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Today (1 June) the profession will join the LGBTQ+ community in marking the start of Pride.
Throughout the month of June (and beyond), the LGBTQ+ community and their allies will come together to raise awareness of the issues in the community, educate the public about LGBTQ+ history and celebrate the work and lives of LGBTQ+ people.
June is a particularly pertinent month for the community. On 28 June 1969, police raided a gay bar, the Stonewall Inn.
Over the next six days, onlookers and patrons of the bar fought back, helping spark the modern LGBTQ+ civil rights movement.
In the years since, LGBTQ+ rights have improved.
In the UK, legislation was passed to allow same-sex marriage in July 2013, with the law coming into force in March 2014.
The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act allowed same sex couples to marry in civil and religious ceremonies. Civil partners can convert their partnership to a marriage and married individuals can change their legal gender without having to end their marriage.
Coverage of the first same-sex marriages in England and Wales was widespread, with many couples making history by tying the knot the moment the law changed.
Broadcaster Sandi Toksvig and her partner Debbie renewed their civil partnership vows at the Royal Festival Hall, London in front of a crowd of 2,000 people.
Toksvig told Pink News: 'It’s time. It’s a better quality – it’s about not being a second class status. It’s about being exactly the same as everyone else.
'I have campaigned for years and years and years and been through all sorts of things – death threats and all the unpleasantness – and all we’re saying is we love each other, and it’s the same as any two consenting adults.'
As with any momentous event, it’s important to look to the past to inform our future.
LGBTQ+ solicitors
We know the experience of LGBTQ+ solicitors could be improved. The Law Society’s Pride in the Law report found that 37% of LGBTQ+ respondents had experienced homophobia, biphobia or transphobia in the workplace.
Three out of five trans respondents had experienced transphobia in their workplaces, citing that this treatment – both verbal abuse and physical behaviours – had a longer-term impact on their career progression and mental health.
We will continue to use research and first-hand accounts from LGBTQ+ solicitors to improve experiences in the workplace.
We look forward to celebrating Pride month (and beyond) with colleagues and allies.
We stand stronger together.
Lubna Shuja is president of the Law Society of England and Wales
