Published 12 December 2022

 

"Dear Keir Starmer MP,

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We previously wrote to you on the 1st of November asking to meet with you about your interview with Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts. We wanted to discuss with you a number of concerns raised by the interview about Labour’s commitment to supporting transgender-inclusive policies.

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We are disappointed not to have received a response from you, but our invitation is still on the table. LGBTQ+ members and voters have a number of serious concerns around the party’s approach to trans issues, and as we mentioned in our original letter, your Mumsnet interview has unfortunately put Labour’s relationship with the LGBTQ+ community under further strain. We’d like nothing more than for you to have an opportunity to clarify some of the concerns raised and assuage the concerns of trans and LGBTQ+ people.

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In the interview on the 28th of October, you appeared to endorse changes to the Equality Act of 2010 which would exclude trans people from accessing services they’re currently entitled to use.

You also unwittingly used harmful rhetoric in regards to trans people being a threat in sport, as well as “wholeheartedly” supporting the disregard of Gillick competency – a long-standing medical principle that protects children from abuse from parents.

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Transphobia, like any kind of prejudice, should not be welcome in the Labour Party. We urge you to listen to the trans community in this moment and to mend the party’s relationship with them before it’s irreversibly fractured. This Conservative government represents the greatest threat to us since the days of Section 28 – we need to be able to trust that Labour would be an ally in the project to build a progressive Britain.

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We need a Labour Party that rejects bigotry, and holds members accountable for transphobic behaviour. We need a Labour Party that embraces acceptance and tolerance.

There can be no delay when our lives are on the line and the people we love are under attack."

 

Yours sincerely,

Labour for Trans Rights, and co-signed by:

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Organisations/Socialist Societies:
Labour Students
LGBT+ Socialists
Reclaim Pride Liverpool

TransLucent.org.uk

UNISON LGBT+

United We Stand – Solidarity Network

Young Labour

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Individuals:

Alex, What The Trans

Michelle Snow, What The Trans

Ben Swithen, What The Trans
Ashleigh Talbot, What The Trans

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