Know your rights!

Right to equal treatment - goods and services

In April 2007, the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 came into force in the UK. The Regulations contain measures prohibiting discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in the provision of goods, facilities and services, education, the use and disposal of premises and the exercise of public functions.  

This law covers a wide range of public and private services, including important areas such as healthcare, insurance, and the provision of hotel or holiday accommodation.

If you think you've been discriminated against by a service provider because of your sexual orientation, it's best to try to resolve the matter informally with the organisation in question first. Many public sector organisations (e.g. local Councils) and businesses have their own formal comments and complaints procedures which you can use.

It’s also a good idea to use these mechanisms to suggest areas for improvement, where service providers could be more pro-active in making their services accessible for people regardless of their sexual orientation.

Stonewall has produced ‘the colour of your money’- a handy guide explaining the new regulations in more detail. To download your copy please click here.

 

Advice for local businesses

To help service providers in Oxfordshire meet the needs of their LGBT customers and/or employees, HALT has put together the following free advice leaflets:

 

•    An advice leaflet for service providers about promoting sexual orientation equality

•    An advice leaflet for service providers about promoting transgender equality