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Pride: LGBT rights are backsliding, Albert Kennedy Trust head warns – Metro.co.uk

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A leading LGBTQ+ charity leader worries the clock is being turned back to the 1980s - and that the most vulnerable will lose out if the movement doesn?t pull itself together. Tim Sigsworth warned young trans people are falling through the cracks at the same time as the gender debate heats up in politics and the media. While the issue is furiously litigated on social media, the organisation he runs, the Albert Kennedy Trust, works on the ground every day to help those whose stories are often overlooked. Metro.co.uk is supporting the charity this pride season - you can donate to our fund here. Trans issues have fuelled debate in activist and academic quarters for a long time but 2022 looks set to be the year it goes fully mainstream. Under Boris Johnson, the gender debate has become politicised, from the stripping of trans protections from the 'conversion therapies' bill, to his jibes over Sir Keir Starmer?s ?struggle to define what a woman is?. From major sports bodies adopting new gender policies, to high-profile interventions from national figures like J K Rowling, gender issues suddenly seem to be everywhere.
The head of the Albert Kennedy Trust says he is worried activists are looking inwards when people need help more than ever (Picture: AKT)

A leading LGBTQ+ charity leader worries the clock is being turned back to the 1980s – and that the most vulnerable will lose out if the movement doesn’t pull itself together.

Tim Sigsworth warned young trans people are falling through the cracks at the same time as the gender debate heats up in politics and the media.

While the issue is furiously litigated on social media, the organisation he runs, the Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT), works on the ground every day to help those whose stories are often overlooked.

Trans issues have fuelled debate in activist and academic quarters for a long time but 2022 looks set to be the year it goes fully mainstream.

Under Boris Johnson, the gender debate has become politicised, from the stripping of trans protections from the ‘conversion therapies’ bill, to his jibes over Sir Keir Starmer’s ‘struggle to define what a woman is’.

From major sports bodies adopting new gender policies, to high-profile interventions from national figures like J. K. Rowling, gender issues suddenly seem to be everywhere.

In the meantime, a stark reality is playing out across Britain.

Of the 105,000 young people at risk of homelessness, almost a quarter identify as LGBTQ+. And trans people in that group are often the most vulnerable, Tim warns.

A leading LGBTQ+ charity leader worries the clock is being turned back to the 1980s - and that the most vulnerable will lose out if the movement doesn?t pull itself together. Tim Sigsworth warned young trans people are falling through the cracks at the same time as the gender debate heats up in politics and the media. While the issue is furiously litigated on social media, the organisation he runs, the Albert Kennedy Trust, works on the ground every day to help those whose stories are often overlooked. Metro.co.uk is supporting the charity this pride season - you can donate to our fund here. Trans issues have fuelled debate in activist and academic quarters for a long time but 2022 looks set to be the year it goes fully mainstream. Under Boris Johnson, the gender debate has become politicised, from the stripping of trans protections from the 'conversion therapies' bill, to his jibes over Sir Keir Starmer?s ?struggle to define what a woman is?. From major sports bodies adopting new gender policies, to high-profile interventions from national figures like J K Rowling, gender issues suddenly seem to be everywhere.
Tim Sigsworth worries the clock is being turned back to the 1980s (Picture: AKT)
A leading LGBTQ+ charity leader worries the clock is being turned back to the 1980s - and that the most vulnerable will lose out if the movement doesn?t pull itself together. Tim Sigsworth warned young trans people are falling through the cracks at the same time as the gender debate heats up in politics and the media. While the issue is furiously litigated on social media, the organisation he runs, the Albert Kennedy Trust, works on the ground every day to help those whose stories are often overlooked. Metro.co.uk is supporting the charity this pride season - you can donate to our fund here. Trans issues have fuelled debate in activist and academic quarters for a long time but 2022 looks set to be the year it goes fully mainstream. Under Boris Johnson, the gender debate has become politicised, from the stripping of trans protections from the 'conversion therapies' bill, to his jibes over Sir Keir Starmer?s ?struggle to define what a woman is?. From major sports bodies adopting new gender policies, to high-profile interventions from national figures like J K Rowling, gender issues suddenly seem to be everywhere.
Of the 105,000 young people at risk of homelessness, almost a quarter identify as LGBTQ+ (Picture: AKT)

He is speaking at the launch of a new centre in Newcastle, where around three quarters of 16- to 25-year-olds who depend on the AKT’s help identify as trans.

Divisions over gender, he fears, risk the movement looking the other way amid a worrying pattern of backsliding.

Tim told Metro.co.uk: ‘In Europe, the UK has fallen from being the number one country on LGBTQ+ human rights to the 14th position since 2015.

‘We forget that the movement has to be unified and in some ways we are not.’

He added: ‘Our LGBTQ+ house should be for everyone. It’s an issue – I’ve been an activist for 35 years and worked for charity for 24 of them and there is so much going on now that means we need to unify.

‘Why are we excluding people? If you look at the history of the movement, trans folk fought for gay people and during the HIV/AIDS crisis, lesbians were right there alongside gay and bi men.

‘Now trans folk need our support and where are we? It feels like nothing will be achieved unless there’s a unified force.’

A leading LGBTQ+ charity leader worries the clock is being turned back to the 1980s - and that the most vulnerable will lose out if the movement doesn?t pull itself together. Tim Sigsworth warned young trans people are falling through the cracks at the same time as the gender debate heats up in politics and the media. While the issue is furiously litigated on social media, the organisation he runs, the Albert Kennedy Trust, works on the ground every day to help those whose stories are often overlooked. Metro.co.uk is supporting the charity this pride season - you can donate to our fund here. Trans issues have fuelled debate in activist and academic quarters for a long time but 2022 looks set to be the year it goes fully mainstream. Under Boris Johnson, the gender debate has become politicised, from the stripping of trans protections from the 'conversion therapies' bill, to his jibes over Sir Keir Starmer?s ?struggle to define what a woman is?. From major sports bodies adopting new gender policies, to high-profile interventions from national figures like J K Rowling, gender issues suddenly seem to be everywhere.
Activists fear the most vulnerable will lose out if the LGBT+ movement doesn’t pull itself together (Picture: AKT)
A leading LGBTQ+ charity leader worries the clock is being turned back to the 1980s - and that the most vulnerable will lose out if the movement doesn?t pull itself together. Tim Sigsworth warned young trans people are falling through the cracks at the same time as the gender debate heats up in politics and the media. While the issue is furiously litigated on social media, the organisation he runs, the Albert Kennedy Trust, works on the ground every day to help those whose stories are often overlooked. Metro.co.uk is supporting the charity this pride season - you can donate to our fund here. Trans issues have fuelled debate in activist and academic quarters for a long time but 2022 looks set to be the year it goes fully mainstream. Under Boris Johnson, the gender debate has become politicised, from the stripping of trans protections from the 'conversion therapies' bill, to his jibes over Sir Keir Starmer?s ?struggle to define what a woman is?. From major sports bodies adopting new gender policies, to high-profile interventions from national figures like J K Rowling, gender issues suddenly seem to be everywhere.
Around three quarters of 16- to 25-year-olds who depend on the charity’s help identify as trans (Picture: AKT)

Dawn Gascoigne, the charity’s services manager in the North East, has been working with LGBTQ+ young people for 15 years.

She sees the twin impact of young lives blighted by bigotry couple with the high levels of deprivation in parts of the country like Newcastle, which have persisted and deepened through austerity, the pandemic and now inflation.

Many of the young people who come to her for help lack the confidence or resources to find employment because they were forced out of education by bullying or fear the attitudes they might encounter at work.

A young person born in an impoverished area is already more likely to end up sleeping rough but that threat is even higher for LGBQT+ people.

Dawn said: ‘It takes so long for a trans young person to be able to access hormones, three whole years.

‘I’ve seen cases where people end up buying them on the internet… and then they can’t pay the bills or find it difficult to make rent payments because securing those hormones becomes a priority over having a home.’

The city’s lord mayor, councillor Karen Robinson, said it was important for organisations working in less prosperous parts of the country to be supported as a bulwark against LGBTQ+ receding everywhere.

She said: ‘It can be two steps forward, three steps back. It’s like that across the world – we know what going on with abortion rights in the US.

‘We get to a certain point but then we start to move back in time.’

Metro.co.uk supported the charity this Pride season – you can still donate to our fund on JustGiving.

MORE : How Ukraine’s Pride movement survived beatings, nail bombs and revolution

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Metro.co.uk celebrates 50 years of Pride

This year marks 50 years of Pride, so it seems only fitting that Metro.co.uk goes above and beyond in our ongoing LGBTQ+ support, through a wealth of content that not only celebrates all things Pride, but also share stories, take time to reflect and raises awareness for the community this Pride Month.

And we’ve got some great names on board to help us, too. From a list of famous guest editors taking over the site for a week that includes Rob Rinder, Nicola Adams, Peter Tatchell, Kimberly Hart-Simpson, John Whaite, Anna Richardson and Dr Ranj, as well as the likes of Sir Ian McKellen and Drag Race stars The Vivienne, Lawrence Chaney and Tia Kofi offering their insights. 

During Pride Month, which runs from 1 – 30 June, Metro.co.uk will also be supporting Kyiv Pride, a Ukrainian charity forced to work harder than ever to protect the rights of the LGBTQ+ community during times of conflict, and youth homelessness charity AKT. To find out more about their work, and what you can do to support them, click here.

For Metro.co.uk‘s latest Pride coverage, click here.