#SaferToBeMe Conference
LGBTQI+ Young People in the UK Amid Uncertain Times
November 6th 2026 at the
ONE Centre, Gateshead, U.K
A vital, one-day conference equipping educators, youth workers, and frontline professionals working with LGBTQI+ young people, with the insight, tools, and lived perspectives needed to better support LGBTQI+ young people in the UK today. A partnership event held by ReportOUT, Pride Action North and OUT North East.
Want to work with us as and become a sponsor of #SaferToBeMe?
Put your organisation in front of professionals, educators, charities, public sector leaders and community organisations from across the United Kingdom while demonstrating your commitment to supporting LGBTQI+ young people. Our sponsorship packages provide brand visibility through conference marketing, social media, livestreaming, website recognition, delegate resources, complimentary conference places and exclusive promotional opportunities, with additional benefits available at higher sponsorship levels. More than sponsorship, this is an opportunity to align your organisation with a respected national event that is creating lasting social impact.
Cannot sponsor but want to donate? Donations above £100 will have their logo featured, please click on the drop down menu for #SaferToBeMe
What is this conference about and why is it needed?
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.
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.
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.
Our conference timetable:
Please note that, even once confirmed, all sessions and speakers remain subject to change.
Registration
9am - 9:30am
Registration and tea and coffee. Opportunity to network
Entrance to the ONE Centre
Morning Break
11am - 11:15am
Tea and coffee supplied
In the Community Kitchen
Lunch
12:45pm - 13:30pm
Buffet lunch supplied
An opportunity to network
Session 5
14:30pm - 15:30pm
Beyond Representation: What role can LGBTQ+ staN enable safer, inclusive spaces for young people in schools?
Richard McDonald
The Education Alliance in Yorkshire
Plenary
16:30pm - 16:45pm
End of day announcements
Plenary
Keynote Speakers
9:30am - 10:15am
What do our Keynote Speakers have to say about our uncertain world in the U.K. for LGBTQi+ young people?
Sue Sanders: Schools OUT
Laila El-Matoui: Pride in Education
Kate Osbourne MP
Session 2
11:15am - 12noon
Managing barriers to transition - potential wells, activation energy, and metastability.
Jay Anderson and Keira Bell
Be Trans Support and Community
Afternoon Keynote
13:30pm - 13:50pm
Hear from our afternoon keynote Speaker Colin Scott and special guest young person from Gateshead College
Colin Scott
Gateshead College Special Guest
Afternoon Break
15:30pm - 15:45pm
Tea and coffee supplied
In the Community Kitchen
Session 1
10:15 - 11am
Rising LGBTQI+ Phobia in the UK: Understanding the backlash, recognising the warning signs, and building a more inclusive future
Drew Dalton
ReportOUT
Session 3
12noon - 12:45pm
Supporting LGBTQI+ young people with SEND: Inclusive practice that makes a difference
Sara Ann Hope
Oaklands Schools Group
Session 4
13:50pm - 14:35pm
When spaces disappear: Youth work, identity and democratic participation for LGBTQIA+ young people
Gemma Lockyer Turnbull
NE Youth
Session 6
15:45pm - 16:30pm
Interactive workshop: So, what do we do now?
Interactive Workshop
Book your tickets on our events page:
Secure your place at this timely and essential conference by clicking the button below. Join a community of educators, youth workers, and frontline professionals committed to understanding and supporting LGBTQI+ young people in today’s rapidly changing landscape. Spaces are limited, and demand is expected to be high. Book now to ensure you don’t miss out on a day of critical insight, practical learning, and meaningful connection.