Issue #34 Monday, 08 January 2024
Dear Subscriber,
Happy New Year and wishing you and your colleagues lots of success in 2024!
Welcome to the first issue of the LGBT Great News Digest for this year, a short briefing on the 5 LGBTQ+ news stories you need to know about right now. Firstly, please see below our first 3 Member updates for this year: 1 – Welcome to Georgie Williams (they/them) Appointed at LGBT Great We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Georgie to the LGBT Great team. They join us to further strengthen our insights, content, training, and consulting capabilities. Georgie is also the founder of the /Queer Project, an experienced DE&I Consultant, and a gender identity specialist. Find out more about Georgie by reading this interview with Georgie. 2 – Looking Ahead: Beyond the UK Regulator's Consultation Paper – Focus Group Join us for a Member-exclusive virtual Focus Group to understand more about the UK regulator's approach to diversity, equity and inclusion issues. We will also be sharing an overview of our formal LGBTQ+-focused response, submitted in December 2023 as well as our recommendations to firms in meeting the upcoming regulatory changes. Members are able to Register for the Focus Group. 3 – Nominations Open: Top 30 Under 30 Role Models 2024 Exciting news! We are proud to announce LGBT Great's brand-new Top 30 Under 30 role modelling programme as part of our broader Project 1000 initiative. The programme seeks to shine a spotlight on the incredible work of the next generation of future leaders, who are blazing new trails for diversity, equity, and inclusion across their organisations. Nominate them today. Best wishes, LGBT Great Team ___ Enjoyed this Digest? Click HERE to provide your feedback. |
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| 1. Report reveals dip in companies with dedicated DE&I budgets and strategies |
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A recent report by Paradigm exploring 2023 trends in organisational DE&I found a decrease in companies with dedicated DE&I budgets, as well as a decline in the percentage of organisations with DE&I strategies when compared to 2022. _____ Our View: Allocating budget for DE&I initiatives and designing clear & effective DE&I strategies can help boost innovation and efficiency. Moreover, regulatory bodies are increasingly prioritising DE&I, exemplified in the FCA / PRA consultation paper recently launched in the UK, which mandates setting specific DE&I strategic goals and objectives.
For Members -- register to join our forthcoming focus group exploring the implications of the FCA and PRA consultation papers on DE&I, here. |
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| 2. Norwegian parliament bans conversion therapy |
| On 15 December 2023, the Norwegian parliament voted in favour of criminalising attempts to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity using conversion therapy. The legislation was passed following an 85 to 15 vote in the Storting parliament. _____ Our View: Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. A systematic analysis conducted through the evaluation of 14 LGBTQ+ survey studies found that, on average, 8.5% of LGBTQ+ individuals had experienced conversion therapy, with the number increasing to 12% for trans members of the community.
With this decision, Norway has taken a positive step forward in protecting LGBTQ+ rights and has now joined a list of 26 other countries that have taken similar action.
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| 3. New report reveals only six countries have protections for intersex individuals |
| On 12 December 2023, ILGA released a report on the status of global intersex rights. They found that only 6 out of 197 countries have passed laws fully prohibiting non-consensual surgeries on intersex minors with only 2 possessing specific legal consequences for a violation. _____ Our View: Around 1.7% of the world's population are intersex, yet only 6 countries have robust laws protecting intersex people from non-consensual surgeries, a stark reflection of the lack of progress in intersex equality globally.
On a more encouraging note, the report also identified an ‘ongoing evolution’ of progressive legal rights for intersex folks with substantial encouraging developments in the international legislative space.
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| 4. Argentinian president eliminates Women, Gender and Diversity Ministry |
| On 10 December 2023, Javier Milei was sworn in as the new president of Argentina, following which he announced the eradication of the Diversity Ministry, handing over its responsibilities to the Ministry of Human Capital. _____ Our View: Argentina has historically been a progressive force for LGBTQ+ equality in Latin America, legalising same-sex marriage in 2010 and simplifying legal gender recognition in 2012.
President Milei’s views are strongly rooted in biological determinism and have already raised concerns amongst LGBTQ+ activists and advocates in the nation. However, the move's potential impact on LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality in Argentina still remains to be seen.
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| 5. Same-sex couples can marry in Estonia starting New Year’s day |
| Starting 1 January 2024, same-sex couples in Estonia can get married. This comes as a result of legislation passed by the Estonian parliament in June 2023, voting in favour of same-sex marriage equality. _____ Our View: Estonian public sentiment on same-sex marriage equality has undergone a massive shift over recent years. Data from the Estonian Human Rights Centre shows that support for same-sex marriage has risen from 34% to 53% within a decade.
This remarkable shift is now reflected in law, making Estonia the first former-Soviet state to legalise same-sex marriage and offering inspiration for other countries in the region to strive for LGBTQ+ equality.
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| Upcoming 2023 Events & Webinars |
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Applications for new Corporate Members are currently 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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