📣Make #IVFforAll this #LesbianVisibilityWeek!

LGBTQ+ people face barriers to growing their families – especially lesbians, bi women and trans people trying to access NHS IVF.

24,000+ LBQ+ women age out of the system every year.

✉️Email your MP: .

1/5bit.ly/3Jkx5CK 🚨LGBTQ+ couples must ‘prove’ infertility by self-funding artificial insemination before accessing NHS-funded IVF in England.

💷And depending on where you live, you may have to have to pay up to £25,000 before being eligible for NHS services.

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We welcome the publication of the revised interim service specification for children experiencing gender incongruence. 🧵

england.nhs.uk/publication/in… In particular, we welcome the way in which the specification now focuses more on the experiences, perspectives and best interests of trans and gender questioning children, and requires close collaborative working between children, families and the multi-disciplinary team.

The actions of the UK’s human rights watchdog, the EHRC, are not those of a human rights body that is fit for purpose. Today, with 30 LGBTQ+ organisations, we’re sending a letter to GANHRI outlining our grave concerns. Please RT to support. 🧵👇 The EHRC’s recommendations over the past year have been extraordinary. They promote the exclusion of trans people, in particular trans women, from everyday public spaces. If they were made law, the EHRC’s recommendations would effectively force most trans people to de-transition.

After years of delay in which LGBTQ+ people in the UK have continued to suffer as a consequence of conversion practices, it's devastating to hear that the UK government is again breaking its promise to our communities, walking away from its commitment to end conversion therapy. Conversion practices cause extreme and often lifelong distress to LGBTQ+ people. Countries around the world are acting to ban this homophobic, biphobic and transphobic abuse, and it is shameful that the UK government is not amongst them.

Happy #TransDayOfVisibility!

While communities around the world may use different terms, gender variance has long existed and thrived.

Today we're excited to share a new video with @lilyvetch about the South Asian Hijra community - historically categorised as a third gender. With so many attacks to the existence and rights of trans people around the world, #TransDayOfVisibility is a crucial time to celebrate the trans community, and to raise awareness of the discrimination they face worldwide.

Read more: stonewall.org.uk/about-us/blog/…

🚨 Update on trans healthcare 🚨

The #CassReview interim report is out today. This independent review of gender identity services for children & young people confirms the need to overhaul the current system.🧵 Trans healthcare in the UK is broken – that much is evidenced by wait times that can span in excess of five years.

Today, @thetimes ran with the headline ‘Teachers told to avoid the ‘biased’ views of BLM and Stonewall’.

This is factually incorrect. We will be making a formal complaint to the Times and asking for a correction. Read below for the truth behind the headline ⬇️ Today the Department for Education @educationgovuk published new guidance for teachers on navigating political impartiality in schools, particularly focused on ‘contentious’ subjects. The guidance makes NO reference to LGBTQ+ issues as contentious.

Today's review by @ILGAEurope has found that the progress of LGBTQ+ rights in Europe and Central Asia has slowed down over the past year - and in some areas, regressed. ilga-europe.org/annualreview/2…

We've taken a closer look at their findings on the situation in the UK 🧵⬇️ Reports of anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime increased across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in 2021.

This comes alongside a rise in anti-trans rhetoric in politics, online, and in the press, with mainstream UK newspapers running one or more anti-trans articles every day.

The @EHRC is no longer acting as a credible, independent human rights institution. They are pushing an anti-trans agenda over international human rights law. Today we've submitted evidence to the @UN and @Ganhri1 to intervene in support of trans rights. Read more + take action🧵 EHRC’s recent change in its stance on trans issues is in stark contrast to international human rights standards. It seeks to strip trans people of legal protections and poses a grave threat to the abilities for trans people to participate in daily life with dignity and respect.

Today’s statements from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (@EHRC) are an attack on trans equality and undermine their core purpose of regulating, promoting and upholding human rights.
(1/6) The two statements – in response to plans to legislate for a ban on conversion therapy in England and Wales, and Gender Recognition Act reform in Scotland - effectively seek to exclude trans people from improved rights and protections. (2/6)

Today's news that the BBC is leaving our Diversity Champions programme comes in the wake of organised attacks on LGBTQ+ inclusion. Ultimately, it is LGBTQ+ people who suffer. Read our full statement: stonewall.org.uk/about-us/news/… It is shocking that organisations are being pressured into rolling back support for LGBTQ+ employees. Our research shows that LGBTQ+ people are often disadvantaged at work. stonewall.org.uk/lgbt-britain-w…

In case you missed it: a second group of lesbian, gay, bi & trans Afghan refugees arrived in the UK last weekend. This wouldn't have been possible without the help of @RainbowRailroad, @GiveOut_Org @microrainbow + thousands of Stonewall supporters who asked the UK Gov to help.

https://twitter.com/nickherbertcbe/status/1456927265808437255

Needless to say, their struggles are not over just because they've landed in the UK. We will continue our advocacy work to the UK Government ensure they have access to the LGBTQ+ inclusive services that they need and deserve to thrive in their new home ❤️

Married lesbian couple @WhatWeganDid are launching a landmark legal test case against a branch of the NHS fertility sector in England. Their story highlights just how broken the routes to NHS-funded fertility services are for LGBTQ+ people today. theguardian.com/world/2021/nov… Where you live and who you love should not determine whether you can form a family, but the current system amounts to a costly postcode lottery, creating financial and practical barriers that disproportionately affect LGBTQ+ people, and in particular lesbians and bi women.

Since the conversion therapy consultation is now out, we thought we'd go back to basics and explain what exactly conversion therapy is, who it impacts, and how you can help #BanConversionTherapy. 🧵⬇️ Conversion therapy is the harmful practice of attempting to change, "cure", or suppress someone’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Although the word "therapy" might suggest something positive/helpful, there's nothing good about trying to change someone's identity.

It’s Black History Month! Join us in celebrating the incredible contributions of Black people and Black LGBTQ+ people.

#BlackHistoryMonth #ProudToBe Black people have always been at the centre of the LGBTQ+ liberation movement, from Marsha P. Johnson and Stormé DeLarverie, who were major figures in the Stonewall uprisings of 1969, to modern day LGBTQ+ leaders like Munroe Bergdorf and Lady Phyll.

It is almost unbelievable that conversion therapy is still legal in the UK, but the end is finally in sight. Ahead of a public consultation on a ban, some of the UK's top legal minds have come together to recommend what an effective ban should look like. #BanConversionTherapy 👇 One of the biggest concerns around the proposed conversion therapy ban is the potential for loopholes that may allow abusive practices to continue. This new report shows the way forward to prevent this, and to protect LGBTQ+ people across the country.

The new guidance on trans inclusion in sport, released by the Sports Councils Equality Group, makes some harmful assumptions.

It assumes that there is an inherent conflict between inclusion, fairness and safety. In reality, the three go hand in hand.

bbc.co.uk/sport/58732146 Amidst the current manufactured moral panic around trans people, it's important that governing bodies' policies are based on solid evidence about the reality of sport & inclusion.

The new guidance fails to properly reflect that safe, fair trans inclusion in sport already exists.

You'll have read a lot of discussion about whether only women have cervices - but maybe not so much about why inclusive language in healthcare is not only important, but saves lives.

Read on to discover how! ⬇️ When we talk about access to healthcare, we need to be specific about who needs what kind of care – because when we generalise, we leave people out.

Inclusive language that specifies the needs of our communities keeps people safe by easing barriers to accessing healthcare!

We’re overjoyed to hear that the Tavistock has won its appeal in the Bell v Tavistock case. Today’s outcome will be a huge relief for trans young people and their families, as well as the wider trans community!! 🎉♥️ This deeply unsettling case - which debated whether puberty blockers could be prescribed to under-18s with gender dysphoria - has caused many trans young people and their families enormous distress, and left young people in limbo without vital healthcare support.

We are delighted to announce @EnglandNetball superstars @Npanagarry and @StcyJyneFrancis as our two *new* sport champions! @EnglandNetball @Npanagarry @StcyJyneFrancis @Npanagarry made her @EnglandNetball debut in 2016 and captained her team @LboroLightning to victory on 2021!

Today, an Employment Tribunal Appeal ruled that ‘gender critical’ beliefs are protected under the Equality Act as ‘philosophical beliefs’. But the judgement is very clear that no philosophical belief gives someone the right to abuse, harm or discriminate against others. While this news may be hard to hear, we must remember that this case has no bearing on the protections that trans people have in the workplace. In fact, these protections have been clearly re-affirmed in the ruling itself.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60c1cce1…