Trans people have been lied to on legal rights, says equalities chief

Transgender people must accept a 'period of correction' over their rights after the Supreme Court ruling on gender because they have been 'lied to' about their legal status for years, an equalities chief says.
Akua Reindorf, who is drafting guidance on how to treat trans people following April's ruling on the definition of a woman, added that the blame lay with their lobbyists.
Ms Reindorf, a barrister and one of eight commissioners on the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), made her remarks in a personal capacity during a debate hosted by the London School of Economics.
She said: 'Unfortunately, young people and trans people have been lied to over many years about what their rights are.'
The EHRC has been given the task of developing new guidelines on transgender people for public buildings such as cafes, schools and hospitals, after the Supreme Court ruled transgender women are not legally women. Shortly after the ruling the EHRC released interim guidance advising: 'Trans women (biological men) should not be permitted to use the women's facilities.'
Ms Reindorf's words came as the NHS Confederation, which represents hospital trusts, scrapped its old guidance allowing transgender patients to use the toilets of the sex they identify with.
A spokesman for the NHS Confederation said their old guidance is now 'dated' and requires updating to align with the Supreme Court ruling.
The two developments will be seen as a major blow to transgender activists, who have been petitioning for public organisations such as the NHS to ignore the court's decision.
The Girl Guides and Refuge, the largest domestic abuse charity for women, have both said they have no intention in changing their policy on allowing trans women to use their female facilities.
Ms Reindorf described their approach as ridiculous, arguing it amounted to a 'huge farce'. She said transgender people 'have been lied to and there has to be a period of correction'.
She added: 'The fact is that, until now, trans people without Gender Recognition Certificates, were being grievously misled about their legal rights.
'The correction of self-ID policies and practices will inevitably feel like a loss of rights for trans people.
'This unfortunate position is overwhelmingly a product of the misinformation which was systematically disseminated over a long period by lobby groups and activists.'

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

BBC News

11 minutes ago

• BBC News

Norfolk council leader sorry over 'poor people' Facebook post

A council leader apologised "unreservedly" for posting a picture of a steak dinner on Facebook with the words: "Wonder what all the poor people are doing?"Norfolk County Council's Conservative leader Kay Mason Billig said it was a private joke that had been taken out of context and the comments were "not intended to be about anyone else".A copy of her post, which showed a tomahawk steak, red wine and a salad, was shared with the Eastern Daily council's Liberal Democrat group leader Brian Watkins said it made "a mockery of many in our county struggling to make ends meet" and called for her to resign. Mason Billig, who has led the council since 2023, said: "Of course I apologise unreservedly if I have caused any offence, it was never my intention to do so."She said the image – taken from her personal Facebook page – was being "twisted into something it isn't"."My husband and I have sometimes called ourselves 'the poor people'," she explained."It's a private joke as we live fairly modestly, so when we have a treat, we will sometimes post about it."It's not intended to be about anyone else and is no reflection on people who are less well off than ourselves."I am deeply disappointed that someone has decided to be this horrible when they must certainly know it's actually self deprecation." While the post was made on her personal page, University of Essex professor of government Paul Whiteley said politicians had to be careful using social media."To somebody who didn't know her, it would sound like she was being rude about people who are poor, even if that's not what she meant," he said."That's what it will sound like to the vast majority of people."Watkins, whose Liberal Democrats are the main opposition group on the council, said Mason Billig "should consider her resignation immediately"."A councillor is never off duty. These comments make a mockery of many in our county struggling to make ends meet."Labour group leader Steve Morphew said Mason Billig was "out of touch". Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

BBC News

11 minutes ago

• BBC News

Why your hayfever may be bad at the moment

Sneezing, itchy and running eyes, or a scratchy throat. All can take the pleasure out of a sunny summers day, and all could be due to pollen levels in your the next few days very high grass pollen levels are predicted across the respite should come for some from Sunday onwards as we move to slightly breezier, more changeable you're not on your own as pollen-induced hayfever affects approximately 13 million people in the UK and around 95% of those cases can be attributed to grass. We are currently just past the peak of the grass pollen season, which generally runs from late May to early we can expect regional variations in the length and potency of that across the northern Scotland it tends to be shorter, but in areas such as south-east England grass pollen can continue to affect some people all the way through until early not just grass pollen that could be the cause of those sneezes at the moment pollen and fungal spores are also on the rise as they head towards their summer peak. Whilst dry and warm weather are often responsible too, some types of fungal spores, such as Leptosphaeria can increase temporarily during you're very badly affected at the moment you might be pleased to know that this year grass pollen levels aren't expected to be above average over all. Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon said this is due to the UK weather in late spring where the combination of warm weather increased grass growth, but the dry conditions conversely reduced that growing potential."While short dry spells and high temperatures mid-season can increase pollen levels, over a prolonged period this could lead to depletion of the available pollen on the plants," he added. When are pollen levels at their highest? Pollen levels can vary from day to day, even hour to hour depending on weather are at their highest during dry and in warm weather, but can decline if the dry spell is a prolonged onset of rainfall helps to dampen down pollen, but the return of a dry and sunny spell can see a sudden rise in levels of day can be crucial too. Hayfever can be at it's worst early morning and from late afternoon onwards. On sunny days, these are the times when winds tend to be at their lightest and the pollen is concentrated in the lower atmosphere, close to nose and eyes. Is there anything I can do to avoid pollen? It's not an easy thing to avoid here in the UK.A first step could be to check the forecast where you are. Up to date forecasts are available on the BBC Weather website and app from late spring to early search for your location and you will find the latest data alongside the UV forecast. If you are particularly susceptible to hayfever try to avoid being outdoors early and in late in the day when pollen levels can be at their and changing your clothes once you've returned home can help to reduce the be mindful when hanging washing out on high pollen days. Pollen landing on clothes and sheets can then be easily brought don't forget our beloved pets. Limit contact or wash hands after handling them if they have also been you want to escape high pollen days sometimes a trip to the coast may help. However, you will need a location where there is a steady wind coming in off the sea and not the land. Is climate change affecting the pollen season? Like much of the natural world, our changing climate is likely to impact pollen levels in the UK in the years to a Government report on the health affects of climate change in the UK, external there are three ways a warming world could impact pollen patternsChanges in temperature and rainfall patterns could lengthen the pollen season and increase pollen is possible that pollen particles could become more potent, with greater amounts of the allergy causing agent on them.A changing distribution of allergenic plants across the UK, including invasive species, could see potential pollen levels increase in some areas.

Telegraph

16 minutes ago

• Telegraph

Palestine Action must be labelled terrorist group, say Farage and Jenrick

Palestine Action should be proscribed as a terrorist organisation after its activists breached security at an air base to damage two RAF planes, Robert Jenrick and Nigel Farage have said. The pair joined other senior politicians in demanding that the group should be banned over its 'illegal' and 'extremist' actions after activists broke into RAF Brize Norton and sprayed red paint into the engines of two Airbus Voyager aircraft. Mr Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, told Sir Keir Starmer: 'You are the Prime Minister – do something. Ban Palestine Action. Investigate the security breach.' Mr Farage, the leader of Reform UK, said: 'Palestine Action must be proscribed as a terrorist organisation after the attack on RAF planes at Brize Norton.' Proscribing Palestine Action would make it illegal to be a member of the group, to invite support for it or to wear clothing or carry flags or placards backing it. Anyone caught doing so would face up to 14 years in prison. It would put the group on a par with membership of the Islamic State, Hamas or Al-Qaeda. Lord Walney, a former government adviser on political violence and disruption, said: 'The Government must now act to ban Palestine Action after this grotesque breach of military security. 'With Iran's nuclear programme on the brink and Britain facing rising threats from abroad, we shouldn't let these criminal activists act like the Ayatollah's apparatchiks by attacking the country from within. 'Employees at the workplaces they target have been systematically terrorised by Palestine Action for too long – this is the moment for ministers to proscribe the group as terrorists or enact the new sanctions recommended in my review submitted to Downing Street and the Home Office.' Suella Braverman, a former home secretary, said: 'This is not a legitimate protest. These are the actions of militant extremists who are undermining our national security. Palestine Action should be proscribed and face the full force of the law.' Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, is understood to support a ban and urged the Government and police to ensure that the activists responsible faced the 'full force of the law'. 'The security breach at Brize Norton is deeply is not lawful protest, it is politically motivated criminality,' she said. 'We must stop tolerating terrorist or extremist groups that seek to undermine our society. The full force of the law must come down on those responsible.' David Taylor, the Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead, also called for Palestine Action to be proscribed, saying its protest at Brize Norton amounted to 'sabotage'. He added: 'This group have engaged in illegal activity – smashing into defence sites, vandalising property and disrupting key infrastructure. These are not isolated incidents – they are part of a coordinated campaign of unlawful direct action. 'Such behaviour puts lives at risk, undermines public safety and is against British values. It is time for the Government to take a firmer stance. I believe Palestine Action should now be considered for proscription under the Terrorism Act. We cannot allow groups who glorify and incite violence to operate unchecked under the guise of activism.' Palestine Action has been involved in previous violent protests. In January last year, it vandalised an office of the logistics company Kuehne+Nagel in Milton Keynes, smashing windows and spraying the building with paint. Last March, it claimed responsibility for spray-painting a historic portrait of Arthur Balfour at Trinity College, Cambridge. Palestine Action said the action was taken because of the 1917 Balfour declaration, in which the UK backed a separate state for Jewish people. Last November, members broke a glass cabinet in the University of Manchester's Chemistry Building and stole two busts of Chaim Weizmann, the first president of Israel and a former lecturer at the university. In March this year, members of Palestine Action threw red paint on the Old Schools building at the University of Cambridge, calling on the university to divest from companies selling arms to the Israeli military.