POLIS x PRIDE 2025: Making public transport safer for all!

As Pride Month draws to a close, we continue to reflect on the experiences of queer people in navigating mobility. While both society and the transport sector are evolving, with growing awareness of gender- and sexuality-based discrimination, there is still much work to be done. Public transport, in particular, remains an often-contentious space.

As the final days of June approach and Pride Month draws to a close, we take this moment to reflect on the progress made—and the challenges that remain—on the path towards a truly inclusive society for all. While meaningful strides have been taken, LGBTQIA+ communities still face daily marginalisation, with their voices too often unheard.

At the start of the month, we explored the deep connection between queerness and active travel. Now, we turn our focus to public transport—an essential part of everyday life that, for many, remains unwelcoming and exclusionary.

POLIS has long engaged with the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ people on public transport. In 2022, we highlighted research revealing that queer and non-binary passengers often feel significantly less safe than their cisgender and heterosexual peers, and we called on cities to take concrete action against harassment and discrimination. Since then, we have continued to amplify that call, showcasing examples from cities like Barcelona, Berlin, and many others.

Our goal remains simple yet urgent: to shed light on these ongoing inequalities and inspire meaningful change by highlighting initiatives that demonstrate progress is possible when there is genuine commitment.

Public transport... for all?

Credits: Yunni Jiang (@absolutvale, Unsplash)

Public transport is meant to be a safe, accessible space for all, but this is often not the case for LGBTQIA+ passengers. Queer people frequently report harassment, intimidation, and even violence, not only while travelling but also when waiting for or accessing transport. Often, the threat is not explicit but felt—a constant sense of being judged, watched, or unsafe. These experiences are not isolated. Transport systems have long been shaped by heteronormative, patriarchal assumptions, overlooking the needs and realities of LGBTQIA+ users. Many still feel compelled to change their appearance or route to avoid harm, often without reporting incidents.

Indeed, for LGBTQIA+ people, mobility is often navigated through the dual lenses of personal safety and identity expression—much like any activity that involves engaging with public spaces. Research consistently shows that queer and gender-diverse individuals experience public transport as less safe than their cisgender and heterosexual peers. It becomes a daily negotiation: a balance between affirming one’s identity and assessing potential risks. In this context, something as routine as taking the bus while presenting as gender non-conforming can become a radical, political act.

As an example, the Queer Mobilities project at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona offers valuable insight into lived experience. Interviews with queer women and non-binary people revealed how many alter their behaviour or appearance to feel safer, highlighting how public spaces can still feel ostracising. While progress is underway, building truly inclusive public transport systems requires ongoing, intersectional, affirming action. Cities have a powerful role in driving this change, and many of our POLIS members are already showing what is possible when equity is placed at the heart of mobility.

POLIS cities at the forefront!

Public transport influences how we move, connect, and experience life in our cities. Yet for many LGBTQIA+ individuals, these everyday journeys are too often shaped by discomfort, fear, or exclusion. As cities continue to evolve, there is a growing awareness that safety and accessibility must also reflect queer perspectives. Encouragingly, across the POLIS Network, a number of cities are rising to the challenge—taking concrete steps by adapting infrastructure, running awareness campaigns, and embedding inclusion into their long-term strategies.

Barcelona has taken meaningful steps to enhance LGBTQIA+ safety on public transport. In 2021, Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), in partnership with the Observatory Against Homophobia, launched a city-wide awareness campaign to address LGBTQIA+ phobia across the metro and bus networks. This was accompanied by the introduction of a dedicated protocol for responding to anti-LGBTQIA+ incidents, complementing existing measures against sexual harassment. On the infrastructure side, improved station lighting and expanded CCTV coverage are contributing to greater real and perceived safety.

Credits: Stephen Harlan (@gogostevie, unsplash)

Vienna has long combined symbolic and practical measures to promote queer inclusion in its transport system. Since 2001, trams have flown rainbow flags during Pride, and Wiener Linien—the city’s transport operator—actively promotes LGBTQIA+ visibility through campaigns like #WeRideWithPride. These are not just decorative gestures—they reflect a deeper commitment to visibility and belonging. One of Vienna’s most recognisable initiatives is its same-sex pedestrian crossing lights, which studies suggest have improved safety by encouraging more compliant behaviour. This year, the city took things further by transforming the square in front of the town hall into a vibrant Pride Village - Vienna Pride.

Berlin also continues to lead in promoting queer inclusion within its urban and transport policies. Along with Vienna and Cologne, the city offers the QueerCityPass—a combined ticket that gives access to public transport as well as LGBTQIA+-friendly venues, events, and services. The Senate Department for Justice, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination has also set up support systems for people experiencing harassment, including on public transport. One key initiative is the Berliner Register, an online platform where residents can report discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. These reports help shape local strategies to tackle exclusion and violence by providing authorities with valuable insights. Additionally, Berlin’s transport operator, BVG, actively takes part in events and programmes to support LGBTQIA+ people and improve their safety, both as workers and passengers.

Credits: Transport for Ireland (TFI)

In Dublin, inclusive transport is a clear priority. Dublin Bus partnered with the Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) in 2017 to develop a Workplace Gender Transition Policy, reflecting a commitment that goes well beyond internal practice. Campaigns like "The Long Road to Pride" have brought LGBTQIA+ stories into the public eye in creative, affirming ways. Transport for Ireland (TFI) is building on this with a Pride campaign featuring posters, social media outreach, and a partnership with a local youth service to provide transport to a Pride-themed Ball. Other operators are also stepping up: Bus Éireann supports Pride events nationwide; Luas launched "Our doors are open for everyone", with inclusive visuals; Dublin Bus runs Together We Are Stronger with an LGBTQ+ charity; and Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail has wrapped a train in Pride visuals and added extra services to ensure safe, comfortable travel to Pride events.

And there is more! In London, Transport for London (TfL), has adopted a multi-layered approach to inclusion. Internally, its OUTbound staff network supports LGBTQIA+ employees and contributes to shaping the organisation’s wider diversity and inclusion strategies. Externally, TfL has taken steps to address safety concerns, acknowledging that LGBTQIA+ passengers are disproportionately affected by harassment—especially while waiting at stations or travelling at night.

Moving forward...together

Credits: Margaux Bellott (@mxrgo, Unsplash)

Mobility is about more than movement—it is about access, safety, and dignity. Yet for many LGBTQIA+ people, these are still not guaranteed. Public transport often reflects the inequalities present in wider society, making inclusive planning—grounded in safety, equity, and representation—not just important, but essential. At the same time, it holds real potential to foster inclusion, solidarity, and social change. Our members are showing that progress is both possible and already in motion. Through awareness campaigns, infrastructure upgrades, support networks, and visibility initiatives, cities are proving that inclusion is not a luxury—it is a fundamental part of a fair and functional transport system.

Mobility should empower everyone, regardless of who they are or who they love. A truly inclusive system does not force anyone to choose between being themselves and reaching their destination. The journey to queer-inclusive mobility is far from over, but together, we are heading in the right direction.