Last month the Conservative Minister for Women and Equalities, Liz Truss, set out her plan to progress the reform of the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) in a speech to the Equalities Select Committee.
In this speech, she stated that the Government response would follow “three very important principles”, only one of which actually appeared to relate to GRA reform consultation.
We wrote to MPs from the Liverpool City Region, alongside 9 other organisations, urgently asking them to seek clarity on the points she made. We also encouraged people to contact their own MPs to demand the same.
Since sending the letter on 25th April, we have received responses from some of the MPs that represent our region including Liverpool MPs Kim Johnson, Maria Eagle and Ian Byrne.
They have expressed the desire to connect with the Liverpool City Region’s organisations that represent trans, non-binary and gender variant people who will be directly affected by the GRA, to better understand the concerns of the community, before requesting that the minister be held to account.
To date the LCR Pride Foundation is still awaiting a response from some of the MPs contacted and is following up the letter as a matter of urgency with their offices, with discussion of the GRA now tabled for the summer. We of course recognise that these are testing times as MPs are receiving large numbers of enquiries, so the foundation is covering all communication methods to ensure our region’s MPs are informed.
Lewis Collins, Chair of the LCR Pride Foundation Board of Directors, said: “We would like to thank those MPs who have responded to our letter requesting clarity around the statement made by Liz Truss last month.
“We look forward to bringing them together for an online meeting with organisations representing the trans non-binary and gender variant community in the Liverpool City Region. This will provide them with the opportunity to hear the concerns around the Minister’s plan to progress the GRA, directly from the community that it affects.”
“We encourage anyone from the region’s trans and non-binary communities who would like to have their say to speak to their local support groups or services and to also contact their MP”
If you would like more information please contact us on info@lcrpride.co.uk
