Country Overview
United Kingdom
At a glance
Same-sex Relations for Men Legal Throughout the Country?
Same-sex Relations for Women Legal Throughout the Country?
Legal Gender Recognition Possible?
LGBTI Orgs Able to Register?
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In the United Kingdom, laws and public opinion regarding LGBTIQ people have generally been progressive, but significant setbacks in recent years have derailed progress. Discrimination based on sexual orientation and “gender reassignment” is banned, and same-sex couples can marry and adopt. Trans people can apply to change their legal gender marker under certain conditions. However, a UK Supreme Court decision in April 2025 that “sex” means biological sex under the UK’s Equality Act throws into question what legal rights a trans person may receive by gaining a gender recognition certificate. In addition, there is no legal recognition of nonbinary people. In March 2024, the National Health Service of England restricted access to puberty blockers for children based on perceived inadequate evidence of their safety. Intersex infants are still subject to medical interventions that take place without the informed consent of their parents, despite calls from civil society and some indications from previous governments to eradicate these harmful practices.
Public opinion toward lesbian, gay, and bisexual people is generally supportive, while attitudes toward trans people are more mixed. In a 2024 survey, 63 percent of respondents opposed making legal gender recognition easier, while 55 percent believed that allowing trans women to use women's spaces presents a risk of harm to other women.
The incidence of hate crimes and hate speech against LGBTIQ people has risen significantly in recent years. Politicians and the media have publicly denigrated trans people. Surveys suggest that nearly a third of LGBTQ people have experienced abuse from family members, and many LGBTQ young people face bullying from their peers. A significant number of LGBTQ persons report having experienced conversion practices. While the UK government has debated various plans to eradicate these practices, the focus has often been placed more on criminal penalties than on addressing root causes.
*Outright research indicates that the bodily autonomy of intersex people is not respected and protected in this country.
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