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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In January 2006, the then Scottish Executive asked lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ( LGBT) community representatives to establish a working group to look at ways to tackle negative and discriminatory attitudes towards LGBT people in Scotland.
'The LGBT Hearts and Minds Agenda Group', as it became known, identified a set of five key areas for discussion: workplaces and public services; religion and belief; education and family; media and leadership; and citizenship and social capital. The responsibility for equality and therefore to reflect positive attitudes is shared across multiple aspects of Scottish society.
Five subgroups were established, one to consider each of these themes. The subgroups met a number of times, in some cases hearing evidence from other sources, and drew up draft recommendations which were then considered by the whole group. This report sets out recommendations identified for each of the five themes, and a number of cross-cutting recommendations. These are summarised below, with more detail given in the main body of this report.
Workplaces and public services
The following priorities were identified: encouraging competition for achieving best equality practice; going further with public duties on equality; promoting good practice; and better support for LGBT staff.
- Encouraging competition
It is recommended that the Scottish Government: help raise the profile of the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index amongst employers; provide a minister (preferably with responsibility for Enterprise matters) to deliver a keynote speech to Stonewall Scotland's Scottish Workplace Conference; sponsor future awards, e.g. for Best Scottish Employer for LGB people; highlight to public sector employers the benefits of joining the Diversity Champions Scotland programme; and support the development of workplace good practice on transgender issues with a view to introducing a Transgender Workplace Equality Index in the next three years.
- Going further with public duties
Scotland is perhaps uniquely placed within the UK to take a lead and develop an expectation that all public bodies take similar steps on sexual orientation and transgender issues as are required by law for disability, race and gender. It is recommended that the Scottish Government: convey a firm expectation to the bodies it funds that they should promote sexual orientation and gender identity equality alongside their other statutory equality duties; work in partnership with the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the LGBT sector (including transgender organisations) to seek appropriate guidance and good practice examples from public bodies who have made clear commitments to promoting LGBT equality alongside existing public duties. It is also recommended that the Scottish Government sets a target of full compliance from public bodies in time for the introduction of the expected statutory duty which will cover all equality strands; this should be achievable and is in itself an important leadership signal by the Scottish Government.
The Scottish Government may also wish to consider promoting an expectation that public bodies fulfil a full six strand equality duty; that is, including age and religion and belief equality, as the Scottish Government itself does.
- Promoting good practice in equality and diversity
It is recommended that the Scottish Government: develop a high-quality, central web-based resource, bringing together information and advice from all the major LGBT funded projects that can assist public services and other employers on LGBT equality matters, and use this resource to promote leadership on LGBT equality; develop practical information and guidance on including sexual orientation and gender identity in equality impact assessment activities; and promote a public duty on sexual orientation and gender identity, as recommended above. This work should be completed within three years.
The Scottish Government in conjunction with the Equality and Human Rights Commission may wish to consider if such a resource should be developed across - or linked to similar resources in - all six strands.
- Sharing best practice
It is recommended that the Scottish Government should: continue to support the development of LGBT good practice work, and should consider supporting some specific local authority activity; highlight the achievements of flagship public bodies for LGBT equality; ensure that transgender inclusion is fully addressed in good practice; begin this work within the next year and develop a strategy for the next ten years, to maintain progress.
- Better support for LGBT staff
It is recommended that the Scottish Government should work in partnership with public sector employers to actively encourage and promote the development of LGBT staff networks. The Scottish Government should support an event developed by LGBT organisations and employers to bring staff networks together to share good practice, including learning from other staff networks, e.g. disabled people, women, and BME employees.
Religion and belief
The following priorities were identified: good relations between LGBT and faith communities; relations between LGBT people of faith and other people of faith; supportive spaces for LGBT people of faith; reflecting the range of views of faith communities and others; reducing false impressions of conflict; and identifying what kind of Scotland we all want to share.
- Good relations between LGBT and faith communities
It is recommended that national and local LGBT organisations should: reach out to faith organisations as part of their work around LGBT History Month, Holocaust Memorial Day and similar initiatives; and seek opportunities for joint work with faith organisations around common issues of discrimination and equality.
The Scottish Government and the Equality and Human Rights Commission, should support this work through resourcing and through promoting opportunities for joint work on common issues.
- Relations between LGBT people of faith and other people of faith
It is recommended that: national LGBT organisations should work with people of faith, and faith or inter-faith organisations, to seek to arrange initial and on-going discussion meetings between LGBT people and other people within faiths. The Scottish Government and the Equality and Human Rights Commission should support this dialogue by resourcing and by encouraging participation.
- Supportive spaces for LGBT people of faith
It is recommended that national LGBT organisations, working where appropriate in partnership with faith, inter-faith and LGBT faith organisations, should: provide web-based networking facilities for LGBT people of faith; facilitate a regular inter-faith gathering for LGBT people of faith; and support the self-organisation of groups for LGBT people within faiths. The Scottish Government and the Equality and Human Rights Commission should support this work, as part of their equality and good relations remit.
- Reflecting the views of faith communities and others
It is recommended that national LGBT organisations should: raise the profile of LGBT-affirmative faith and belief viewpoints; signpost supportive groupings within faiths; offer media training for LGBT people of faith; and provide accurate public information on issues relating to LGBT people of faith.
The Scottish Government, Equality and Human Rights Commission, and other organisations that commission research into attitudes, should ensure that research design recognises the wide range of views about LGBT issues within and outwith faiths.
The Scottish Government and Equality and Human Rights Commission should support this work by direct resourcing and encouragement, as part of their equality and good relations remit.
- Reducing false impressions of conflict
It is recommended that the UK Government, Equality and Human Rights Commission, Scottish Government and Scottish Commission for Human Rights should develop guidance about, and seek to clarify, the requirements of equality and human rights law in areas that inter-relate sexual orientation and gender identity and religion and belief.
The Scottish Government, Equality and Human Rights Commission, and national LGBT organisations should seek opportunities for joint work with faith and belief organisations to promote the common requirements of equality law.
- What kind of Scotland do we all want to share?
It is recommended that the Scottish Government and the Equality and Human Rights Commission should facilitate a series of discussion meetings for LGBT organisations, religious and non-religious belief organisations about an appropriate framework for people to live alongside one another free from discrimination.
These discussions could form part of wider discussions on Scotland's future.
Education and family
The following priorities were identified: LGBT inclusion in the curriculum; encouraging LGBT equality through school inspections; pastoral care of LGBT young people; adult learning; teacher training; leadership from Scottish Government and education authorities; and further research.
- LGBT inclusion in the curriculum
It is recommended that Learning and Teaching Scotland develop practical guidance and materials to help schools to promote the inclusion of LGBT people and their families. The Equality and Human Rights Commission should develop clear guidance for local authorities and schools on their legal responsibilities for LGBT equality. NHS Health Scotland should mainstream the needs and experiences of LGBT young people through the roll-out of lessons from Healthy Respect, the National Health Demonstration Project in Lothian. - School inspections
It is recommended that: HMIE develop a good practice framework for schools on addressing the needs of LGBT young people and promoting a positive ethos; inspectors are trained and aware of the issues surrounding LGBT inclusion in education; and the General Teaching Council for Scotland includes a section on LGBT equality within their information for teachers on professional conduct. - Pastoral care of LGBT young people
It is recommended that the Scottish Government and Learning and Teaching Scotland include the pastoral care needs of LGBT young people through the Happy, Safe and Achieving their Potential standards for personal support in schools and related initiatives. It is also recommended that education authorities take account of the needs of LGBT young people, including through 'coming out' in their work on pastoral care.
- Adult learning
It is recommended that Scotland's Learning Partnership, Learn Direct, Careers Scotland and other relevant providers work with LGBT organisations to develop and provide LGBT awareness training for adult learning professionals. Adult learning providers should target adult learning opportunities at LGBT communities directly.
- Teacher training
It is recommended that education authorities: include LGBT awareness training in their ongoing programme of Continuing Professional Development; commit to training on anti-homophobia, transphobia and LGBT equality in school development planning. Providers of teacher training should mainstream LGBT equality in education and in the Initial Teacher Education curriculum through equal opportunities, Sex and Relationships Education ( SRE), citizenship education and anti-bullying work.
It is recommended that young people should have some direct involvement in organising a conference for teachers on including LGBT young people in SRE. - Leadership
The Scottish Government and Scottish education authorities have an excellent opportunity to further support and lead anti-homophobia work in Scottish schools. It is recommended that the Scottish Government and COSLA actively promote the Scottish Government funded Equal Opportunities in Education: Guidance on Dealing with Homophobic Incidents project to education authorities and schools. The Scottish Government should take every opportunity to make further positive leadership statements on challenging prejudiced attitudes towards LGBT people in schools.
It is recommended that the Scottish Parliament's Equal Opportunities and Education Committees should hold an inquiry into bullying, including bullying on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender (including transgender); it is also recommended that COSLA coordinate and host a conference on LGBT equality in schools. - Further research
It is recommended that research is conducted in the following areas: the needs and experiences of transgender young people in education, in partnership with Scottish transgender organisations; and the needs and experiences of children of LGBT parents.
Media and leadership
The following priorities were identified: proactive political leadership; equipping the media; reducing homophobia and transphobia in the media and in public life; and gathering and analysing information to support best practice in the media.
- Proactive political leadership
We welcome the fact that the Scottish Government seeks to promote LGBT inclusion. We would, however, like to see Scottish Ministers and other political leaders being more proud and proactive about their commitment to LGBT equality. Detailed recommendations can be found in the main text of the Media and Leadership recommendations.
It is particularly important that Scottish Ministers and other political leaders consistently challenge homophobia and transphobia.
- Leadership from local authorities and publicly funded bodies
It is recommended that: all publicly funded bodies develop an explicit strategy for LGBT inclusion within their communication and promotional activities; the Scottish Government issues guidance to public bodies detailing their expectations and obligations with regards to coverage of LGBT issues, and dealing with homophobia and transphobia.
- Equipping the media
We wish to learn from successful initiatives such as Stonewall Cymru's 'Look Out' media project and the 'see me' media volunteer campaign. National LGBT organisations should: develop a toolkit for use by media professionals that contains information, guidance and examples of best practice for LGBT inclusive reporting; develop training on the toolkit and general LGBT awareness for journalists and other media professionals; and establish a media volunteer scheme in partnership with local LGBT communities and media organisations, with case studies developed as an outcome. - Reducing homophobia and transphobia in the press and in public life
It is recommended that the Press Complaints Commission and the Standards Commission for Scotland should demonstrate that they take homophobic and transphobic coverage and conduct seriously, and should produce clear statements that explicitly detail how seriously they view homophobic and transphobic coverage and the actions they will take if it occurs.
- Supporting LGBT best practice in the media
It is recommended that national LGBT organisations, in partnership with the Scottish Government, commission a media analysis project to monitor trends in LGBT coverage across a range of Scottish media.
Citizenship and social capital
The following priorities were identified: strengthening community capacity and encouraging community engagement; evolving a cultural calendar; targeting specific work with hard to reach groups and improving communication and networking between national LGBT organisations, local LGBT groups and others.
- Strengthening community capacity and encouraging community engagement
It is recommended that the Scottish Government: supports a review of current best practice in capacity building work in the LGBT and other sectors; provides resources to roll out a National Community Capacity Building Project in partnership with local authorities and the LGBT community; and establishes a small grants scheme for LGBT organisations to support new work with LGBT communities.
- Evolving a cultural calendar
It is recommended that the Scottish Government continue to fund the development and delivery of LGBT History Month in Scotland in order to support local events and the further development of local community capacity. It is recommended that local and national LGBT organisations work closely together with mainstream agencies and in partnership with others involved in LGBT History Month, International Day Against Homophobia ( IDAHO), Pride and Glasgay! to develop activity as part of a year-round LGBT cultural calendar. - Targeting specific work with hard to reach groups
It is recommended that the Scottish Government should, through the National Capacity Building Programme: support local youth work opportunities and encourage active participation by young people in community action by building on existing mentoring activity; support existing work with LGBT young people across Scotland and the development of volunteers; continue to fund the development of work to support Scotland's transgender communities; and develop a volunteer exchange scheme.
It is recommended that national LGBT organisations, working with transgender organisations and the Scottish Government, explore possibilities for developing a scholarship fund for two postgraduate students to undertake transgender research and study human rights law. - Improving communication
It is recommended that the Scottish Government and Equality and Human Rights Commission support national LGBT organisations to work together and in partnership with local LGBT communities to develop a national LGBT community website and an annual networking and training conference for LGBT community groups and organisations.
Cross-cutting recommendations
A number of cross-cutting recommendations, which apply across the five themes, emerged from our work. They included: commissioning research; establishing that equality and respect for all are a cornerstone of a modern, successful country; and taking the work forward in a strategic way.
- Commissioning research
It is recommended that the Scottish Government and the Equality and Human Rights Commission continue to purchase a module on discrimination within the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, on a four-year cycle. It should include questions on attitudes towards LGB and T people. National LGBT organisations, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Scottish Government should consider more focused research to examine people's understanding of, and attitudes towards, LGBT people and their lives, and the factors that underlie these.
- Establishing equality as a cornerstone of a successful society
LGBT people and organisations must engage in the national debate on Scotland's future, to create a Scotland in which they are truly respected and included as equals. The Scottish Government and Parliament should ensure that all the diverse voices of Scotland's people are heard in the debate. - Taking the work forward in a strategic way
It is recommended that the national LGBT organisations work together with the Scottish Government, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and others to provide strategic leadership for the work identified in this report, including: encouraging the participation of LGBT communities; identifying, and encouraging the participation of, potential partners; making the most of opportunities that arise, including identifying available resources; recognising and building on success; prioritisation of work and regular review.
The discussions of the different subgroups all reflected the importance of engaging with people, working in partnership and learning from best practice across the equalities sector. Increasing visibility helps to dispel myths and misunderstanding and encouraging more people to become involved in LGBT initiatives results in shared ownership of LGBT issues.
There was also a sense that working together includes presenting a united, integrated front in the virtual world, through centralised and complementary websites which enable easy access to comprehensive information, advice and experience.
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