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Lesbian Visibility Week

24 April 2025

Lead MP

Kate Osborne
Jarrow and Gateshead East
Lab

Responding Minister

Dame Nia Griffith

Tags

Crime & Law EnforcementHousing
Word Count: 9986
Other Contributors: 10

At a Glance

Kate Osborne raised concerns about lesbian visibility week in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key Requests to Government:

The Government should ensure hate crime based on sexual orientation is classified as an aggravated offence and improve guidance following the Supreme Court verdict to protect trans individuals and cis women's rights.

How the Debate Unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:

Lead Contributor

Jarrow and Gateshead East
Opened the debate
Lesbian women face intersecting discrimination based on gender and sexuality. Hate crimes have increased, particularly lesbophobia. There are unnecessary financial and practical barriers for same-sex couples regarding IVF, creating a postcode lottery.

Government Response

Dame Nia Griffith
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales
Government Response
Welcomed Lesbian Visibility Week and thanked Kate Osborne for organising the debate. Paid tribute to colleagues raising issues such as fertility treatment, visibility in history books, discrimination faced by families starting a second family, and violence against women and trans women. Provided reassurance regarding legal clarity on single-sex spaces, mentioned plans to ban conversion practices, equalise hate crime protections, tackle LGBT+ homelessness, and improve healthcare access for lesbian women.
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy

About Westminster Hall Debates

Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.