The Scottish LGBT Equality Report

That the Parliament welcomes the Equality Network's report, The Scottish LGBT Equality Report; understands that the report aims to reveal the extent of inequality that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people face in their everyday lives in Scotland and proposes recommendations to address the main issues raised in the report; further understands that the report is the most comprehensive study of LGBT inequality in Scotland to date, based on a survey of 1,052 respondents and informed by a series of 16 consultation events that were held across the country; understands that 28% of the respondents were from Glasgow; notes that the study found that 79% of LGBT respondents had experienced an incident of anti-LGBT prejudice or discrimination in the last year, rising to 97% in their lifetimes; further notes that the report identified that LGBT people living in rural parts of Scotland described a significantly worse experience than those living in urban areas, with 47% of LGBT respondents living in rural areas saying that they felt isolated where they live because they are LGBT; expresses concern that the report found that, in addition to prejudice and discrimination, the majority of LGBT people in Scotland face other forms of disadvantage as well, such as service providers and employers not meeting the needs of LGBT people, isolation and exclusion from society, underrepresentation in public life and economic disadvantages; understands that, in particular, 84% of transgender respondents said that they had faced these other forms of disadvantage; understands that 94% of all LGBT respondents said that more needs to be done to tackle prejudice and discrimination against LGBT people in Scotland; notes the finding that LGBT people identify the Scottish Government, local authorities and public services as having the lead responsibility for tackling the inequality faced by LGBT people in Scotland; notes key changes recommended in the report, such as the need to remove the remaining inequalities in the law, to change social attitudes, to tackle prejudice and hate crime and to ensure that public services and employers are meeting the needs of LGBT people, and further notes the report’s call for the Scottish Government to publish an LGBT equality and human rights strategy and action plan.