A new Stonewall report on LGBTQ+ life in the UK finds that eight in ten transgender respondents feel pessimistic about the future of equality. Its survey of 3,473 LGBTQ+ adults also explores safety, healthcare, work and belonging, revealing both encouraging signs of support and serious gaps in everyday experience.

Essential Takeaways

  • A stark outlook: Half of respondents felt pessimistic about the future of LGBTQ+ equality; among trans+ respondents, the figure was 80%.
  • Safety shapes daily life: Nearly half of trans+ respondents said they had changed how they dressed in public to avoid harassment or discrimination.
  • Healthcare remains uneven: One in three trans+ respondents reported difficulty accessing healthcare because of their identity.
  • Support makes a difference: Most respondents who were open with family or friends said they felt accepted by them.
  • The findings are UK-specific: Stonewall’s report highlights patterns to examine, but its results shouldn’t be treated as a measure of life for LGBTQ+ people everywhere.

Stonewall's LGBTQ+ report finds a gap between progress and confidence

There’s a striking tension at the heart of Stonewall’s LGBTQ+ Life in the UK: 2026 report. Nearly half of respondents thought acceptance had increased over the previous decade, yet 50% were pessimistic about where equality is heading. Among trans+ respondents, pessimism rose to 80%, while 58% felt acceptance had declined. (Stonewall)

The survey, conducted by YouGov between March and April 2026, gathered responses from 3,473 LGBTQ+ adults. Published on 30 October, it examines equality, belonging, safety, health, work and future prospects. The picture isn’t simply one of progress or decline; it’s a report of gains that don’t always translate into confidence about what comes next. (Stonewall)

Safety concerns reach into everyday life

For many people, safety isn’t an abstract policy question. Stonewall found that 45% of trans+ respondents had experienced harassment, intimidation or assault of a potentially criminal nature during the previous year. Nearly half had changed how they dressed in public to avoid discrimination or harassment. (Stonewall)

Going out can involve its own calculations: 47% of trans+ respondents said they avoided certain bars or restaurants because they didn’t feel safe. And just 18% of LGBTQ+ respondents who experienced a potential hate incident reported it to police; among those who did, 54% were dissatisfied with the response. Those figures point to a difficult gap between experiencing harm and feeling confident that reporting it will help. (Stonewall)

Family and friends offer a brighter picture

The report also records a more reassuring side of daily life. Among respondents open about their sexuality with family, 93% said they felt accepted; for those open with friends, 88% were open about their sexuality. Trans+ respondents who were open with family or friends also commonly reported acceptance, at 86% and 95% respectively. (Stonewall)

But openness isn’t equally comfortable for everyone. Only 40% of non-binary respondents said they were open with family about their gender identity. Stonewall’s findings suggest that supportive relationships matter, while also showing why one community-wide average can miss very different experiences. (Stonewall)

Healthcare and workplaces still need attention

Healthcare was another area where the report found a clear difference between groups. One in ten LGBTQ+ respondents said they’d had difficulty accessing healthcare because of their sexuality or gender identity, rising to 33% among trans+ respondents. Meanwhile, 39% of trans+ respondents felt healthcare staff lacked understanding of transgender health needs. (Stonewall)

Workplaces can bring a similar pressure to keep parts of life private. During the previous year, 30% of LGB+ respondents had hidden or disguised their sexuality at work because they feared discrimination; among trans+ respondents, 46% had concealed their gender identity. Correct names and pronouns were an important workplace consideration for 70% of trans+ respondents. (Stonewall)

What the report can tell us about equality

Stonewall’s chief executive, Simon Blake, has called for renewed attention to discrimination and the inequalities reported by trans communities. The charity says the findings should inform a new UK Government LGBTQ+ strategy. It’s a reminder that headline measures of social acceptance can sit alongside very practical concerns about safety, respectful care and being treated properly at work. (Stonewall; The Guardian)

The results describe respondents in the UK, not LGBTQ+ people everywhere, so they shouldn’t be taken as a direct picture of life in Aotearoa New Zealand. Still, they offer useful questions for any community: can people access care without having to educate their provider, feel safe in public, and be themselves at work? A good equality measure needs to look beyond public attitudes and into those everyday details. (Stonewall; Everyturn)

Closing Line

Progress matters, but so does whether people feel safe and supported in ordinary life.

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