the Government to publish clear and comprehensive guidance on the use of any single-sex and separate-sex exceptions under the Equality Act, which reaffirms existing laws on protecting people from discrimination on the basis of being trans.
7. Include specific provisions to tackle LGBTQ+ homelessness in a cross-Whitehall plan to end homelessness.
8. Create an education system where all LGBTQ+ pupils can thrive by:
   1. Rolling out a permanent programme to tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools in consultation with teachers, school leaders and families.
   2. Ensuring pupils can receive age-appropriate, LGBTQ+-inclusive relationship and sex education (RSE).
   3. Giving teachers the training and support they need to perform their pastoral and safeguarding duties with care when supporting children who are struggling with issues related to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
9. Tackle disproportionate rates of mental ill-health among the LGBTQ+ community, including through better training for mental healthcare staff and improved access to services.
10. Ban medically unnecessary, non-consensual treatments or surgeries for intersex infants and children.
11. Ensure that all trans and non-binary people have access to the high-quality healthcare they deserve and prioritise tackling unacceptable waiting times by:
    1. Expanding the provision of appropriate and timely specialist healthcare through NHS child and adult services for trans and non-binary people.
    2. Issuing clear guidance for GPs on prescribing hormones to trans and non-binary adults.
    3. Ensuring trans people have access to high-quality healthcare on the same basis we should expect for all patients, with medical decisions made by patients and doctors together, informed by the best possible evidence.
    4. Supporting research using international best practice to improve evidence on the safety and efficacy of potential treatments.
12. Push for all integrated care boards in England to immediately remove the requirement for lesbian couples to pay for artificial insemination before accessing NHS-funded IVF services.
13. Establish a national online portal to provide HIV and STI home testing services across England, with a long-term aim to roll out Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) prescriptions on the same portal.
14. Ban all forms of conversion ‘therapies’ and practices.
15. Facilitate another National LGBTQ+ Survey over the course of this Parliament.
16. Reform the gender recognition process to remove the requirement for medical reports, recognise non-binary identities in law, and remove the spousal veto.
17. Improve accessibility of LGBTQ+-focused spaces for d/Deaf or disabled LGBTQ+ people, LGBTQ+ people from ethnic minority communities and LBT women, ensuring that these spaces are inclusive and cater to the diverse needs of all.
18. Stand up for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers by:
    1. Ending the culture of disbelief for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers in the Home Office, and never refusing an LGBTQ+ applicant on the basis that they could be discreet.
    2. Ensuring the UK offers asylum to people fleeing the risk of violence because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, regardless of their country of origin.
    3. Reducing immigration detention to an absolute last resort with a 28-day time limit, recognising that LGBTQ+ detainees face particular risks of violence and abuse.
19. Promote LGBTQ+ rights abroad, including by:
    1. Developing a comprehensive strategy for promoting the decriminalisation of homosexuality and advancing LGBTQ+ rights abroad.
    2. Hosting a global conference on LGBTQ+ rights in the UK.
20. Consider intersectionality when implementing the aforementioned policies, acknowledging that LGBTQ+ individuals face unique disadvantages and are disproportionately affected by systemic inequalities.

Applicability: Federal, except for 3., 4. (lines 44-48), 10. (lines 82-83) and 14. (line 108), which are England and Wales, and 5. to 9. (lines 49-81) and 11. to 13. (lines 84-107), which are England only.

Amendments

Drafting Amendment

The FCC has agreed to make the following drafting amendments to the motion: 

After line 10, insert: 

v) Human rights are indivisible, so defending the rights of LGBTQ+ people is crucial to upholding the human rights of all. 

At the end of line 27, insert ‘..., and a number of British Overseas Territories not recognising same-sex marriage.’ 

At the end of line 65, insert: ‘..., including central government support for local authorities to give consideration for LGBTQ+ supported housing for older LGBTQ+ people, as has been successful in Lambeth and Manchester, when looking to expand the supply of social housing.’

Amendment One

WITHDRAWN

Submitted by: 12 members
Mover: Lord Pack (President of the Liberal Democrats)
Summation: tba

After line 27, insert: 

Conference reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that young trans people can access the high-quality healthcare they deserve in a timely manner, noting the central finding of the Cass Review that they “must have the same standards of care as everyone else in the NHS, and that means basing treatments on good evidence" while also recognising the toxic debate around aspects of the review and the distress and uncertainty it has caused for members of the trans community.

Amendment Two

PASSED

Submitted by: 13 members
Mover: Cllr Donna Harris 
Summation: Sarah Dyke MP

After line 58, insert: 

d) Reviewing the Care Quality Commission’s grading system, to ensure that all inspections take into account LGBTQ+ residents' experience in a given care home, and that fresh inspections swiftly follow any allegations of abuse.

e) Introducing a ‘pride in care’ quality mark and LGBTQ+ care champion scheme for councils

Amendment Three

PASSED

Submitted by: Young Liberals 
Mover: Rebecca Jones 
Summation: Ulysse Abbate

After line 137, add: 

Conference further notes with concern that the current waiting lists for trans people attempting to access Gender Identity Clinics (GICs) in the UK is on average five years, and in many cases even longer. 

Conference believes that: 

1. Trans people have a right to be seen by a specialist within 18 weeks, as set out in the NHS constitution
2. Trans people deserve further support while on an NHS waiting list in relation to mental health support and Gender Affirming Care. 

Conference therefore calls for: 

1. The NHS to provide further support to trans people on waiting lists, including more mental health support.
2. The NHS to commission further gender identity clinics and pilot schemes to bring down waiting lists.
3. The NHS to be supported and encouraged to work with private Gender Identity specialists to a greater extent, to provide shared care agreements for transgender people.
4. The Government to increase funding and capacity in NHS GICs.

Separate Vote 

Lines RETAINED

Paragraph 16, remove 111-113 “Reform the gender recognition process to remove the requirement for medical reports, recognise non-binary identities in law, and remove the spousal veto.”