UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Labour NEC’s Jess Barnard says Starmer must be held accountable if trans women are harmed using male toilets, calling the policy unsafe and socially harmful.
As reported by The Independent, a Labour NEC member warns Keir Starmer could bear personal responsibility if trans women face violence following his stance on bathroom access.
What did Jess Barnard say about Keir Starmer’s stance on trans rights?
Jess Barnard warned that the prime minister’s actions could either put trans people in vulnerable situations or exclude them from society.
She said,
“Both of which are an appalling state for us to be in.”
Ms Barnard, a left-wing figure on Labour’s NEC and former chair of Youth Labour, said,
“Any politician saying trans women have to use male toilets should be held responsible for anything that happens, particularly to trans women.”
She stated,
“We already know trans women face extreme levels of violence in society and are likely to be targeted with hate crime and abuse for being trans. So we should not be in a situation where the prime minister of the UK is telling trans women to use men’s bathrooms.”
Ms Barnard added,
“We have a hysterical situation where you have a court ruling that talked about the legitimate protection of sex-based spaces, it didn’t say trans women can now only use men’s toilets… and now you have ministers telling trans women to put themselves in harm’s way.”
Labour NEC member stated,
“Any other woman who does not conform to societal standards of what femininity is, if you’ve got short hair or you are a butch lesbian, it opens the floodgates to a situation where we could have women being demanded to prove they have a vagina because they don’t fit this kind of narrow perception of what a woman should be.”
Ms Barnard warned,
“If people hear the prime minister of the UK saying trans women need to put themselves in harm’s way, it will either put them in dangerous situations where they are targeted by men who want to harm them, or it is going to force trans people out of society.”
What did Keir Starmer say about trans women and bathrooms?
Previously, the prime minister said, “trans women are women,” but when questioned on Tuesday, Sir Keir clarified that a woman is an adult female, citing the ruling.
He stated,
“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.”
Mr Starmer said,
“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. We need to move and make sure that we now ensure that all guidance is in the right place according to that judgment.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson clarified that Sir Keir no longer considers transgender women to be women and insists they should use male toilets.
Mr Starmer’s comments came after Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson stated that trans women should use men’s toilets according to biological sex.
What did Jonathan Sumption say about the landmark ruling on single-sex spaces?
Jonathan Sumption, former Supreme Court judge, warned about the misinterpretation of the landmark ruling, arguing that it does not impose an obligation to create single-sex spaces.
He stated,
“That’s the main point, which I think has been misunderstood about this judgment. I think it’s quite important to note that you are allowed to exclude trans women from these facilities. But you are not obliged to do it.”
What did Bridget Phillipson say about protecting trans rights post-ruling?
Bridget Philliposn commented on the Supreme Court ruling that stated,
“I know that many trans people will be worried in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling, so I want to provide reassurance here and now that trans people will continue to be protected. We will deliver a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices. We will work to equalise all existing strands of hate crime, and we will review adult gender identity services, so that all trans people get the high-quality care they deserve.”
She added,
“The laws to protect trans people from discrimination and harassment will remain in place, and trans people will still be protected on the basis of gender reassignment—a protected characteristic written into Labour’s Equality Act.”
What did the Supreme Court say about trans women?
The Supreme Court has ruled that trans women are not considered women under the Equality Act in a landmark decision
On Monday, 16 April, the Supreme Court judges clarified that ‘woman’ and “sex” under the Equality Act refer to biological women, a ruling that could significantly affect trans women’s rights to access female-only spaces and services.