Why have this conference? Across the UK, LGBTQI+ young people are navigating an increasingly complex and uncertain landscape shaped by global shifts, legal changes, shifting education policy, and rising hostility. Recent developments, including the UK Supreme Court’s interpretation of sex as “biological” under the Equality Act, have created widespread confusion about rights, access to spaces, and everyday safety, particularly for transgender and non-binary young people. Emerging guidance has reinforced this shift, with schools now expected to adopt more cautious approaches to gender identity, including restrictions around social transition and access to single-sex spaces.

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What are the policy trends? At the same time, new education guidelines are reshaping how gender and identity can be discussed in classrooms, limiting how schools engage with these topics and placing educators and youth professionals under increasing pressure to interpret complex and evolving rules. This policy environment is unfolding alongside a broader global rise in homophobia and transphobia, with many LGBTQI+ young people reporting heightened fear, exclusion, and uncertainty about where they are safe and how they are supported.

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Who is this conference for? For professionals working with young people, across schools, youth services, and community provision, this creates an urgent need for clarity, confidence, and informed practice. This conference provides a vital space to understand these changes, hear directly from lived experiences, and develop the knowledge and tools needed to support LGBTQI+ young people effectively, safely, and with care in today’s climate.