Issue #67 - Monday, 12 May 2025
Welcome to issue 67 of the LGBT Great News Digest, a short briefing on the 5 LGBTQ+ news stories you need to know about right now. As always, here are 3 updates for you: 🎉1 - Attend our Global Pride Webinar: Join us for an interactive session in partnership with Open for Business. We'll explore how the DEI backlash is a call to rethink how organisations engage, measure, and communicate the value of inclusion and belonging and the economic potential of LGBTQ+ inclusion. Register here.
🎉2 - Read our Toolkit on the UK Supreme Court Trans Ruling: On 16 April 2025, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the terms “woman” and “sex” refer to biological women and biological sex. We have written a toolkit to assist organisations in dealing with the ruling's implications- Click here to download our Toolkit 🏳️🌈 3 – Plot your Plan for Pride with us with our #UnityInCommunity campaign: This year, we have created an innovative and engaging menu of tools and solutions to save you time and maximise impact with your Pride activities. Click here and choose what you can leverage for your team/firm.
Check out this issue’s five news stories below and watch out for our next Digest issue on Monday, June 2nd. 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
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| 1. 98% of Goldman Sachs shareholders reject anti-DE&I proposals |
| In April, 98% of Goldman Sachs shareholders rejected two anti-DE&I proposals. The first proposal asked the company to consider eliminating DE&I based compensation incentives for executives. The second prompted a review of reputational risks associated with the organisation’s DE&I policies. _____ Our View: With the ongoing DE&I backlash, this near-unanimous rejection of anti-DE&I policies makes a strident statement on the importance of DE&I initiatives in the eyes of shareholders. This mimics shareholder voting outcomes at other major corporations such as Disney and Coca-Cola, where 99% shareholders rejected similar anti-DE&I proposals.
These developments reaffirm the public’s commitment to DE&I, not as a peripheral addition to business strategy, but as a fundamental and strategic imperative. Shareholders are clearly recognising the value and importance of DE&I in driving long-term success and mitigating potential risks, underscoring its integral role in modern business practices.
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| 2. MPs reject data bill that would erase trans identities |
| On 07 May 2025, a bill that proposed government bodies to collect data only according to sex assigned at birth was overwhelmingly rejected by MPs with 97 voting for, and 363 voting against. _____ Our View: This decisive rejection by the UK parliament represents a positive and crucial development, particularly in light of the recent Supreme Court judgment which rolled back trans protections, ruling that the legal definition of “sex” should be sex assigned at birth even if the person has a gender recognition certificate.
Maintaining accurate and inclusive data collection is vital for ensuring the rights, visibility, and access to services for transgender individuals. This rejection sends a clear message of support and recognition from Parliament in direct contrast to Supreme Court's recent judgement.
For further information and guidance on the recent Supreme Court ruling and its implications, please click here.
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| 3. Ipsos finds workplace support for DE&I remains strong |
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On 15 April 2025, Ipsos released data collected from 1200 respondents in Britain which revealed that workplace support for DE&I remained strong. 71% respondents supported flexible working arrangements, 65% supported gender pay gap reporting and 64% supported inclusion training initiatives. 61% also supported employee/business resource groups. _____ Our View: Our 2024 report titled “Redefining the Future” highlighted that LGBTQ+ individuals and allies prioritise organisations which demonstrate a commitment to inclusion and belonging through training, inclusive policies, and formal DE&I assessments. It is encouraging to see that this positive sentiment persists despite the current DE&I backlash.
LGBT Great offers a suite of 12 CPD-accredited learning solutions that can help you spread intersectional awareness in your organisation. We have also released a brand new learning session for Pride which focuses on the economic and business case for inclusion. If you want to book any of these learning sessions, click here or email shreyas@lgbtgreat.com
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| 4. Supreme Court allows trans military ban to take effect |
| On 06 May 2025, the US Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration can begin to enforce a ban on transgender people serving in the military while a legal challenge to the policy proceeds in court. There are ~4,240 trans people in the military according to the Pentagon’s figures. _____ Our View:This decision is a deeply concerning setback for transgender rights, suspending their right to openly serve pending legal outcomes. Alarmingly, 2025 has already seen 886 anti-trans bills introduced (731 active, 97 passed), a stark increase from 2024 where 701 were introduced and only 51 passed.
This intensifying legislative assault on an already vulnerable transgender community creates significant anxiety while undermining their right to serve their nation. This decision and the surge in anti-trans legislation send a damaging message of exclusion, highlighting the urgent need for inclusive environments and advocacy for transgender inclusion in organisations and public spheres.
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| 5. UNHRC adopts resolution condemning repression against LGBTQ+ people |
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On 3 April 2025, the UN Human Rights Council adopteda resolution which condemned the increasing discrimination, violence and repression against LGBTQ+ people in Belarus. Separately, another UN document from earlier this year highlighted the restriction and censorship of LGBTQ+ information and people in the nation. _____ Our View: In April 2024, the Belarusian administration labelled LGBTQ+ lives as “pornography”. Other accounts in late 2024 also highlighted arrests and detainments of LGBTQ+ people with alleged beatings and verbal abuse by the authorities.
As the situation in Belarus worsens, it is crucial that the UN ensures that inclusive practices and laws are adopted in Belarus which safeguard the LGBTQ+ community and deter any further human rights violations. |
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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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