The King’s Speech opening the new session of Parliament includes the legislation a government proposes to bring forward in the coming months. As such today’s is an important indication of what might happen on bi and wider LGBT equalities over the next few years. It is the first such speech from Labour since 2009, when the Brown government was running out of ideas and money. Since then we have had speeches from Conservative-Lib Dem governments (LGBT content: same-sex marriage law, blood donation ban repeal), Conservative-DUP governments (LGBT content: never mind that, we’ve got to make sure tha ..read more

An open letter to the new Prime Minister, representing over 100 LGBT organisations across the UK, calls for a better relationship between government and the LGBT communities and groups representing them. Signatories include groups like BiPhoria, the UK’s longest-running bi organisation, local Prides, radio stations, and not surprisingly especially groups focused on supporting LGBT migrants and on supporting transgender people. It reads: Dear Prime Minister On behalf of organisations across the LGBT+ Voluntary and Community Sector, we would like to offer you a warm welcome into your new role a ..read more

Today is Omnisexual Visibility Day – when we celebrate and raise awareness of omnisexuality. Inspired by Bi Visibility Day, which started in 1999, this is a newer ‘Hallmark Holiday’ under the ‘big bi umbrella’ of identities and descriptions of how people experience their multi-gender attractions. Omnisexual people are attracted to people of all genders, but find gender to be a factor in their attraction. As such it is distinct from pansexuality, where gender does not form a factor in how and why you find people attractive. Many people may identify as both bi and omni, or prefer either of those ..read more

As we reported during the election campaign, the Labour party had some pledges on LGBT equalities in its manifesto – and some notable omissions. There were no items specific to bisexual people in the various manifestos but several items significantly affect bi people and communities directly or indirectly. There will be no work on the sexuality pay gap that sees bi people earn less than their gay and straight colleagues in the UK. We should now expect constructive reforms to the Gender Recognition Act. This legislation was passed during the New Labour years, but poorly implemented. One of the ..read more

Key election results in this year’s UK General Election: Overall seat scores (one seat still to declare – likely SNP or Lib Dem – counting on Saturday): Year Lab Con SNP LDm DUP SF SDLP PC Grn All Spk UUP TUV Ind Ref 2019 197 376 48 8 8 7 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 2024 412 121 9 71 5 7 2 4 4 1 1 1 1 6 4 change +211 -250 -38 +63 -3 n/c n/c +2 +3 n/c n/c- +1 +1 +6 +4 One Bi MP left parliament by not restanding, Dehanna Davison (Bishop Auckland). Her Conservative seat went to Labour. There were Labour holds in Warrington North for Charlotte Nichols and for Lancaster and Fleetwood MP Cat Smi ..read more

The Pew Research Center in the US has mapped same-sex marriage around the globe. Going beyond simply where it is legal, they have looked into the rates of same-sex marriage and mixed-sex marriage in each country. While the Netherlands pioneered marriage equality nearly a quarter of a century ago, same-sex marriage now an option in 30 countries, about a third of them have published statistics on marriages registered by type. There is a wide range of gender balance, from Taiwan (the most likely place for two brides) to Costa Rica (where you’re most likely to find two grooms). The highest rate of ..read more

We mostly cover the “big stuff” in BCN – like bi events, changes to law that particularly affect bi people, new research and so forth. But a lot of bi news is not “real news” but gossip or social media comments from people in the public eye. Those don’t change laws but they do, albeit not as often as we might like, change hearts and minds. Or give us public statements we can really relate to and that help educate others. GMA Online talked about former Miss Philippines Michelle Dee encouraging more people to go to Pride and talking about being bi. “You don’t have to label yourself to be a loud ..read more

We’ve crunched the manifestos of the big parties on LGBT issues. We looked at lots of key issues in LGBT equality – nothing in the programmes for government released focuses specifically on the “B”. In short, here they are: Party LDm Grn Lab Con Ref SNP End “Conversion Therapy” ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ Legal nonbinary recognition ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ No new Section 28 ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ Retain Human Rights Act ✘ ✘ ✘ Improve GRA processes ✘ ✘ ✘ End spousal veto ✘ ✘ ✘ Address LGBT pay gap ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ It’s a different election on LGBT equality than we used to see. In the 1990s parties pledged their pos ..read more

Twenty years ago same-sex marriage first became legal in the USA. That was a brief interlude in the state of Massachusetts when a court ruled in favour of marriage equality on May 17, 2004. To mark the anniversary the Williams Institute surveyed 484 LGBTQ+ Americans about their expectations for the near future. This has led to a new report, “Perspectives on Marriage Equality in 2024“. They note of the sample On average, they have been together for over 16 years and married for over nine years. Over 60% were married after the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges that brought m ..read more

The US’ Department of Defense faces a legal challenge over the stigma it put on discharged servicepeople through the wording of discharge notices. Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero in an initial ruling dismissed a bid by the DOD to prevent the case being heard. This means a case will go to court for a proper hearing – where the practice of recording sexuality on the discharge papers of those expelled from the US forces will face overdue scrutiny. Veterans affected argue it is unnecessary and acts as a barrier to employment in other walks of life. Further, it reveals private-life details of those d ..read more