Green LGBTIQA+ open letter to the @EHRC over it's recent published guidance, which would severely harm trans rights.

Open letter by LGBTIQA+ Greens to Baroness Falkner at the Equality and Human Rights Commission relating to the recent article to 'Clarifying the definition of ‘sex’ in 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:

Cade Hatton
Co-Chair, LGBTIQA+ Greens
Trans Liberation Officer, Young Greens
Conferences Committee Member

Dylan Lewis-Creser
Co-Chair, LGBTIQA+ Greens
Equality & Diversity Officer, Young Greens
Green Party candidate for Fulwood Ward, Sheffield

Mina Cousins
External Communications and Press Officer, LGBTIQA+ Greens
Manchester Green Party

Thomas Atkin
International Officer, LGBTIQA+ Greens, Sheffield Green Party Elections Coordinator & Candidate for Graves Park Ward, Sheffield

Joshua Harris
Campaigns Officer, LGBTIQA+ Greens

Marz King
Membership Secretary, LGBTIQA+ Greens
Membership Secretary, Greens of Colour
BME Officer, Federation of London Gree n Parties
Membership Secretary, Sutton and Croyd on Green Party

Olli Watkins
Co-Secretary, LGBTIQA+ Greens

Ria Patel
Liberation Officer, LGBTIQA+ Greens
Sutton & Croydon Green Party
Green Party Spokesperson for Equalities & Diversity
Green Party Councillor for Fairfield, Croydon

Matt Rogan
Policy Officer, LGBTIQA+ Greens

Rob Callender,
Digital Communications Officer, LGBTIQ A+ Greens,
Co-Chair Newham Green Party.

Supported by:

Carla Denyer
Co-leader, Green Party of England and Wales

Zack Polanski
Deputy Leader, Green Party of England and Wales

Anthony Slaughter
Leader, Wales Green Party

Chesca Walton
Co-Chair, Green Party Women

Benali Hamdache
Green Party Councillor in Islington
Green Party Spokesperson for refugees and migrants

Catherine Rowett
Spokesperson for work, employment and social security, former MEP,
Norwich Green Party

Nate Higgins
Green Party Councillor in Newham
Green Party Spokesperson for Democracy and Citizen Engagement

Danny Keeling
Newham Council Leader of the Opposition, Green Party Councillor in Newham

Sian Berry
Green member of the London Assembly

Caroline Russell
Green member of the London Assembly

Rowan McLaughlin
Candidate for Saltburn Ward (Redcar and Cleveland)
Green Party South Tees Coordinator

Finn White
Co-Chair, LGBTIQA+ Young Greens
Under 18s Officer, Young Greens

Ash Routh
Candidate for Walkley Ward (Sheffield)
Green Party Regional Council Rep (Yorkshire & Humber)

Alexi Dimond
Green Party Councillor for Gleadless Valley, Sheffield

Ben Foley
Green Party Councillor for Castle Ward ,Bedford Green Party Regional Council Rep (East ern)

Joe Hudson-Small
Green Party Regional Council Rep (London)

Adam Turner
Green Party Regional Council Rep (Wales)

Scott Ainslie
Co-Leader of Lambeth Green Group of councillors

Pete Johnson
Elections Co-ordinator, Lambeth Green Party

Phil Davies
Campaigns Officer, Young Greens
Gwent Green Party

Chris Jarvis
Leader, Oxford City Council Green Group

Emma Edwards
Green Group Leader, Bristol Green Party

Rachel Collinson
Former Business Spokesperson
Disciplinary Committee (London rep)

Lee Huntbach
Tameside Green Party, Sole Green Councillor on Tameside Metropolitan Borough
Council

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

Dan Kittmer
Young Greens Chair, Cambridge Green Party

Melanie Earp
Green Party Regional Council Rep (North West)
2021 Candidate for Mayor of Greater Manchester
Trafford Green Party

Bex Whyman
Sheffield Green Party
2022 Candidate for Mayor of South Yorkshire, Candidate for Dore & Totley Ward,
Sheffield

Jenny Vernon
Candidate for Filton Ward (South Gloucestershire) Elections Coordinator, South Glos Green Party Disciplinary Committee (Conference)

Elaine Francis
Co-Chair, South Tyneside Green Party

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

Isabella Metcalf-Riener
Candidate for University Ward (Lancaster) Green Students Committee

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

Miranda Heath
Events Officer, Young Greens

Benjamin Wold Birmanis
International Officer, Young Greens

Elise Benjamin
Comms Officer, Jewish Greens
Green Party International Coordinator

Patrick McAllister
Green Party Councillor for Hotwells & Harbourside, Bristol City Council

Robin Brabham
Cambridge Green Party
Disciplinary Committee (Conference representative)

Darren Yates
Co-ordinator Derbyshire Green Party
Treasurer East Midlands Regional GreenParty
Green Party Regional Council Rep (EastMids)
Candidate for Hasland ward (Chesterfie ld)

Mark Posen
Candidate for Stour Valley North Ward (Braintree)
Witham and Braintree Green Party

Catherine Goodman
Green Party Councillor for Church, St Neots
Huntingdonshire Green Party

Ben Samuel
Campaigns Committee, Green Party of England and Wales

Martin Phipps
Green Party councillor for City ward, Sheffield Council

Amanda Jobson
Green Councillor Hastings Borough Council, Hastings Green Party

Vinnie Wainwright
Co-coordinator, Bristol Green Party
Treasurer, South West Green Party

Chris Brooks
Co-Chair, Newham Green Party

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

Jenny Bartle
Green Party Councillor for Easton, Bristol City Council

Cllr Daniel Laycock
St Neots Town Council &
Chair - Huntingdonshire Green Party

Laura Eccott
Chichester and Arundale Green Party
Non-Portfolio Officer, Green Party Women

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

Ruben Gonzalez
Secretary for the Federation of London Green Parties

Adi Daly-Gourdialsing
Diversity Officer Federation of London Green Parties
Devon Osborne
Membership Secretary, Green Party Women

Alastair Binnie-Lubbock
Green Party Councillor in Hackney

Zoë Garbett
Green Party Councillor in Hackney

Nathalie Bienfait
Green Party Councillor in Tower Hamlets

Rachel Rodwell
Candidate for Allington Ward

Maidstone Green Party
Cllr Ani Stafford-Townsend

Bristol Green Party
Green Councillor for Bristol City Council
Former Green Party Women Co-Chair

David Farbey,
Treasurer Barnet Green Party, Treasurer London Green Party,
Non-Portfolio Officer Jewish Greens

Paul Burgess
Comms Officer, Tower Hamlets Green Party

Edward Saul
Social Media Officer, Cheltenham Green Party

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

Charlotte Lafferty
Chair
Waltham Forest & Redbridge Green Party

Lizzie Waight
Social Officer, Tower Hamlets Green Party

Florent Zwiers
Co-chair, Tower Hamlets Green Party

Malcolm Powell
Coordinator, London Green Party

Simon Levey
Events Officer, Tower Hamlets Green Party

TJ Milburn
Treasurer and election agent, Exeter Green Party

Jane Mitchell
Equality Contact, Minutes Secretary, New Members Contact, Darlington Green Party. Co-ordinator and Mentor for Phoenix Trans Darlington.

Stefan Liberadzki
Co-ordinator, Hackney Green Party

Jake Welsh
Manchester Green Party

Katie Fenn
Sheffield Green Party

Peter Brommer
Coventry Green Party

Robert Crowston
Cardiff, Vale & RCT Green Party

Owain Sutton
Trafford Green Party

Rob & Nicole Freeman
Sheffield Green Party

Sam Easterby-Smith
Manchester Green Party

Kerry Dooley
Green Party South Tees

Ben Brown
Sheffield Green Party

Glenn Haffenden
Hastings Green Party

Jay Calderisi
Cardiff, Vale & RCT Green Party

Jon Owen
Kendal Green Party

Meg Shepherd-Foster
Maidstone Green Party

Laura Potter
Manchester Green Party

Avery Withers
Sheffield Green Party

Logan Robin
Sheffield Green Party

Emma Garnett
Oxfordshire Green Party

Barry Jobson
South Tees Green Party

Tony Nicholson
Doncaster Green Party

Phil Di Palma
Norwich Green Party

Matthew Jenkins
Worcester Green Party

Amy Benson
Sheffield Green Party

Chris Ogden
Manchester Green Party

Rebecca Mulvaney
Sheffield Green Party

Louis Stephen
Worcester Green Party

Fiona Aviani-Bartram
Sheffield Green Party

Robert Gardner
Waltham Forest and Redbridge Green Party

Sue Avery
Worcester Green Party

Neil O’Doherty
North Somerset Green Party

Stephen Brennan
Wakefield Green Party

Connie Muir
Sutton & Croydon Green Party

Emily Stewart
Mole Valley Green Party

Valerie Remy
Southwark Green Party

Xingyu Liu
Tower Hamlets Green Party

Kirsty Chestnutt
Tower Hamlets Green Party

Emma M. Dungey-Betts
Brighton and Hove Green Party

Haris Hussnain
Gwent Green party

Jack Philipson
Gateshead Green Party

Hilary Rosser
Sheffield Green Party

Easwar Vivekanandan
Solihull Green Party

Alice Spendley
Hackney Green Party

Melissa Poulton
Worcester Green Party

Amelia Jones
Lancaster Green Party

Grazyna Buczkowska
Manchester Green Party

Maria Deery
Lancaster Green Party

Simon Stafford-Townsend
Bristol Green Party