Issue #56 Monday, 11 November 2024
Welcome to issue 56 of the LGBT Great News Digest, a short briefing on the five LGBTQ+ news stories you need to know about right now. As always, here are three tools and updates for you: 1 –💡End of Year Reception and New Research Launch: Join us on December 3rd for our end-of-year reception and research launch event hosted in partnership with BNY at their London office. The report will provide key insights on perceptions of the industry from an LGBTQ+ lens and includes impactful strategies to help organisations that want to attract more underrepresented talent. Register Here. 2– 💡Transgender Awareness Week: Join us on November 13th for a webinar focused on understanding Transgender and Non-Binary identities. Learn how to develop inclusive policies, improve recruitment processes, and foster a supportive work environment. Register Here. 3 –💡 LGBT Great at EUROUT in partnership with Pfizer: Join us on November 15th for a workshop at the London Business School where we partner with Pfizer to explore practical methods that future leaders can incorporate to be more LGBTQ+-inclusive. Use the code LGBTGREAT20 to get 20% off the tickets here. Check out this issue’s five news stories below and watch out for our next Digest issue on Monday 25th November. Should you have any questions or require further information, please feel free to reach out to us. Our team is dedicated to providing any assistance you may need. The LGBT Great Team Errata: In News Digest 55, we incorrectly stated "Out For Business" as an organisation name in our 3rd story. The correct name of the organisation is "Open for Business". The editor apologises for the error.
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| 1. Donald Trump wins US Presidential Elections |
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On 6 November 2024, US presidential election results were declared with Donald Trump winning and becoming the new President-elect as a representative of the Republican party. He beat the Democrats led by Kamala Harris and won a non-consecutive second term. _____ Our View: This unexpected victory marks an insecure future for the LGBTQ+ community, as evidenced by Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ plans which include blocking gender-affirming care for transgender youth and federally redefining gender to limit it to a male and female binary. Furthermore, his running mate JD Vance previously introduced a bill as a senator which would imprison doctors who provided gender-affirming care to trans youth.
Now more than ever, organisations must step up and adopt comprehensive policies, akin to an embassy model, to create a safe and inclusive workplace where LGBTQ+ employees feel protected, valued, and empowered. To know more about how you can transform your organisational strategy to adapt to political headwinds, contact us at info@lgbtgreat.com.
Read our CEO’s blog for insights into the election results and its predicted consequences here.
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| 2. New research finds that 80% of LGBTQ+ respondents would be more likely to accept a job offer from an organisation with LGBTQ+ role models in senior positions |
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On 8 October 2024, myGwork released new LGBTQ+ research in partnership with Highered, revealing that 80% of LGBTQ+ respondents would be more likely to accept a job offer from an organisation with LGBTQ+ role models in senior positions. The same amount also believes that being LGBTQ+ makes it more challenging to reach senior leadership positions. _____ Our View: This research by myGwork directly corroborates LGBT Great’s 2023 research titled “Seeing is Believing” which found that LGBTQ+ people were motivated by role models senior to them (72%) in their peer group (67%) and junior to them (52%). We bridged the research gap on LGBTQ+ role modelling by evidencing the affirmative element that role models play for the community: 80% LGBTQ+ respondents said that creating a safe space for others is an important behaviour in a role model. To learn more about the research through an engaging and interactive training session, you can contact info@lgtgreat.com. We also run many role modelling programs that reflect our commitment of platforming LGBTQ+ people and allies in business. Click here to find out more.
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| 3. Ireland parliament passes LGBTQ+-protective legislation |
| On 23 October 2024, the Irish parliament passed the Criminal Justice (Hate Offenses) Act which places harsher penalty on crimes if they are based on race, colour, nationality, religion, national or ethnic origin, descent, disability, gender (including trans and nonbinary identities), sex characteristics, and sexual orientation. The bill passed with a 78-52 vote. _____ Our View: Research by Trinity College & Belong To shows that 1 in 4 LGBTQ+ individuals have been physically assaulted due to their identity and 72% have faced verbal abuse. Nearly 1 in 2 trans and non-binary people also reported feeling unsafe being their authentic selves in public.
With this legislation, Ireland has taken an active measure to ensure that the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalised groups have robust protections against hate crimes, putting its LGBTQ+-protective legislations at par with other nations in the EU.
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| 4. Trans youth accessing gender-affirming care report very high levels of satisfaction and low levels of regret |
| On 21 October 2024, new research was published in Jama Pediatrics which surveyed 220 trans youth, revealing that only 3.5% of the sample reported regret. ~97% reported very high levels of satisfaction and continued accessing gender-affirming care. _____ Our View: This study adds to the mounting evidence demonstrating the positive impact of gender-affirming care on the health and well-being of transgender youth. Another notable study evidences that access to this vital healthcare significantly reduces the risk of depression and suicidality, highlighting its life-saving potential.
Despite the robust evidence supporting gender-affirming care, it faces ever-increasing political attacks. In 2024, a staggering 664 anti-trans bills were introduced nationwide, and 45 have passed. This underscores the urgent need to advocate for policies that protect access to gender-affirming care, ensuring that transgender youth receive the support and care they need.
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| 5. Russian government escalates crackdown on LGBTQ+ community |
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On 12 October 2024, Russian police raided four gay bars that were celebrating events for National Coming Out Day and detained 50 people. _____ Our View: These arrests are a direct result of the Russian government's passage of the anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda law in 2022 which criminalises the promotion of “non-traditional sexual relations”.
These actions reflect societal prejudice and stigma, as revealed in the 2017-2022 World Values Survey which showed that nearly 72% of Russians do not believe homosexuality is justifiable. |
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Applications for new Corporate Members are open. If you would like to find out more about the membership options with LGBT Great, get in touch today via this short form. |
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Disclaimer The information contained in this newsletter is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by LGBT Great and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability with respect to the newsletter or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained in the newsletter for any purpose. All the quotations in the news are presented as originally published. LGBT Great does not necessarily share the views of the quoted authors and is not responsible for the accuracy of the information or quality of the analysis provided by them. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. |
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