LGBTQ+ helpline ‘more vital than ever’ amid rising anti-trans sentiment and demand

 An LGBTQ+ helpline says its services are ‘more vital than ever’ amid rising anti-trans sentiment and a surge in demand. 

Switchboard, one of the UK’s oldest LGBTQ+ helplines, is experiencing an ongoing rise in calls. Last year more than 17,000 conversations were handled by the charity’s volunteers - a rise of 20% compared with 2024. 

Concerns around mental health featured in nearly one in five conversations, alongside the continuing impact of barriers faced by trans and gender diverse people.

Conversations relating to gender identity accounted for almost a quarter of all contacts, while a 33% surge in conversations recorded in April reflected the profound effect of the UK Supreme Court ruling on the definition of sex.

Jake O'Dwyer, Head of Fundraising and Communications at Switchboard, says members of the trans and non-binary communities are facing difficulties surrounding the updated Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Code of Practice following the ruling, which advises that access to single-sex spaces (including toilets, changing rooms and women’s refuges) should be based on biological sex rather than gender identity.

“We’ve seen a rise in people talking to us about gender identity with concerns around topics including access to healthcare and coming out to people safely. It’s really difficult for some parts of the community to function in everyday life.

“The rise in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment is leading to the community as a whole feeling less safe than they have done in recent years and services like Switchboard are more vital than ever,” he says.

In 2015 the UK was ranked the best county in Europe for LGBTQ+ rights but has now fallen to 22nd place out of 49 countries.  

Latest Home Office statistics show that there were more than 18,000 hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation and over 3,000 trans related hate crimes in the UK between March 2024 and March 2025.   

Research from the charity Stonewall has meanwhile found that less than half of LGBTQ+ people feel comfortable holding their partner’s hand in public due to safety concerns. 

Jake says Switchboard plays a unique and vital role in supporting the LGBTQ+ community who often face a lack of support and understanding. 

“For the trans+ community the NHS wait times are through the roof. In some parts of the country it can be in excess of five years and often people reach out because they don’t know where else to turn.

“First and foremost, we’re a listening service that makes us very different to a lot of services out there. We’re here to provide space for people to explore their own feelings and thoughts and work through what they need.

 “All of our volunteers are members of the community, so they have lived experience which makes us really unique. When somebody reaches out to Switchboard they know they’re going to be speaking to somebody who has some understanding of what it means to be a member of the community. We’re built by the community for the community,” he says.

Jake says support for LGBTQ+ organisations is needed now more than ever with many charities feeling the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and experiencing a roll back in corporate support.

He says that although Switchboard has not been directly affected, many LGBTQ+ organisations have noticed that companies on both sides of the Atlantic have scaled back support after US President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders in 2025 that overturned federal government diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes.

“Corporate partners have been pulling away and there has been a roll back in support across the sector in terms of how organisations are showing up, especially during Pride season. There are organisations that may have a head office in the US, and they are having to look at inclusion differently, which may mean not publicly supporting LGGBTQ+ organisations in the way that they once were.

“The cost-of-living crisis is also affecting everybody. Bills have gone up and everything costs more money. At Switchboard it costs on average £16 for a wraparound conversation which includes the costs of training somebody, recruiting volunteers and generally running the service,” he says.

As a national organisation, Switchboard is supporting smaller charities struggling with rising costs and demand.

“Over the past few years, we’ve seen some LGBTQ+ services either closing down completely or having to concentrate on core delivery, so we’ve started to take their calls and overflow conversations.

“There’s less money to go round which means that for an organisation like Switchboard, that has been running for 52 years, it’s really important that we continue to receive funding and support because there are going to be fewer organisations to support the community.” 

In a bid to raise vital funds Switchboard is rallying supporters to fundraise or take part in its events. In addition to accepting donations, the charity has signed up to the easyfundraising website and app.  When supporters sign up to easyfundraising and choose Switchboard as the cause they want to raise for, the retailers they shop with via the easyfundraising website or app will automatically donate a percentage of their purchase to the charity, without adding any extra expense to their bill.