ABSTRACT

Sexual orientation and gender reassignment are two of the protected characteristics listed in section 4 of the Equality Act 2010. Thus, the legislation protects gay men and lesbians, who are attracted to people of their own sex, heterosexuals who are attracted to the opposite sex and bisexuals who experience attraction to both men and women. The Equality Act makes unlawful direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation in relation to sexual orientation. Bisexuals are people attracted to both sexes and, therefore, cannot be defined in the same way as lesbians and gay men. The history of society's attitudes to homosexuality in recent generations has not been an attractive one and understanding of it is a recent phenomenon. Gender reassignment is a protected characteristic. Transgender is a generic term applied to trans people and can be described as follows: A very broad term to include all sorts of trans people.