Thank you to everyone who has been in touch about the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) Code of Practice on Services, Public Functions and Associations (CoP) and its negative impact on quality of life for transgender and gender non-conforming people. I appreciate everyone who has shared their personal experiences with me.
Since the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman and EHRC interim guidelines on single-sex spaces were published in April, I have received hundreds of emails from constituents worried about the exclusion of trans individuals from public spaces and the safety of anyone who does not conform to the gender binary.
In June, I met with a group of constituents at the Unite for Trans lobby. We spoke about the interim guidelines, its impact on the lived experience of the trans community, and what I can do as an MP to empower and protect trans voices.
I got in touch with the Office for Equality and Opportunity and the EHRC during their public consultation with the points constituents raised to ensure all evidence was used in the analysis and to push for a trans-inclusive final draft.
The EHRC submitted its final CoP to the Minister for Women and Equalities on Friday 5 September. I have since met with Trans+ Solidarity Alliance and written letters to both the Prime Minister and the Minister. In these letters, I urged the Government to ensure that the final CoP is scrutinised and modified in line with human rights law, and to not lay the guidelines in Parliament until MPs have their say and their concerns listened to.
Thank you again to everyone who got in touch.