United Nations Committee asks UK to ensure non-discrimination in sport
17th March 2025
LEAP recently joined Equality Network and other Scottish LGBTI+ organisations in a submission to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) detailing experiences, research and barriers of LGBTIQ+ people in Scotland.
The full submission is available here and covered; people seeking asylum and refugees, discrimination and harassment in the workplace, poverty, housing and homelessness, the right to health including conversion practices and trans healthcare, LGBTIQ+ inclusive education as well as LGBTIQ+ inclusion in sport.
Even though the UK (including Scotland) has signed up to ICESCR since 1976, this is the first time concluding observations have called on the UK to to enhance its protection of LGBTQIA+ people’s human rights.
The ICESCR committee showed agreement with recommendations and conclusions made in the Scottish LGBTI+ submission and raised a number of areas for improvement within the UK and specifically in Scotland. The concluding observations are offered to each state involved in the proceedings and you can read the report to the UK here.
Among many other recommendations, the concluding observations also specifically made comment on sport and physical activity as part of Cultural Rights with the following recommendation for the UK:
“Ensure non-discrimination in cultural participation and sports, particularly based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and guarantee that all individuals, including transgender persons, are supported in sports participation, in line with the principles of reasonableness, proportionality and equality”
LEAP continues to work with partners across Scotland and the UK in taking a human rights based approach to sport and physical activity and we hope the UK heeds this direct call from the UN on the need for non-discrimination in sports based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
A big thanks goes to Equality Network for submitting the report with support and on behalf of the Scottish LGBTI+ organisations as well as in person contribution in Geneva. We are proud to continue to work in partnership with the sector to ensure a holistic view of the experiences of LGBTIQ+ people in Scotland.
Christopher at Equality Network has also written a blog about the submission which you can read here.
