Gillian Keegan said: “After talking to experts and professionals, like many others, my understanding has improved.” Photo: Geoff Pugh for The Telegraph
Gillian Keegan said she would no longer use the phrase “trans women are women,” explaining that her understanding of the issue had “evolved.”
In 2020, in response to a question from an LGBT representative+ At a forum in her constituency of Chichester, the education secretary said “trans women are women”, adding that trans people should have equal access to “safe spaces”.
But she told The Telegraph that since then Since then I have “learned much more about this complex and complex topic.”
It came after Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said he was wrong to use the phrase “trans women are women, get over it.”
His U-turn came after the Cass review, which found that much of gender medicine is built on shaky foundations, and warned against the use of puberty blockers for children and young people.
Ms Keegan's remarks follow Whitehall concerns that she as education secretary is not strong enough to counter the influence of trans activists in schools.
Four years ago, in his response to Chichester LGBT+ forum, she said: “I recognize that more needs to be done to help transgender people cope with the unique and difficult challenges they face.”
“Trans women are women and trans people deserve equal and fair access to healthcare, safe spaces and opportunities, and to live their lives with dignity.”
But she told The Telegraph: “Since then As she became a Member of Parliament and then a Minister, I learned much more about this complex and complex topic.
“At the time of writing this response I do not have any direct experience of this topic and have taken advice on how best to respond given the complexities associated with individual cases. After speaking with experts and professionals, as with many others, my understanding has improved.
“I have since made my concerns about women being left out of these debates abundantly clear, and have always made it clear that There are no women and there never have been a penis.”
Her comments were met with approval. from Sex Matters, a women's rights group. Maya Forstater, its chief executive, said: “This change of position from Gillian Keegan is a welcome development and serves as an example for other politicians to start using clear, serious language rather than trans activist slogans.”
“ For several years, trans activist lobby groups have promoted the use of phrases such as “trans women are women” as a tactic to silence debate and fair questions about how gender identity conflicts with women's rights.
“Many people did not realize the dangers of these slogans early on, including politicians who no doubt thought they were simply supporting a good cause. It takes courage to publicly change your mind. Women's rights and child protection are serious issues that need to be addressed in clear and precise terms.”
In December, Ms Keegan published draft trans guidance for schools, which said pupils should only be allowed to change their pronouns on rare occasions. and parents should be consulted about their child's wishes to change their gender identity.
Teaching unions and transgender rights groups have reacted angrily to the recommendations now available for consultation.
In Whitehall There are concerns that Ms Keegan may soften the decision in response to negative comments. There are also concerns that long-awaited Department for Education guidance on relationships and sex education for schools has yet to be published.
Last week, The Telegraph reported that Victoria Atkins, the health secretary, had met with Stonewall in the past, despite criticism of the charity for its role in the puberty blocker controversy.
The health secretary met with LGBT representatives charity in 2018 when she was Equalities Minister and her team met with them four times. But earlier this week she said those who refused to follow all the recommendations of the Cass review were “following Stonewall”.
Stonewall supports drug use by young people seeking gender reassignment and said schools should destroy research package from another charity which said there were risks to puberty blockers.
But Ms Atkins cited the study in the House of Commons and said she worked “closely” with it when she was a minister in the Home Office affairs.
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