Why We Need Pride

Why Pride Matters: Highlighting the Need for LGBTQIA+ Acceptance

Here are some key statistics illustrating the challenges faced by the LGBTQIA+ community in the UK:

General Statistics:

In 2018, 75% of LGBTQIA+ individuals felt unable to show affection to their partners in public.
Over 1 in 3 LGBTQIA+ people don't feel comfortable holding hands in public, rising to 3 in 5 for gay men.
20% of trans people have faced pressure to suppress their gender identity.
Only 50% of LGBTQIA+ individuals can openly discuss their sexual orientation or gender identity with their families.
Nearly 1 in 5 LGBTQIA+ people have experienced homelessness, with 25% being trans individuals.
In 2019, 59% of trans women and 56% of trans men avoided expressing their gender identity due to fear of negative reactions, rising to 76% for non-binary individuals.
70 countries worldwide criminalise same-sex relationships, with 11 allowing the death penalty.
Many governments deny trans people the right to legally change their name and gender.
25% of the global population believes being LGBTQIA+ should be a crime.
10% of LGBTQIA+ individuals experienced discrimination while seeking housing, and 17% faced discrimination in social settings.
24% of LGBTQIA+ people from black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds faced discrimination in social services.

Health Services:

70% of trans people report experiencing transphobia when accessing general health services.
Nearly 1 in 4 LGBTQIA+ individuals witnessed discriminatory or negative remarks from healthcare staff.
Trans people of colour experienced transphobia from trans-specific healthcare providers at double the rate of white respondents (13% vs. 6%).

Domestic Abuse:

11% of LGBTQIA+ individuals faced domestic abuse in the last year, rising to 17% for black, Asian, and minority ethnic LGBTQIA+ people.
Over a quarter of trans individuals in relationships experienced domestic abuse.
The Albert Kennedy Trust found that 69% of young LGBTQIA+ homeless people were rejected by their families and suffered abuse within their families.
In 2018, bisexual women were nearly twice as likely to experience partner abuse compared to heterosexual women (10.9% vs. 6.0%).

Discrimination within the LGBTQIA+ Community:

51% of black, Asian, and minority ethnic LGBTQIA+ individuals experienced discrimination in their local LGBTQIA+ community due to their ethnicity, rising to 61% for black LGBTQIA+ people.
36% of trans individuals experienced discrimination in their local LGBTQIA+ community due to being trans.
26% of LGBTQIA+ disabled individuals faced discrimination in their local LGBTQIA+ community due to their disability.

The Workplace:

18% of LGBTQIA+ employees experienced negative comments or conduct from colleagues because of their LGBTQIA+ identity.
12% of transgender individuals faced physical abuse at work due to their identity.
18% of LGBTQIA+ job seekers reported discrimination during the hiring process.
10% of black, Asian, and minority ethnic LGBTQIA+ employees were physically attacked at work, compared to 3% of white LGBTQIA+ staff.
12% of black, Asian, and minority ethnic LGBTQIA+ employees lost their jobs in the last year because of their LGBTQIA+ identity.
Over a third of LGBTQIA+ employees hid their sexual identity at work due to discrimination.

University:

Over a quarter of LGBTQIA+ students reported exclusion due to their identity.
More than a third of trans university students experienced negative comments or behaviour from staff.
LGBTQIA+ pupils feel less safe at school, with only 58% feeling safe daily, compared to 73% of non-LGBTQIA+ pupils.
LGBTQIA+ pupils are three times more likely to experience sexual harassment at school.

Abuse and Hate Crimes:

Hate crimes based on sexual orientation increased from 9% in 2013 to 16% in 2017.
41% of trans individuals and 31% of non-binary individuals experienced hate crimes due to their gender identity in 2018.
20% of LGBTQIA+ individuals experienced a hate crime or incident in the last 12 months (40% for trans people), with 81% not reporting it to the police.
64% of LGBTQIA+ people faced anti-LGBTQIA+ violence or abuse, with severe physical, psychological, and financial consequences.
10% of LGBTQIA+ people experienced online homophobic, biphobic, or transphobic abuse.

Issues with Reporting Hate Crimes/The Police:

Only 46% of LGBTQIA+ individuals were satisfied with the police response to anti-LGBTQIA+ crimes.
79% of trans victims do not report hate crimes due to disillusionment with police negligence and fear of further discrimination.
28% didn't report hate crimes due to dislike or fear of the police.
38% chose not to report hate crimes because they occurred too frequently.

School:

LGBTQIA+ students face double the bullying rate compared to non-LGBTQIA+ peers in 2021.
48% of pupils lacked positive LGBTQIA+ messaging at school.
Positive messaging reduced suicidal thoughts and feelings for all pupils.
LGBTQIA+ pupils are three times more likely to experience sexual harassment at school.
31% of LGBTQIA+ primary and secondary staff face barriers to LGBTQIA+ inclusion.
Almost 1 in 10 LGBTQIA+ children faced discrimination from teachers.
Only 40% of LGBTQIA+ staff are out to their pupils.
74% of LGBTQIA+ pupils without positive messaging contemplated suicide.

Young People:

25% of LGBTQIA++ young people face daily tension at home.
LGBTQIA++ youth are less close to their families and feel less understood.
They are more likely to self-harm, experience drug/alcohol dependence, depression, anxiety, and panic attacks.
45% of young trans people received death threats at school.

Faith and Worship:

32% of LGBTQIA+ people of faith and 25% of trans people of faith are not open about their identity in their faith communities.
28% experienced discrimination when visiting faith services or places of worship.

Sport:

70% of football fans witnessed homophobia at matches.
49% of LGBTQIA+ people witnessed homophobia or transphobia in sports.
12% avoid gyms or sports groups due to fear of discrimination.
10% of attendees at live sporting events faced discrimination due to their identity.