We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

The Prime Minister’s intervention in the debate over transgender rights follows a row in Tory ranks over equalities legislation. In a frank explanation of his views, he also called for women to be guaranteed changing rooms and other dedicated women-only areas not accessible to dedicated areas not accessible to trans-men in hospitals, prisons and other places.

He also insisted parents must be involved in any decision by children to change their gender.

Ex-Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, 59, a longtime opponent of trans athletes competing in female categories, declared last night: “Thank you, Boris.”

And champion cyclist Nicole Cooke, 38, tweeted: “Really pleased to see UK politicians working towards fair sports categories for trans athletes and women athletes.”

Daley Thompson, 63, who won Olympic decathlon gold in 1980 and 1984, thanked Mr Johnson for clarifying his view on women’s sports as the Ukraine crisis rages.

He said: “I know you have a lot on your plate at the moment, but thank you for standing up for women’s and girls’ rights to have their own sport and space.

“I also think children should have parental involvement on the question of gender.”

Women’s rights campaigner Maya Forstater, 48, who lost her job in 2019 as a tax expert at the Centre for Global Development after being targeted by trans activists, said the Prime Minister was making “good steps”.

Mr Johnson’s remarks – his most forthright intervention yet in the trans issues debate – came during a visit to an NHS hospital in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, yesterday.

He admitted he had found wrestling with the complex issues challenging, saying: “This is something that frankly, for people like me, it wasn’t something I thought that I would have  to consider in great detail.

“These are novel concepts and we’ve got to be clear about that.”

He said: “I don’t think that biological males should be competing in female sporting events.

“And maybe that’s a controversial thing but it just seems to me to be sensible.

“And I also happen to think that women should have spaces which are, whether it’s in hospitals or prisons or changing rooms or wherever, which are dedicated to women.

“That’s as far as my thinking has developed on this issue. And if that puts me in conflict with some
others, then we have got to work it all out.”

Mr Johnson added: “That doesn’t mean that I’m not immensely sympathetic to people who want to change gender, to transition and it’s vital that we give people the maximum possible love and support in making those decisions. But these are complex issues. And I don’t think they can be solved with one swift, easy piece of legislation.

“It takes a lot of thought to get this right.”

Mr Johnson also said he did not think children were “competent” to decide about changing gender without parental involvement.

He referred to a medical law term to decide whether a child under 16 is able to consent to their own treatment without parental permission or knowledge.

Mr Johnson said: “I don’t think that it’s reasonable for kids to be deemed so-called Gillick competent to take decisions about their gender or irreversible treatments that they may have.

“I think there should be parental involvement at the very least. That’s the first thing.”

The Government has faced fierce criticism from opposition MPs and trans campaigners, following confusion over promised legislation.

Ministers appeared to shy away from the idea of a law to ban gay conversion therapy, then insisted it was going ahead.

But they refused to allow transgender people to be protected by the legislation.

Meanwhile, the women’s sport and women-only spaces debate intensified this week after Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) ruled there were circumstances where transgender people could be excluded.

It said organisations like refuges and gyms could legally exclude them from single-sex services in certain scenarios, such as to prevent trauma and enable privacy.

Organisations must balance the impact on all service users, the watchdog added.

Examples included leisure centres excluding trans women from female-only fitness classes “because of the degree of physical contact involved”.

Concerns about transgender athletes in women’s sport were raised following the case of transgender cyclist Emily Bridges, 21. She said she had been “harassed and demonised” after being prevented from racing in a women’s event.

LGBT+ charity Stonewall said the EHRC guidance was likely to lead to a greater risk of illegal discrimination.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said extending the conversion therapy ban to trans people needed careful handling.

He said: “It is absolutely right we ban the so-called conversion therapy for LGB people. When it comes to trans, I do think that we need to be more careful.”

But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said ministers should honour their promises to ban all forms of conversion therapy.

He accused them of using the issue as a distraction from the cost-of-living crisis as the rise in national insurance contributions kicked in.

Responding to Mr Johnson saying the trans debate was not something he thought he would have to consider in detail, Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner tweeted: “Yet he throws his two pence in, causes so much damage and screw the consequences.”

The Government’s landmark LGBT conference, due to be held in June, was cancelled after more than 100 organisations withdrew support over the transgender conversion therapy row. A spokesman said: “We will continue to use our position to push for global change.”

Source: Read Full Article