5. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to improve the lives of LGBT+ people in Scotland. (S6O-02312)

We are committed to advancing equality for LGBTI+ people and to promoting, protecting and realising the rights of every LGBTI+ person.

We are funding a range of projects to tackle inequality and we are working closely with organisations to provide service improvements and support, as well as research and engagement with the community to ensure that their voices are heard and their rights are realised.

We are also committed to introducing a bill to end conversion practices relating to both sexual orientation and gender identity, as far as possible within devolved competence, and to developing a non-binary equality action plan.

The latest Police Scotland hate crime figures show a 67 per cent increase in hate crimes against people for their sexual orientation and a 350 per cent increase in crimes against people for their transgender identity since 2014-15.

The culture war that is being waged against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people is clearly not victimless. At the beginning of this Pride month, does the minister agree that anyone who stokes hatred against the LGBT+ community, however subtle they might be in doing so, is every bit to blame?

Will the minister confirm that she will press ahead with the manifesto commitments and implement reforms to gender recognition as well as a full ban on conversion therapy for all LGBT+ people?

That was very well put by Kaukab Stewart. The Scottish Government unequivocally condemns any form of hate crime. In March, we published our hate crime strategy, setting out our vision for a Scotland where everyone lives free from hatred and prejudice.

As I said, we are committed to ending conversion practices. We also plan to establish a Scottish conversion practices helpline, in recognition of the impact that this debate might have on those who have experienced conversion practices.

We remain committed to the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. As Kaukab Stewart knows, we have taken the decision to defend the democratic will of this Parliament by challenging the United Kingdom Government’s unprecedented use of a section 35 order, which was used despite the UK Government having not raised any concerns or asked for amendments throughout the bill’s nine-month passage through this Parliament.

Inclusive and safe community spaces are vital for LGBT+ people. The Coorie Creative social enterprise in Stirling is leading the way in that regard, particularly through its clothes alteration project for trans and non-binary folk. Will the minister join me in welcoming the work of that incredible project and congratulate Coorie Creative on its upcoming summer residency at the V&A in Dundee, where it will be working with many disadvantaged groups across the city?

I am happy to do so, and I am grateful to the member for bringing that to my attention. Inclusive community spaces that allow LGBTI+ people to feel safe and supported are so important, which is why the Scottish Government has, between 2021 and 2024, provided more than £3 million to organisations to promote LGBTI equality in Scotland. That has included support for community projects such as the LGBTI rainbow mark—a sign that is displayed in social safe spaces to increase positivity and visibility and to reduce isolation. We also support initiatives that ensure that LGBTI+ voices are heard, such as LGBT Youth Scotland’s youth work and LGBT Health and Wellbeing’s age project, which is a programme of social opportunities and self-advocacy work for older LGBTI+ people.