LGBT Charter of Rights

You have the right to be yourself

• We (the LGBT people of Scotland and the organisation which displays this Charter) believe that LGBT young people and the wider LGBT community have the right to express themselves in their own way and forge their own identity
• We will support both LGBT young people and adults coming out, and their individuality will be respected
• We recognise that sexual orientation/gender identity is an important part of LGBT people’s lives; however it is only one part of an LGBT person’s life, and we will challenge negative stereotypes and strive to promote a positive image of LGBT people within our organisation
• We will value LGBT people as equal citizens of Scotland, putting policies in place where appropriate in order to promote their dignity and rights

You have the right to support from the Government on all levels

• We believe that local, Scottish and UK Governments have a duty to ensure that LGBT young people and the wider LGBT community can access and enjoy all of their rights
• The law should protect LGBT people and ensure that they are treated equally and with dignity
• We will stand up for the rights of LGBT people and will speak out when appropriate against any law or practice which unfairly discriminates against LGBT people

You have the right to be heard

• We will find ways to ensure that both LGBT young people and adults’ voices can be heard within our organisation and represented at any level
• LGBT people’s views are important to us and will be respected and valued
• We will listen to the needs of LGBT people and will create opportunities which are relevant to them and safe to use

You have the right to be looked after

• We believe that LGBT people are entitled to the best possible care and good standard of living
• We will support LGBT young  people to live with their parents where this is beneficial to their health and wellbeing, and we will support them to have their say in the care that is given to them
• We will ensure that LGBT young people and adults get the best possible care in care homes, or residential homes in old age, and to have their say in the care that is given to them

You have the right to be healthy

• We believe that LGBT young people and adults should be given the best healthcare possible and we will train our staff to be aware of their needs
• We believe that LGBT people are entitled to equal access to healthcare for example, the rights of lesbian women (and pre-op transgender men) to have smear tests
• We believe that transgender people have the right to appropriate health care, including transsexual people’s right  to be supported through transitioning, should they choose to do so
• We will empower LGBT people to look after their own physical, sexual and mental health
• We recognise that homophobia, transphobia and heterosexism can seriously damage the health of LGBT people

You have the right to be kept from harm

• We believe that LGBT people (and their families) have the right to be protected from violence, homophobic and transphobic hate crime, bullying, physical attacks and domestic abuse
• We will put procedures in place to make sure that perpetrators of homophobic and transphobic violence, intimidation and domestic abuse are not tolerated within our organisation

You have the right to education

• We believe that places of learning should recognise and value diversity and support both staff and students to come out should they choose to do so
• LGBT people should be able to easily access accurate and relevant information, and an education which furthers their knowledge and develops their abilities
• We will strive to be an organisation which supports LGBT young people and adults to learn in a safe and supportive environment

You will have the right to privacy

• We understand that a person’s sexual orientation is often private and we will not share  this information with third parties without prior consent
• We understand that a person’s gender identity should not be shared unless required by law to do so, and will ensure our organisation upholds this law at all times

You have the right to form relationships and have a family

• We will celebrate and support LGBT people’s relationships, provided that they are free from abuse
• We will support LGBT young people to decide their own friendships and spend time around people they feel comfortable with, in an environment they feel comfortable in
• We will celebrate and support LGBT parents and ensure that their right to be a parent is upheld

You have the right to housing

• We will take all reasonable steps to protect LGBT people from harassment in their homes from neighbours or in their neighbourhoods
• We will reach out to LGBT people and ensure that they are aware of support services available for them to be able to remain in their homes
• We will reach out to LGBT young people and ensure that they are aware of their rights and support services available if they become homeless
• We will listen to LGBT people and respect their housing needs
• We will ensure that housing staff are aware and sensitive to the issues facing LGBT young people and adults

 You can download a PDF of this document below