The Conservative party has stirred up controversy after pledging to amend the 2010 Equality Act to define sex as “biological sex,” but now a new poll has revealed that a majority of British Citizens support the change.
Addressing Confusion
This amendment to the Equality Act is meant to address the “confusion” that surrounds the United Kingdom’s female-only spaces, toilets, female prisons, and hospital wards.
Impact on Trans Women
If this change is made, the largest effect would be against trans women, who would then be banned from accessing single-sex spaces such as toilets, female prisons, and hospital wards.
Regardless of GRC
The ban would even apply to trans women who obtained a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC), which has led many LGBTQ+ groups to speak out and fight back against the proposed amendment.
Women’s Safety
When presenting the amendment and defending its validity, UK’s conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claimed the decision was made in an attempt to protect women’s safety.
Too Important to Risk
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated, “The safety of women and girls is too important to allow the current confusion around definitions of sex and gender to persist.”
Poll Results
A recent YouGov poll asked British citizens what they think of the situation, and 50% of Britons support the Conservative pledge to amend the 2010 Equality Act.
Less Than A Quarter Opposition
While only 50% of the British polled supported the change, only 23% wholeheartedly opposed the amendment, and 27% said they were undecided.
Age Group Differences
The support for the amendment also varies significantly between age groups, with the highest support coming from those aged 65 and over at 63% in favor.
The Younger Generation
While the older generation strongly favors the amendment, the 18-24-year-olds polled were far more likely to oppose it, with 43% against and 31% in favor.
Party Support Differences
Political affiliation also significantly impacted the amendment’s level of support, with 71% of Conservative voters in favor compared to 30% of Labour supporters and 48% of Liberal Democrat supporters.
Gender Differences in Support
Interestingly, Men are also more likely to support the change than women, even though conservatives say they wish to make this change in order to protect women.
Support for the Proposal
Women and Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch supported the proposal due to confusion about current laws relating to sex and the ongoing debate about trans women’s place in sports and prisons.
When to Act
Defending the proposal, Badenoch said, “It is clear public authorities and regulatory bodies are confused about what the law says on sex and gender and when to act.”
Retaining Trans Protections
Despite restricting trans women’s access to public space, conservatives say that the amendment would not remove protections against discrimination based on gender reassignment.
Reserved Matter for Gender Recognition
The proposal will also make gender recognition a reserved matter, which means Westminster would have exclusive governing power over sex and gender law legislation.
Limiting Smaller Government Bodies
Effectively, this means that the new amendment would standardize the recognition of sex and gender across the United Kingdom, limiting the powers of smaller government bodies.
Policy Uniformity
When discussing the proposal, the UK’s conservative party stated, “An individual can only have one sex in the eyes of the law in the United Kingdom.”
The EHRC Response
In further defense of the policy, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) chair, Baroness Kishwer Falkner, wrote a letter that said, “Defining sex as ‘biological sex’ could bring greater legal clarity in several areas.”
Transactional Chair
Helen Belcher, chair of TransActual, condemned the proposal for undermining the human rights of transgender individuals who may be excluded from sex-based protections under the Equality Act.
Excluding Trans People
Helen said, “By insinuating in its previous advice that organisations should exclude trans people from single-sex services and spaces, and now proposing that parliament actively considers effectively removing trans people from sex-based protections under the Equality Act.”
No Longer People
Helen concluded her point by saying, “The EHRC continues demonstrating its inability to fight for human rights for everybody,” and “Trans people no longer seem to be people in their eyes. Our pains and struggles are seemingly irrelevant.”
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Keegan Leighty is a committed writer known for his impactful work in bringing attention to societal issues and injustices, using his platform to advocate for change and awareness. He also writes satire and stand up.