The Prime Minister welcomed the ruling that biological sex should determine whether people can use same-sex spaces
Keir Starmer has welcomed the Supreme Court’s transgender ruling, saying he is ‘really pleased’ that the controversial announcement provides ‘much needed clarity’ on transgender issues. 10 Downing Street then doubled down on the comments, saying the PM no longer believes trans women are women.
The Prime Minister responded to the ruling, which found that people should be viewed in law according to their sex at birth, after thousands took to the streets of central London in protest on Saturday. Equalities Minister and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson also said transgender women should use male toilets.
Speaking to the BBC, Starmer said: “I welcome the decision of the Supreme Court, which has given us clarity, much-needed clarity, and I think for those that are now drawing up guidance, it’s a much clearer position.
“So I’m really pleased that the court has now clarified the position. We can move on from there and I think that’s been very helpful, and I would welcome that.”
He then said that “a woman is an adult female” when questioned about whether he believed a transgender woman was a woman: “A woman is an adult female, and the court has made that absolutely clear. I actually welcome the judgment because I think it gives real clarity. It allows those that have got to draw up guidance to be really clear about what that guidance should say.
“So I think it’s important that we see the judgment for what it is. It’s a welcome step forward. It’s real clarity in an area where we did need clarity, I’m pleased it’s come about.” If you can’t see the poll, click here.
“We need to move and make sure that we now ensure that all guidance is in the right place according to that judgment.”
The long-awaited Supreme Court judgement was delivered last Wednesday and saw judges confirm that “woman” and “sex” in the 2010 Equality Act “refer to a biological woman and biological sex”. This means transgender women with a gender recognition certificates could be excluded from single-sex spaces if “proportionate”.
On Saturday, activists campaigning for trans rights gathered in central London to demand ‘liberation’ and ‘trans rights now’. The protest – billed as an ’emergency demonstration’ starting in Parliament Square – saw supporters, trade unions and community organisations come together in the wake of the UK’s highest court’s ruling.
Protesters were spotted waving flags and holding banners which read ‘No feminism without trans women’ and ‘Biology is not binary’. A spokesperson for Trans Kids Deserve Better said: “The transmisogyny that led to this court ruling is unacceptable. Though this ruling has brought another wave of fear to the trans community, we will continue to fight for our rights and freedoms. When you attack trans women you attack all trans people and all women. Our rights do not oppose each other, they go hand in hand, and we will keep fighting until we’re all free.”
Avery Greatorex, co-chair of Pride in Labour, told the PA news agency: “The protest was organised to put pressure on the Government, on the public to act. To be able to secure the rights of transgender people and to secure those protections, we need legislative power and we need lobbying power.”
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