“The right-wing press’s war on trans people and their rights”
Conference notes:
1. The front page of the Sunday Times on 19th September 2021 referred to people who speak out in favour of trans rights as “militant transgender activists” and “extremists.”
2. On 17th September, Vice News released audio of Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch mocking LGBTQ rights and calling trans women, “men”. This was condemned by Angela Rayner MP as “disgusting,” adding that we must “not add fuel to the fire of abuse and discrimination faced by LGBT+ people.”
3. Transphobic hate crimes have quadrupled in Britain from 2015-2020 and trans people continue to face significant barriers in society.
4. There has been growing pressure to strip trans people from rights protected under law in recent years.
Conference believes:
1. Advocating for the rights of trans people is not extremism and should not be treated as such. We must challenge this harmful narrative.
2. The Labour Party should be a welcoming environment; transphobia must not be tolerated.
3. There is no ‘conflict’ between the rights of trans and cis women – our movement must defend all women and resist attempts to erode the protections trans people currently enjoy.
Conference resolves:
1. To stand in unconditional solidarity with our trans comrades.
2. To use our collective voice as the Labour Party to counter the representation of trans rights advocacy as extremism and to show zero tolerance to transphobia in our party.
3. To call on the government to uphold trans peoples’ rights currently in law including equal access to services and spaces..