Protecting Equality in 2025: A UK Political Guide for LGBTQIA+ People and Allies
The United Kingdom is at a pivotal moment for LGBTQIA+ rights politically speaking. On paper, the country still boasts one of the strongest legal frameworks for lesbian, gay and bisexual people in the world, with marriage equality, anti-discrimination protections, and a cultural mainstream that increasingly accepts diverse identities. Yet beneath this surface, a crisis is unfolding.
Transgender, non-binary and intersex people face mounting political hostility. A Supreme Court ruling in early 2025 narrowed the interpretation of “sex” under the Equality Act, suggesting that legal protections may be applied according to biological sex rather than gender identity. This ruling has created confusion across workplaces, schools, healthcare, and single-sex services. Politicians are now divided on whether to entrench or resist this restrictive definition.
At the same time, the UK has fallen sharply in international rankings. In 2015, ILGA-Europe rated Britain the most LGBTQIA+ friendly country on the continent. A decade later, it has slipped to 22nd place. This decline is almost entirely due to attacks on trans rights and the failure to deliver long-promised protections such as a ban on conversion practices.
Against this backdrop, voters who care about equality must adopt a strategic and risk-aware approach. Some rights, such as same-sex marriage, are unlikely to be rolled back. The real battlegrounds now are the Gender Recognition Act, the long-delayed conversion therapy ban, and the Equality Act itself. How political parties approach these issues provides the clearest test of whether they are genuine allies or legislative threats.
This guide sets out what LGBTQIA+ voters and allies need to know when approaching the ballot box.
The New Litmus Test
For many years, voting for equality meant supporting the parties most likely to expand recognition for same-sex couples. That landscape has changed. Marriage equality is now secure, but the definition of “sex” in law has become the new dividing line.
The Equality Act 2010 is the cornerstone of the UK anti-discrimination law. It protects people on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender reassignment. For trans people, it has ensured access to services, workplaces and public life without harassment or exclusion. The 2025 Supreme Court ruling has unsettled this foundation by stating that “sex” in the Act refers to biological sex, not legal sex acquired through a Gender Recognition Certificate.
This means that, in practice, trans women could be excluded from women’s spaces even when they are legally recognised as female. The ruling has opened a door that some political parties now wish to push wide open by rewriting the law itself. Others want to uphold inclusive protections.
How each party positions itself on this issue is the most important indicator of whether they can be trusted to safeguard the rights of LGBTQIA+ people, especially the most vulnerable.
Reliable Allies: Parties with Strong Commitments
The Green Party
The Greens present the most progressive and consistent platform for LGBTQIA+ rights. They support self-determination in gender recognition, explicit inclusion of intersex people in anti-discrimination law, and tailored healthcare for LGBTQIA+ communities. In surveys following the Supreme Court ruling, a majority of Green voters disagreed with defining woman as “biological woman,” showing strong alignment between the party and its supporters.
For those who want the boldest and clearest defence of trans rights, the Green Party is the most reliable option.
The Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats also offer a strong track record. They were instrumental in passing marriage equality, with former Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone often described as the architect of the legislation. Their current manifesto pledges a comprehensive ban on conversion practices and the removal of medical gatekeeping in the Gender Recognition Certificate process.
The Liberal Democrats can be seen as a safe choice for voters who want pragmatic but consistent support for LGBTQIA+ equality.
Devolved Parties: SNP and Plaid Cymru
In Scotland and Wales, devolved parties often push further than Westminster on progressive issues. The SNP remains committed to self-identification in gender recognition, although its legislation was blocked by the UK government. Plaid Cymru has fought for better funding for gender identity clinics in Wales and a more inclusive approach to education and healthcare.
While devolved powers are limited, these parties can make a meaningful difference in daily life, especially in areas like health services and local policy.
Parties to Approach with Caution
The Labour Party
Labour’s history on LGBTQIA+ rights is significant. The party repealed Section 28, introduced civil partnerships, and passed the Equality Act. Yet its current stance is less clear.
Labour promises to ban conversion practices in a trans-inclusive way and to simplify the Gender Recognition Act. However, they still require a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria, which activists see as an outdated and pathologising approach. Most concerning is their response to the Supreme Court ruling. The leadership welcomed the decision as providing “clarity,” even though many backbench MPs and campaigners argued that it undermined the safety and dignity of trans people.
This ambiguity has real consequences. Major Pride organisations in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Brighton suspended political party participation in their events as a sign of no confidence in Labour’s leadership.
For voters, Labour is a party with potential but one that must be pressured. Support should be conditional on clear commitments to reverse legal uncertainty and defend trans rights without hesitation.
Parties to Steer Clear Of
The Conservative Party
Conservatives have a mixed history on LGBTQIA+ issues. They introduced Section 28 in the 1980s, one of the most damaging laws in modern history for gay and lesbian visibility. Yet they were also in government when marriage equality was passed, although that depended heavily on Liberal Democrat leadership and Labour votes.
In 2025, the party’s position has shifted decisively toward restriction. Their manifesto pledges to rewrite the Equality Act to define “sex” as biological sex and to ensure that a person can only ever be legally recognised as one sex. This would roll back core protections for trans people and create legal barriers that did not previously exist.
For LGBTQIA+ voters and allies, the Conservatives now represent a direct legislative threat.
Reform UK
Reform UK’s platform is even more extreme. They pledge to replace the entire Equality Act, scrap diversity and inclusion policies, and mandate biological definitions of sex for toilets, changing rooms and other public facilities. This would dismantle decades of legal progress not only for trans people but for all minorities protected under the Equality Act.
This is a party whose policy proposals amount to the systematic removal of rights. For anyone committed to equality, Reform UK is a party to avoid.
Why Strategic Voting Matters
The stakes in 2025 are unusually high. For many voters, issues such as the economy or public services may dominate. But for LGBTQIA+ communities, the survival of legal protections is at risk. The focus on rewriting primary legislation sets this moment apart. When a party promises to redefine sex in the Equality Act, it is not tinkering at the edges. It is changing the law at its root.
Strategic voting means prioritising the defence of the most vulnerable. It may mean setting aside past loyalties to parties like Labour in favour of those that offer clearer commitments. It may mean voting for devolved parties to secure local protections where Westminster is hostile. And it may mean building alliances across communities to resist legislative rollback.
Accountability and Activism
Voting is only one part of the struggle. The decision by Pride organisations to suspend political parties is an example of how accountability can be demanded outside the ballot box. Activist pressure has historically driven change, from the repeal of Section 28 to the creation of Stonewall. Today, campaigns led by groups such as the Ban Conversion Therapy Coalition and UK Black Pride continue to push for action that politicians may otherwise avoid.
Supporting these movements, challenging misinformation, and holding MPs to account in their constituencies are all ways that voters can contribute.
Simply Put
The political conflict of 2025 is about more than policy differences. It is about whether the UK will protect or dismantle the legal framework that underpins equality. Same-sex marriage and partnership rights may feel safe, but trans and intersex people stand at the centre of a battle over the meaning of equality itself.
For LGBTQIA+ people and allies, the message is clear. Support the parties that offer firm commitments to inclusion. Apply pressure to those who hesitate. And withhold support from those who actively seek to undermine rights.
The community’s future depends not only on resisting discrimination but on building a political culture that values dignity, self-determination and equality for all.
Table of Contents
