Liz Truss describes ‘fundamental disagreements’ with LGBT Advisory Panel
"Panel members supported self-ID for gender recognition certificates. I very strongly feel as I made clear there need to be checks and balances."
Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: Wiki
Liz Truss has said she had “fundamental disagreements” with the UK government’s recently disbanded LGBT Advisory Panel.
In March, the Minister for Women and Equalities and her colleague Kemi Badenoch, the Under-Secretary of State for Equalities, were accused by some panel members of creating a “hostile environment” for LGBTQs in the UK.
Members including Jayne Ozanne quit the panel before it was disbanded last month.
At a Commons committee yesterday, Truss was asked to respond to the “hostile environment” claims. She said the “time-limited” panel was appointed by the “previous government.”
She then described disagreements with panel members on the Gender Recognition Act and calls to make it easier for people to legally change their gender.
“We’re grateful for the contribution they made”
“Of course we’re grateful for the contribution they made,” Truss said. “But I think there were fundamental disagreements, namely members of the panel supported self-ID for gender recognition certificates.
“I very strongly feel as I made clear there need to be checks and balances. I think the issue here is fundamentally a difference of opinion on that issue.”
Truss then appeared to dodge a question about the government’s 2018 LGBT Action Plan, introduced under previous Prime Minister Theresa May. Quizzed on the matter by Labour’s Alex Davies-Jones, she replied: “We set our plan for LGBT advancement of rights.
“[…] We also in the Queen’s Speech announced that we will be legislating to ban conversion therapy in this country and we’re also working with business to make sure there is good support for LGBT people in business, particularly small businesses. Those are the priorities as I’ve set them out. And I’ll be appointing an LGBT panel in due course.”
May first pledged to ban conversion therapy – a pseudo-scientific, widely discredited practice attempting to change a person’s sexuality and gender identity – in 2018.
Pushed on why there had been no updates on the 2018 LGBT Action Plan, Truss said: “It’s probably because there’s a new government in place under the leadership of Boris Johnson.”
“So we should scrap the previous LGBT Action Plan?” Davies-Jones then asked.
“What I’m saying is that was set out by the previous administration,” replied Truss. “I have laid out what our priorities are. The Prime Minister made clear in the Queen’s Speech that we are moving forward on banning conversion therapy [and] the LGBT conference – those are our priorities.”
The Attitude July issue is out now.
Subscribe in print and get your first three issues for just £1 each, or digitally for just over 1.50 per issue.
