- Conference
- 2023 National LGBT+ Conference
- Date
- 17 October 2023
- Decision
- Carried
During the recent Conservative Party conference several Conservative cabinet ministers gave speeches in which they attacked the transgender community. The Prime Minister said that the British public were being “bullied” into believing that “people can be any sex they want to be.” The Home Secretary said that “Trans women have no place in women’s wards or, indeed, any safe space relating to biological women”. These comments came after our Health Secretary outlined proposals for changing the National Health Service (NHS) Constitution to ban trans people from the ward that matched their gender, instead being cared for in separate wards.
Conference notes that at a time when the NHS is in crisis and we are seeing some of the biggest industrial action the NHS has ever seen, it is ridiculous that senior government ministers should be pushing this bigoted, divisive, and short-sighted view as a distraction from far bigger issues.
Conference further notes the hate crime statistics released by the ONS last month revealed that hate crimes against trans people had risen by 11% in the last year, compared with a drop of 6% against Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual (LGB) people in the same period. However, it is important to note, both are hugely up overall when comparing the last five years:
186% increase in hate crimes against trans people.
112% increase in hate crimes against LGB people.
This rise could be in large part attributed to the apparent constant stream of anti-trans disinformation made by the mainstream media and the government. Conference agrees we must stand up for equality and the rights of our trans colleagues and comrades.
This conference calls on the National Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans+ (LGBT+) Committee to:
1)Release a statement in response to the speeches made by the various Conservative ministers at the recent conference, condemning the comments and re-affirming the committee’s commitment to equality, validity and support of trans people.
2)Work with the Health Service Group Executive to continue to educate and develop
members knowledge and skills around trans allyship.
3. Distribute information to branches to support activists in promoting the trans ally training, relevant model policies and support systems within Self Organised Groups (SOG) across the country, whilst encouraging branch engagement and attendance at LGBT+ regional SOGs.