With the general election only a couple of days away, people across the United Kingdom will be deciding which party will get their vote. Whilst for some, it may be an easy decision, for minority groups such as the LGBTQ+ community, it is unlikely to be straightforward. The five main political party manifestos express a wide range of views on the topic, but not all of them promise safety and protection for the LGBTQ+ community. Meanwhile, can those who are promising LGBTQ+ equality really be trusted?   

“Biological sex is a reality…” state the Conservatives at the start of their pledge for “greater protection around sex and gender…The overwhelming majority of people in this country recognise that.” The party makes it clear from the beginning that they are dismissing the identities of trans and non-binary people. They also assume that the “majority of people” recognise this “reality” without any evidence to back the claim up.  

The Tories also discuss the issue of conversion therapy (a ‘practice’ used by specific groups – usually of a religious order – to ‘convert’ Queer people ‘back to being straight’), stating that “Attempts at so-called ‘conversion therapy’ are abhorrent”, but adding, “legislation around conversion practices is a very complex issue, with existing criminal law already offering robust protections.” Despite acknowledging conversion therapy’s “abhorrent” nature, they do not set out a plan to tackle the issue, instead arguing that “robust protections” are already in place. Yet, conversion therapy is still happening today – the government’s own research found that 7% of LGBTQ+ people have been offered or undergone conversion practices. Despite previous promises to introduce a ban on conversion therapy, the Conservatives barely acknowledge their lack of progress in doing so, simply referring to it as “...a very complex issue.”  

Meanwhile, Reform UK also takes a transphobic viewpoint. When discussing education, the party states that they will “…Ban Transgender Ideology in Primary and Secondary Schools. No gender questioning, social transitioning or pronoun swapping.” This was emphasised by Nick Taylor – Reform UK candidate for Norwich North, in his recent interview with Concrete. 

Throughout the manifesto, they repeatedly describe being transgender as an “ideology,” which LGBTQ+ newspaper PinkNews has labelled as a political “dog whistle.”   

Aside from stating their views on the transgender community, Reform UK fail to mention anything about the rest of the LGBTQ+ community whatsoever, which highlights their lack of interest in protecting the minority group.  

The power and influence held by these right-wing party leaders have managed to encourage anti-trans narratives within the press and politics. With these views gaining attention from the public, it is unsurprising that the number of transphobic hate crimes has risen. LGBTQ+ rights charity Stonewall calculated that hate crimes against trans people increased by 11% last year and by 186% in the last five years.   

Many would hope Labour takes a staunchly opposing view to the Tories, considering their perceived stance on equality. In many ways, they seem to do so, pledging that they “...will finally deliver a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices while protecting the freedom for people to explore their sexual orientation and gender identity.” This aligns with the “Safe To Be Me” Equality Policy Tree released by the party in 2023, which placed banning conversion therapy as their top priority. It also shows a plan to tackle the issue of conversion therapy, something which the Tories fail to pledge.   

Yet, Keir Starmer’s backtracking on the right to transgender self-identification is likely to be of substantial concern for the LGBTQ+ community. When initially asked about the topic, Starmer claimed, “Trans rights are human rights, and I support the right to self-identification…” However, Labour’s manifesto does not align with this viewpoint, instead stating that “We will remove indignities for trans people who deserve recognition and acceptance, whilst retaining the need for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a specialist doctor, enabling access to the healthcare pathway.” Whilst the pledge is still more inclusive than those from Reform and the Tories, it is a step back from Starmer’s original stance. In this sense, the LGBTQ+ community, particularly those who identify as trans, may struggle to trust Starmer and the validity of his pledges.  

The Liberal Democrats manifesto covers issues of LGBTQ+ equality in great depth. The party takes a similar stance to Labour, stating that they will “Respect and defend the rights of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, including trans and non-binary people” and “Ban all forms of conversion therapies and practices.” However, whilst Starmer has backtracked from his support of self-identification for trans people, the Lib Dems support it, stating that they will “Reform the gender recognition process to remove the requirement for medical reports, recognise non-binary identities in law, and remove the spousal veto.” The party’s manifesto also has a section in which they set out a plan to tackle hate crime, emphasising their commitment to protecting minority groups.  

The Green Party shares similar views with the Lib Dems, stating, “The Green Party supports self-ID so that trans and non-binary people could be legally recognised in their chosen gender through self-declaration. We also support ending the spousal veto so that married trans people can acquire their gender recognition certification without having to obtain permission from their spouse and to change the law so an X gender marker can be added to passports for non-binary and intersex people who wish to use it.” The LGBTIQ+ Greens website also shows that they plan to oppose EHRC guidance (The Equality and Human Rights Commission, who are attempting to roll back trans rights), and government and media transphobia, protect trans children in schools, fix trans healthcare and allow self-ID – all things that Labour have either not discussed or have gone against.  

So, when you head down to your local polling station this Thursday, take a minute to consider these different pledges from the five main parties. How you choose to vote could make a difference in the lives of the LGBTQ+ community in the years to come.