SNP LGBTQ+ Policies

In advance of the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, the SNP released a number of issue-specific manifestos, including one on LGBT+ policies. The SNP is committed to the following policies.

Ending Conversion Therapy

The SNP will bring forward their own legislation in the Scottish Parliament to end the discriminatory and harmful practices of conversion therapy if the UK government does not take action to do so.

Protecting & Progressing LGBTI+ Rights

The SNP will continue to demand the full devolution of equality, employment and immigration powers. The SNP are committed to tackling transphobia through inclusive education and tackling hate crime & prejudice.

GRA Reform

The SNP will also work with groups to simplify the process where a trans person can gain legal recognition and will make the necessary reforms to the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) at the earliest opportunity.

Improving Access to Gender Identity Services

The SNP will take action to provide three years of crisis intervention funding to improve NHS Gender Identity Services, and will work with people with lived experience on this.

Eliminating HIV Transmission

The SNP will bring forward a new framework to eliminate HIV transmission by 2030.

Improving Mental Health Support

The SNP will increase Scottish Government direct investment in mental health by at least 25%, ensuring that by the end of the parliament, 10% of the frontline NHS budget will be invested in mental health services. The SNP will also ensure every GP practice in the country has access to a dedicated mental wellbeing link worker, and will ensure at least 1% of frontline NHS spending is directed to Child and Adolescent mental health services by the end of the next parliament.

Making Scotland Safer

The SNP remains committed to eliminating violence against women and girls, and will spend £100 million on funding of frontline services, but will also fund separate resources for services that support men who are victims of rape and domestic abuse and will establish a national strategy on ending intimate and sexual violence against men and boys. The SNP will also implement the Hate Crime Bill passed at the end of the last parliament.

Delivering Inclusive Education

The SNP have funded Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) to work with decision makers, produce curriculum resources, and deliver services for teachers and pupils to raise awareness, heighten knowledge and foster good relations with regards to LGBT issues.

Ensuring A Diverse & Inclusive Scotland

The SNP will introduce a Scottish Diversity and Inclusion Strategy which will focus on the removal of institutional barriers leading to inequalities in the public sector, educational institutions, justice system and workplaces.

Read the full manifesto here.