lgbtiqa+ greens “deeply concerned” about the ehrc proposed amendment to the equality act

Baroness Kishwer Falkner
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Third Floor
Windsor House
50 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0TL
Dear Baroness Falkner,
We are writing to you as the LGBTIQA+ affiliate of the Green Party of England and Wales in
regards to a recent article posted on your behalf with the title ‘Clarifying the definition of ‘sex’
in the Equality Act’. We are deeply concerned that this is fundamentally at odds with the
spirit of the Equality Act 2010 as well as the Gender Recognition Act 2004.
As you know, this letter advises the government to treat trans men with a GRC as women
and trans women with a GRC as men; we believe this advice to be contrary to Section 9,
subsection 1 of the Gender Recognition Act 2004. Trans women are women and trans men
are men in all cases, but those with a GRC are legally their gender in the eyes of the UK
government. It is extremely disappointing to see an organisation with its remit in Equalities
law advocating for the removal of rights for transgender people in this country.
This latest move also harms the recognition of intersex and non-binary people, who have
even less protection in UK law than binary trans people. We believe in the full recognition of
non-binary identity and allowing intersex people to be authentically themselves without being
forced to pick a gender that doesn’t reflect their reality.
Trans people face significant discrimination in their lives, particularly when it comes to
dealing with the British state. Trans healthcare is being chipped away at and forcing trans
people to go to separate clinics simply slows down the system and prolongs the suffering of
many trans people. This is yet another attempt to dehumanise trans people and we cannot
stand for it.
We sincerely hope you will reverse course and create guidance that protects trans people
rather than simply ostracising them.

Signed:

Carla Denyer Co-leader, GP of England and Wales

Zack Polanski, Deputy Leader, GP of England and Wales

Anthony Slaughter, Leader, Wales GP

Sian Berry, Green member of the London Assembly

Caroline Russell, Green member of the London Assembly

Elise Benjamin, Comms Officer, Jewish Greens, GPEx International Coordinator

Ash Routh, GP Regional Council Rep (Yorkshire & Humber)

Ben Foley, GP Regional Council Rep (Eastern)

Joe Hudson-Small, GP Regional Council Rep (London)

Melanie Earp, GP Regional Council Rep (North West), Trafford GP

Adam Turner, GP Regional Council Rep (Wales)

Darren Yates, GP Regional Council Rep (East Mids)

Rachel Collinson, Former Business Spokesperson, Disciplinary Committee (London rep)

Jenny Vernon, South Glos GP, Disciplinary Committee (Conference)

Robin Brabham, Cambridge GP, Disciplinary Committee (Conference representative)

Ben Samuel, Campaigns Committee, GP of England and Wales

Chesca Walton, Co-Chair, GP Women

Benali Hamdache, GP, GP Spokesperson for refugees & migrants

Nate Higgins, Newham, GP Spokesperson for Democracy and Citizen Engagement

Dan Kittmer, Young Greens Chair, Cambridge GP

Phil Davies, Campaigns Officer, Young Greens, Gwent GP 

Cade Hatton Co-Chair, Young Greens Conferences Committee Member

Dylan Lewis-Creser, Young Greens, Sheffield

Miranda Heath, Events Officer, Young Greens

Benjamin Wold Birmanis, International Officer, Young Greens

Isabella Metcalf-Riener, Green Students Committee

Olli Watkins, Co-Secretary, LGBTIQA+ Greens

Matt Rogan, Policy Officer, LGBTIQA+ Greens

Finn White, Co-Chair, LGBTIQA+ Young Greens

Joshua Harris Campaigns Officer, LGBTIQA+ Greens

Devon Osborne, Membership Secretary, GP Women

Malcolm Powell, Coordinator, London GP

Marz King, Sutton & Croydon GP, Fed of London Green Parties Membership Secretary

David Farbey, Treasurer Barnet GP Treasurer, London GP

Adi Daly-Gourdialsing, Diversity Officer Federation of London Green Parties

Rupert George, Policy and Campaigns Officer for the Federation of London Green Parties

Ruben Gonzalez, Secretary for the Federation of London Green Parties

Lizzie Waight,Social Officer, Tower Hamlets GP

Florent Zwiers, Co-chair, Tower Hamlets GP

Xingyu Liu, Tower Hamlets GP

Kirsty Chestnutt, Tower Hamlets GP

Simon Levey, Events Officer, Tower Hamlets GP

Paul Burgess, Comms Officer, Tower Hamlets GP

Nathalie Bienfait GP Councillor in Tower Hamlets

 Zoë Garbett, GP Councillor in Hackney

Alastair Binnie-Lubbock, GP Councillor in Hackney

Stefan Liberadzki, Co-ordinator, Hackney GP

Alice Spendley, Hackney GP

Scott Ainslie, Co-Leader of Lambeth Green Group of councillors

Pete Johnson, Elections Co-ordinator, Lambeth GP 

Danny Keeling, Newham Council Leader of the Opposition, GP Councillor Newham

Rob Callender, Newham GP.

Chris Brooks, Co-Chair, Newham GP

Valerie Remy, Southwark GP

Robert Gardner, Waltham Forest and Redbridge GP

Charlotte Lafferty, Chair, Waltham Forest & Redbridge GP

Ria Patel Liberation Officer, LGBTIQA+ Greens, Sutton & Croydon GP

Connie Muir, Sutton & Croydon GP

Mark Posen, Witham and Braintree GP

TJ Milburn, Treasurer and election agent, Exeter GP

Neil O’Doherty, North Somerset GP

Patrick McAllister GP Councillor, Bristol City Council

Vinnie Wainwright, Co-coordinator, Bristol GP, Treasurer, South West GP

Emma Edwards, Green Group Leader, Bristol GP

Jenny Bartle, GP Councillor for Easton, Bristol GP

Cllr Ani Stafford-Townsend, Bristol GP

Simon Stafford-Townsend, Bristol GP

Edward Saul, Social Media Officer, Cheltenham GP

Tabi Joy, GP Councillor for St. Paul’s Ward, Cheltenham

Matthew Jenkins, Worcester GP

Sue Avery, Worcester GP

Louis Stephen, Worcester GP

Melissa Poulton, Worcester GP

Chris Jarvis Leader, Oxford City Council Green Group 

Lucy Pegg, Deputy Leader on Oxford City Council, Young Greens LGBTIQA+ Officer

Emma Garnett, Oxfordshire GP

Easwar Vivekanandan, Solihull GP

Peter Brommer, Coventry GP

Catherine Goodman, GP Councillor for Church, St Neots, Huntingdonshire GP

Cllr Daniel Laycock, St Neots Town Council & Chair , Huntingdonshire GP

Meg Shepherd-Foster, Maidstone GP

Rachel Rodwell, Candidate for Allington Ward, Maidstone GP

Claire Carr, Deputy Group Leader of the Green Group on Borough Council, Hastings GP

Amanda Jobson, Green Councillor Hastings Borough Council, Hastings GP

Glenn Haffenden, Hastings GP

Emily Stewart Mole Valley GP

Emma M. Dungey-Betts Brighton and Hove GP

Laura Eccott, Non-Portfolio Officer, GP Women, Chichester and Arundale GP

Alex Catt, GP councillor for Sewell, Norwich City Council, Co-Chair of Norwich GP

Catherine Rowett, former MEP, Norwich GP

Phil Di Palma, Norwich GP

Alexi Dimond, GP Councillor Sheffield

Martin Phipps, GP councillor for City ward, Sheffield Council

Thomas Atkin, Sheffield

Bex Whyman, Sheffield GP 

Katie Fenn, Sheffield GP

Ben Brown, Sheffield GP

Avery Withers, Sheffield GP

Rob & Nicole Freeman, Sheffield GP

Rebecca Mulvaney, Sheffield GP

Fiona Aviani-Bartram, Sheffield GP

Amy Benson Sheffield GP

Hilary Rosser, Sheffield GP

Logan Robin, Sheffield GP

Chris Ogden, Manchester GP

Mina Cousins, Manchester GP

Sam Easterby-Smith, Manchester GP

Jake Welsh, Manchester GP

Laura Potter, Manchester GP

Grazyna Buczkowska, Manchester GP

Lee Huntbach, Tameside GP

Owain Sutton, Trafford GP

Amelia Jones, Lancaster GP

Maria Deery, Lancaster GP

Jon Owen, Kendal GP

Stephen Brennan, Wakefield GP

Tony Nicholson, Doncaster GP

Jack Philipson, Gateshead GP

Elaine Francis, Co-Chair, South Tyneside GP

Cllr David Francis, Green Group Leader, South Tyneside Council, South Tyneside GP

Jane Mitchell Equality Contact, Minutes Secretary, New Members Contact, Darlington GP.

Rowan McLaughlin, GP South Tees Coordinator

Kerry Dooley, GP South Tees

Barry Jobson, South Tees GP

Robert Crowston, Cardiff, Vale & RCT GP

Jay Calderisi, Cardiff, Vale & RCT GP

Haris Hussnain, Gwent GP