.png)
.png)
One Month to Go Until #SaferToBeMe 2026
There is now just one month to go until #SaferToBeMe 2026, when educators, youth workers, charities, community organisations and frontline professionals from across the UK will come together at the ONE Centre in Gateshead to explore one of the most important questions facing LGBTQI+ communities today: how do we make life safer for LGBTQI+ young people in a rapidly changing environment?
Taking place on Friday 6 November 2026, this year's conference, LGBTQI+ Young People in the UK Amid Changing Times, is being delivered by ReportOUT and OUT North East. Following last year's #SaferToBeMe summit, which brought more than 500 international experts together in Gateshead, this year's event turns the focus closer to home, looking at the experiences of LGBTQI+ young people in our schools, colleges and communities.
A day of insight, lived experience and practical support
The programme brings together speakers from education, youth work, campaigning and LGBTQI+ communities, with keynote contributions from Sue Sanders of Schools OUT, Laïla El-Métoui of Pride in Education, Kate Osborne MP and former secondary school head teacher Colin Scott, alongside a young person from Gateshead College. ReportOUT CEO Drew Dalton will host the day. Across the programme, speakers will explore some of the challenges professionals are increasingly encountering in their work with LGBTQI+ young people.
Drew Dalton will open the discussion with Rising LGBTQI+ Phobia in the UK, examining the forces behind the current backlash against LGBTQI+ people and considering how professionals can recognise and respond to escalating prejudice.
Jay Anderson and Keira Bell from Be Trans Support and Community will look at Managing Barriers to Transition, exploring why people can become stuck during transition and what supportive professionals can do to help.
The conference will also look at inclusion beyond the issues that most often dominate public debate. Sara Ann Hope of Oaklands Schools Group will explore LGBT+ inclusion and SEND through Putting the LGBT+ in SEND, while Gemma Lockyer Turnbull of NE Youth will examine what happens when youth services and safe spaces disappear.
Education will be another important theme, with Richard McDonald of The Education Alliance exploring the role LGBTQ+ staff can play in shaping curriculum, policy and pastoral support in schools.
The day will finish with an interactive session designed to turn the day's conversations into practical action.
Why come to #SaferToBeMe?
For many professionals, the challenge isn't a lack of willingness to support LGBTQI+ young people. It is knowing what to do in a situation where guidance is changing, public debate is becoming increasingly difficult, and the needs of young people can be complex.
#SaferToBeMe 2026 is designed to help bridge that gap. You'll hear directly from people with lived experience, learn from professionals working across different settings and leave with ideas and practical approaches that can be taken back into your own school, youth service, organisation or community.
It is also an opportunity to meet other people doing this work. Teachers, youth workers, charities, local authorities and community organisations are often facing similar questions, and bringing those experiences together can be one of the most valuable parts of the day.
Join us
If you work with young people, teach, provide support services or simply want to understand more about the changing landscape for LGBTQI+ communities, we'd love to have you with us. Organisations can also find out about sponsorship opportunities.
Join us on Friday 6 November 2026 at the ONE Centre in Gateshead, or online.
