Skip to main content

Country Overview

United Kingdom

At a glance

Same-sex Relations for Men Legal Throughout the Country?

Yes

Same-sex Relations for Women Legal Throughout the Country?

Yes

Legal Gender Recognition Possible?

Yes

LGBTI Orgs Able to Register?

Yes

View more for this country:

In the United Kingdom, laws and public opinion regarding LGBTIQ people generally have been progressive, but there have been significant setbacks in recent years. Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is banned, and same-sex couples can marry and adopt. Trans people can change their legal gender markers, but there is no legal recognition of nonbinary people. Public opinion toward LGB people is relatively supportive, and most people in Britain agree that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. Public opinion toward trans people is more mixed. In a 2022 survey, respondents were divided about whether trans people should be able to change their legal gender markers and whether “trans women are women” and “trans men are men.” The incidence of hate crimes and hate speech against LGBTIQ people has risen dramatically in recent years. Conservative politicians and mainstream media publications have publically denigrated LGBTIQ people, and trans people have been a particular target of this hostile rhetoric.  Surveys suggest that nearly a third of LGBTIQ people have experienced abuse from family members, and many LGBTIQ young people face bullying from their peers. Conversion practices and nonconsensual medical interventions on intersex children remain legal, despite calls from civil society to ban these harmful practices.

 

Global Impact

Sub-Saharan Africa

Outright supports LGBTIQ organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa and works with mainstream human rights organizations to respect human rights and influence positive changes in laws, policies, attitudes and beliefs that cause discrimination against LGBTIQ people.

View this region

United Nations

Our work at the United Nations centers around advocating for the advancement of the rights of LGBTIQ people.

View this region

Asia

Our work in Asia promotes acceptance of sexual and gender diversity at all levels of society.

View this region

Middle East and North Africa

In the Middle East and North Africa, we partner with local groups in various countries as part of our international solidarity work. We also work with our local partners on different topics through capacity building, advocacy, research and holistic security.



View this region

Europe and Central Asia

Outright International partners with activists to fight for an end to human rights violations based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in Europe and Central Asia, where most of our work involves emergency responses to harassment, discrimination, violence, and most recently, Russia’s brutal and expanded invasion of Ukraine.

View this region

Americas

Our work in the Americas continues to build on the fundamental and positive transformation of human rights protections in recent years. We partner with groups in the Caribbean that focus on ending gender-based violence and eradicating discrimination against trans people.

View this region

Pacific

Our work in the Pacific aims to increase the visibility of activists, respond to human rights emergencies, and actively bridge local, regional, and international activism to achieve equality and justice.

View this region

Human Rights Research

Since 1990, we have partnered with activists from all over the world to produce hundreds of groundbreaking reports.

Read Our Reports